My journey in youth ministry began when I was a high school student working summers as a camp counselor at Ondessonk Catholic Youth Camp in southern Illinois. Through this work experience I learned that camp was not just a summer thing. Once the school year begins, camp is open for a new season of camping by catering to school groups, scout troops, and area colleges, for environmental education and exploration. What does a year-round camp program offer us in our youth ministry practices? Catholic social teaching calls us to care for God’s creation, and many summer camps offer programming that helps us learn to be better stewards of the environment.

A number of summer camps are open year-round with specialized programming so the camp can continue its environmental justice mission beyond the summer months. Camp Gray, located in the Baraboo Hill area of Wisconsin, offers a great explanation on why learning about the environment is important: “As Christians, we care for creation (the Earth, plants, animals, and each other) because we are part of a greater community.” The Pines Catholic Camp in Texas advocates that, “the goal of environmental education is to draw students closer to the environment and to help build an understanding of their role as stewards of God's Earth.” Camps like these, through their environmental education programs, offer youth ministry teams a wealth of catechetical opportunities for young people.

What are these outdoor and environment education programs like? While working at Camp Ondessonk, I had many opportunities to staff outdoor education programs. A typical outdoor environmental education experience starts with orienting students to a new environment in the great outdoors as well as a new way of relating to one another through team building. One of my favorite experiences on the first day of an outdoor education program is to watch students’ reaction to how they were to live for the next few days, as the normal modern conveniences of home were no longer available. Getting people out of their comfort zone by trying new experiences, such as rustic living conditions, is a staple for many outdoor education programs.

The days are filled with hands-on activities such as exploration hikes, pond studies, and interactive games. On my nature hikes, we did not just talk about how the forest changes over time, but I took the students to places in the woods where change is happening and ask them why they think this change is happening. The only way, in my opinion, to study a pond properly is to strap on some hip waders and get your feet wet! Interactive games give students a practical experience on how things work in nature and what happens when we are not good stewards of creation. Evenings at an outdoor education program can be enchanting, as many students have never been given opportunities to experience God’s creation in the same way most people throughout history have—by the light of a campfire!

By the end of a typical outdoor education program, students have grown in countless ways. Outward Bound Wilderness, a nationally recognized nonprofit adventure-education organization, lists the following as benefits for participating in outdoor experiences:

• improved resilience and problem solving skills in students
• creating lasting positive change
• improving youth development, particularly in the areas of attention span, creativity, academic performance, and social and environmental responsibility

I would add a noticeable improvement to the relationship between adults and students who share the outdoor experience to that list as well. These benefits are wonderful assets, and you can use these programs with their accompanying benefits in your youth ministry as well.

Where can you find a camp or other outdoor education program in your area? A number of camp programs are accredited through the American Camp Association (ACA). The ACA website has easy-to-use search engines and other information about the camping industry. There are agencies and service providers that offer outdoor experiences, too. Your local YMCA or YWCA might have adventure programs to help accomplish your ministry goals. One service provider that I worked with in my camping career is called Nature’s Classroom. This program has sites available mainly on the East Coast, but there are a few programs in the Midwest. A search on the Internet will offer a wide variety of secular programs and places for outdoor experiences.

In this article, I make specific references to programs I have either been directly involved with, or have learned about through networking and professional organizations. I am sure there are countless other camps and programs out there that could be mentioned. If you know of a great resource in your area, please tell us about it on the NACYML forums!