Category: Camp News

Sociologist Ray Oldenburg first introduced the idea of the third place—a space that is neither home nor work (or, for young people, neither home nor school). More recently, writer Kristin Kenzy has breathed fresh life into the concept, reminding us why these spaces matter now more than ever.

According to Kenzy, “a third place delivers social connection, a sense of belonging, and critical relief from our responsibilities at home and work.” For adults, that might be a favorite café or community center. But for the campers who return to Camp Woodland summer after summer, we know exactly what that third place is: right here on County D, among the tall pine trees, on Sand Lake, and in a community where they feel deeply known.

Why Camp Woodland is a Third Place 

Every June, campers arrive with duffels full of clothing and hearts full of anticipation. What they step into is not simply a camp session—it’s a living, breathing third place that offers:

1. Social Connection

At Woodland, connection happens everywhere:
– In the dining hall when the entire camp erupts into song 
– At the barn when a camper cheers for a friend’s first trot
– In the cabin before bedtime when the counselor is reading the goodnight story

Here, conversation isn’t something squeezed between tasks—it’s the point. Campers discover what it feels like to be listened to, supported, and celebrated in a community designed to bring people together.

2. A Sense of Belonging

Belonging at Camp Woodland doesn’t depend on achievement, appearance, or perfection. A Woodland girl is embraced for who she is the moment she arrives. Traditions, shared experiences, and the sheer joy of growing up together create bonds that stretch far beyond one summer.

It’s this belonging that keeps campers returning year after year—and keeps Woodland alumnae connected long after they’ve traded sailboats for laptops and riding boots and helmets for career attire.

3. A Break from Everyday Responsibilities

Camp is a rare gift in a world buzzing with notifications, pressures, and expectations. Woodland asks something beautifully simple of campers:
Be present. Try new things. Be yourself.

Free from academic stress, schedules, and the curated world of social media, campers find spaciousness—mentally, emotionally, and socially. They reset. They breathe. They remember what it feels like to play, explore, and grow without the weight of comparison.

Connection With as Little Friction as Possible

Kristin Kenzy emphasizes that “communities thrive when people are routinely guided to connect with each other, face-to-face, with as little friction as possible.”

This is the Woodland way.

Campers don’t need an invitation to connect—it happens organically. They live together, learn together, and navigate the ups and downs of cabin life together. Friction is minimized by design:

• Devices stay at home (or in a safe place at camp)

• Staff intentionally foster collaborative, supportive environments

• Rituals and routines gently pull everyone into shared moments

Face-to-face is the only way things operate here—and the result is authentic, durable relationships that feel increasingly rare in the outside world.

A Third Place They Carry With Them

By the end of every summer, something magical happens: Camp Woodland becomes more than a destination. It becomes an anchor point, a source of confidence, and a place campers carry in their hearts long after they’ve returned home.

Because that’s the power of a true third place—it changes you.
It strengthens you.
It reminds you who you are.

And every summer, Woodland campers return to the place that gives them exactly that.

We hope your daughter/s will join us in 2026 so they can find or return to their third place! 

For Estefi Guevara, camp has always been more than a summer experience. It has been a second home where she has grown, developed, and discovered her own creative voice. Her connection to camp began long before she arrived as a camper in 2016. Her aunt Marce first came in 2004, paving the way for other family members to follow. Eventually, Estefi, her sister Nat, and her brother chose to attend as a gift in place of a traditional quinceañera celebration. That one summer for both Estefi and Nat turned into multiple summers (7 years total for Estefi and 4 for Nat in 2025). 

Over the years, Estefi has seen camp from nearly every perspective. She began as a camper then CIT, later worked in the kitchen, spent time as a counselor, and now leads canoe trips and directs the arts and crafts program. Each role has given her a new understanding of how camp operates and how people connect within it. Working in the kitchen allowed her to experience the rhythm of feeding a whole community while forming friendships with people she might never have met otherwise. Her time as a counselor helped her develop empathy and patience while guiding younger campers. Through leading trips and arts activities, she has learned how to bring creativity and structure together in ways that inspire others.

Her background in architecture has strengthened her approach to problem-solving and design at camp. She has a natural ability to visualize how a project will come together, to plan each step carefully, and to make thoughtful choices about materials and methods. Whether organizing an art project or planning a canoe trip, she draws on her architectural training to think critically and anticipate each stage of the process.

Camp has also played an important role in helping Estefi grow more confident and independent. An introvert by nature, she first came to camp from another country and had to step far outside her comfort zone. The experience opened her up to new friendships and gave her the courage to explore unfamiliar situations. That spirit of exploration carried into her travels through Europe, where she met new people and built connections much like those she had formed at camp.

