Published: 22 August 2023

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William Lawrence Camp and How Overnight Summer Camps Help with Back to School and Back to Skills

By alumnus Isaac S. Peterson (1987-1995)

Several academic high-achievers have passed through the screen doors at William Lawrence Camp. Here are three of them.

Academic Heavy-Hitter Alumni of WLC

• Chris Carbone: Chris graduated from Dartmouth University in Hanover, NH and earned his Master of Science (M.S.) at MIT. In true Bill Larry lumberjack style, he now works as a Timber Engineer.
• Brendan McCabe: one of WLC's many Ridgewood, NJ alums, Brendan McCabe's international education includes the London School of Economics, Boston College and an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business. He's a senior business developer at a little startup called Microsoft.
• Dan Peterson, M.D., graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy and went on to Cornell, then to Yeshiva University's Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He performed a residency at Beth Israel and is currently an E.R. staff physician in greater Orlando.

There are countless others. And it's more than advanced schools that WLC fills with bright young men. We teach and instill advanced skills. So advanced schools and advanced skills. (Including our new wood shop.)

For example, alum Ryan Baker-Dunn's degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism gave him the critical skills needed to manage projects for a leading New England non-profit, Evernorth. He oversees responsible real estate development, including permits and managing federal funds. Ryan's very real-world skills of book-keeping, planning and overseeing things being built and repaired? Skills indeed.

But what's this have to do with camp? How does knowing four different types of campfires, being able to swim the back crawl, or heaving a greased watermelon out of the lake and onto a dock--what does that have to do with school or bigger brains? We're glad you asked.

Brains, Cognition and Physical Activity

It's rather unwieldy hooking up an EEG to a 12-year-old boy while they're waterskiing across Lower Beech Pond. Is waterskiing developing more gray matter in his brain? Will that part of the camp experience help him get a better ACT or other standardized tests score? It would be nice for WLC to have that data to offer you, the involved parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle.

Fortunately, other curious minds have looked at the intersection of physical activity, summer camp, and academic achievement. (Or maybe "collision" instead of “intersection” if we're talking about boys' camps).

While it's not easy to measure, some top-line data show a link between academic success and active or outdoor adventures.

Movement and the Mind

• The NIH book Educating the Student Body cites five studies in the last 20 years confirming that "Children respond faster and with greater accuracy to a variety of cognitive tasks after participating in a session of physical activity."
• A meta-analysis first published in Pediatric Exercise Science looked at dozens of different studies on kids, physical activity and the relationship to cognitive abilities. The authors ultimately found "for children, physical activity has a positive association with cognition."
• This same Pediatric Exercise Science meta-analysis also found no major difference in the positive effects when looking at one activity versus another. Sprinting across the soccer field at school is good, but clambering up the ropes course, swimming the side stroke and hiking New Hampshire’s Mt. Major also help with the brain.

Higher-Level Developments

Overnight summer camps like William Lawrence Camp (WLC) offer more than just physical activities; they provide an environment that fosters higher-level development in children.

One example is persistence coupled with creativity. A boy can solve almost anything with this winning combination. Basic problem-solving skills such as real-time identifying cause-and-effect are invaluable in any learning situation.

Once they figure out a game, situation or sport, for anything, the boys will indeed get creative in their competition. Often throughout the summer, a counselor must say, "that is allowed; he's not cheating" or "I don't think there's anything in the rulebook for that, point good."

Overnight Summer Camps and Outdoor Adventures Can Polish Academic Achievement

While technology at the camp is reduced to safety devices for staff, a P.A. system, and an A.V. room when the rain is really falling, it's still part of education. But it's not everything. Memory is still vital. When this author was working road construction right out of college, the boss told him, "There's a notebook between your shoulders."

At WLC, campers are thrust into a setting where they engage with nature and learn hands-on repeatable skills that will help with memory.

WLC Helps Cultivate the Everyday Behavioral Needs of Boys as Students

Soft skills usually get less attention in the classroom but are a focal point at camps like WLC. Through activities, campers practice patience, teamwork, communication, and determination. These soft skills translate directly to the classroom setting. A boy who communicates effectively, works in teams, and patiently solves problems is better equipped to tackle academic challenges.

Rhythm and Rest: Requirements for Effective Learning

There is a siesta every day after lunch. The six-year-old Junior campers might still need a daily nap, so WLC schedules that. But all the campers partake to 1) keep it quiet for the rest of them and 2) let the staff catch their breath. More broadly, attending WLC brings connection to nature, combined with consistent physical activity, which creates a much-needed mental reset, helping kids return to school with a refreshed perspective, an increased ability to focus, and a deeper sense of curiosity.

The word "burnout" is getting used a lot more nowadays. As working from home becomes the norm--work and life seem to be sliding closer together--the need for mental recalibration is essential. Your boy’s experience at WLC is a good recalibration away from screens and overly-comfortable routines. It's a siesta from higher-demand coed social situations. It’s a siesta from the growing cognitive and achievement demands of childhood and adolescence. It’s a return to simpler joys and endeavors. But all things that will sharpen his curiosity and his enlarge his capacity to learn.

We just closed out a wonderful 111th season but our early-registration discount starts October 1^st and runs until December 1^st! Check out our enrollment dates and rates though!