Many of the habits and passions that shape her life today trace back to summers at camp. She has brought home projects she first learned there, such as craft techniques, cooking experiments, and even the patience to make her own yogurt. Recently, she has begun making her own clothes and hopes to try baking sourdough bread. These creative pursuits reflect the same curiosity and care that guide her work as both an architect and a camp leader.

Estefi often reflects on the importance of slowing down and appreciating each stage of life. In a world that pushes people to move quickly from one milestone to the next, she values taking time to enjoy the process rather than rushing toward the outcome. Camp has shaped her not only as a designer and leader but also as someone who knows how to appreciate every step along the way.

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From Camp to Career: come join us! If you are or know an emerging leader who is wanting to explore personal and professional skill development, we invite you to let us know HERE (first time staff members) or RETURN staff (have been on staff at least one previous summer).

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One of the youngest campers at Camp Woodland signed up for riflery for the last 2 weeks of the summer. She was barely bigger than the rifle she would be holding. Her motivation for taking the class at the end of the summer? 

She said it was because her Mom took riflery when she was a camper and had passed all the levels over the course of multiple summers. She saw her Mom’s name on the wall in the lodge for successfully completing the highest level, “expert”. 

This Silver Birch camper was determined and nervous at the same time. It took her a while to get the hang of it. Getting the feel of the rifle and how to hold it steady is an exercise in patience. Learning how to look through the sight to see the target takes practice. 

Aiming the gun to hit the target is another step in the process and summons persistence. Breathing evenly and calmly to keep a smooth rhythm before, during, and after shooting takes some getting used to (along with a dose of positive self-talk). 

Putting it all together? More patience, practice, persistence, and positivity. 

By the end of the 2-week period, this Woodland camper was confident in her skills and able to consistently hit the target. She was now motivated by her own reasons to work hard. Riflery became fun and something she looked forward to every day!  

Three Things Everyone Needs to be Truly Motivated – Letting the Secret Out of the Bag!
Research shows kids (adults, too!) thrive when three basic needs are met:

• Autonomy → Having choice and ownership (“I choose to…”).
• Competence → Seeing growth and impact (not perfection, but progress).
• Relatedness → Feeling connection and belonging.

Why This Matters at Camp and to Our Friend Taking Riflery (or any activity!) for the First Time
At Woodland these needs are woven into daily life:

• Kids choose activities (autonomy). This camper from the youngest cabin made the choice to give riflery a try for the last activity sign-up of the summer.
• They see skills improve (competence)—on the lake, at the barn, in archery, or making friends. Improvement was visible by the scores she was getting after each round and being able to shoot at the riflery range consistently almost every day for 2 weeks.
• Cabin life, activities, and traditions create real belonging (relatedness). Through the encouragement and guidance from the counselor leading the class and the other girls showing their support built connectedness and fostered a sense of confidence in doing something for the first time (and with other campers who were much older than she was!). 

When these three align (choice, competency, and belonging), kids don’t need pushing. The shift from external motivation to genuine engagement explains why camp works for child development in ways that surprise even us sometimes. They’re intrinsically motivated to dive in, try new things, and take steps towards independence.

This is just ONE example of MANY from the recent summer!

The Bottom Line
This is why camp “works.” At every turn– even when taking a new activity for the last 2 weeks of the summer—campers gain autonomy, grow confidence, and build friendships. They return with skills and motivation that can be applied at home, school, and beyond. We hope your daughter/s will join us in 2026!!

Love at First Try

Imagine you are 7 years old and visiting your grandparents who have a cabin on a lake in Northern Wisconsin. You decide to put on a pair of waterskis and hold onto a rope tied behind a boat. The boat takes off and you come out of the water smiling (maybe after a few face plants), and you are hooked. The thrill, the challenge, the satisfaction of nailing a jump or getting a faster time. You love water-skiing and want to figure out how to engage in this sport as much as possible.

For Lauren Connelly, former Woodland camper and counselor (all she needs is one more summer to get her 5 yr pendant!), water-skiing is a passion that has been fueled in so many interesting ways. This school year, Lauren was awarded the Barbara Bolding Jim Grew Scholarship, USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation’s top scholarship and is President of the NCWSA (National Club Waterski Association) Club team in her area.

Sand Lake Lessons

During her time at Woodland, Lauren would sit on the dock every day during Rec Swim and patiently wait her turn for a spin around the lake. She started on two skis and eventually progressed to being able to drop a ski, then get up slalom. Lauren practiced cutting in and out of the wake, putting the rope between her legs, lifting a ski, and other skills that she mastered while as a camper. During her two years as a counselor, she taught campers how to do those same skills.

College Club Team

Lauren now competes in 3-event water-skiing which includes a slalom course, jump and trick skiing.

• Slalom, is where skiers run passes of a course made of 6 turns. There are 3 turns to either side of the boat with an entry and exit gate. Boat speed is increased, or the rope length shortened after each successfully completed pass. Skiers continue until they miss one of the turn buoys.
• Jump is where skiers have 3 attempts to go as far as possible, their longest jump counts for scoring, and the furthest distance wins (Lauren’s average is 50 ft, and her best is 55 ft).
• The Trick event has 2 passes of 20 seconds, where the skier must perform as many tricks as possible to accumulate points (Lauren is currently working on her back flip).

Beyond Skiing: Boat Driver and Maintenance Upkeep

Lauren tries to practice skiing every day and often gets up early to get time on the water. She is also a certified boat driver and as Club President finds herself frequently driving so that her teammates get in their practice time, too. Lauren knows how to change the oil and replace the steering cables on a boat in addition to taking care of some other maintenance needs to keep the boat in tip-top shape.

West Coast and Tennessee Adventures

Last fall (2024), Lauren spent a semester at Cal Poly (CA) in the National Student Exchange program, an in-country exchange. The decision to head to the west coast was an easy one. Lauren wanted to go somewhere different from the midwest so she could go to the beach to surf and enjoy mountain views. Joining the Club Ski Team there was an easy way to make friends; she even spent 2 weeks in CA this summer visiting people and seeing more of CA (LA, San Diego, and San Francisco). This past summer, Lauren worked in Hillsboro, TN (outside of Nashville) where she drove a boat for clients and coached skiing lessons for Swerve Watersports. 

Going All In 

Lauren is all about putting yourself out there and putting in everything you have into whatever you do. She goes all in. Even when she was young, Lauren was seeking opportunities. At some point, she decided that she wanted to give camp a try, and she went for it. She found Woodland online, sent an email, and was a camper for 2 summers. She believes she can figure it out when she gets to any new place. Camp was a good place for Lauren to flex her confidence and independence muscles!

Lauren is a firm believer that each year is different and that by putting effort into something new, you can inspire and encourage others. Your attitude (positive or negative) definitely plays a huge part in the attitudes of those around you. Lauren lived in a cabin with older girls during her 2 years as a counselor and was keenly aware of this on a daily basis!

What’s Next?: Two Passions, One Journey

Lauren is a senior at Iowa State University pursuing a mechanical engineering degree and is set to graduate in the fall of 2026. She plans to do one more semester at Cal Poly with their exchange program to see if California is somewhere she would like to live long term. Lauren loves the problem solving aspect of mechanical engineering; her dream job would be to combine her passion/hobby with her career and work for a company like Mastercraft Ski Boats or to pursue something related to marine technology. The ski boats used to pull skiers on slalom and jump courses used in the events Lauren trains for and competes in are quite sophisticated. How cool would that be if Lauren could actually be part of a team that keeps improving the design of those watercraft!

From Camp to Career: come join us! If you are or know an emerging leader who is wanting to explore personal and professional skill development, we invite you to let us know HERE (first time staff members) or RETURN staff (have been on staff at least one previous summer).

Someone shared an article in Outside Magazine a few weeks ago: “Can a Campfire Improve Your Mental Health? Many Therapists Say Yes.” To summarize the piece, therapists and nonprofits are using campfires to help a variety of folks (teens included) open up about their struggles. And the science backs it up. A 2014 study found that sitting around a fire decreases blood pressure, fosters relaxation, and improves social connection.

There was no surprise here, of course, because we’ve been seeing this exact thing at Woodland and Towering Pines for decades. With the one difference being, we don’t call it “therapy”.

For us, it’s just part of the natural cadence of the day.

Things start to wind down after an exciting day, the wood goes into the circle, a staff member lights a match, songs get sung, and skits are performed. Then, when the fire dies down and the embers are glowing, a story is read, voices get quieter, conversations go deeper, and the stars are starting to make their appearance.

All of that science from above is happening in the standard order of things here.

What Else Counts as “Therapy”?

If we’re going to start calling campfires “therapy,” what else at camp deserves this newly expanded label? Don’t get us wrong…we are a huge supporter of high-quality therapy. It changes lives every day.

When we walk around Woodland or TP on any given day, we see dozens of moments that could probably justify their own research studies and fancy therapeutic labels.

Moments that look completely ordinary. Kids being kids. Counselors being counselors. Summer unfolding as it always does.

So let’s take a look at some other forms of therapy that we apparently offer.

Walking-Across-Camp-With-A-Friend Therapy.

Watch any path between activities. Two kids, maybe three, just walking and talking. No destination pressure. No agenda. Just the simple act of moving together, conversations flowing as naturally as their footsteps.

Where else does this happen anymore without someone checking a phone? It involves being present. Physically close. Eye contact. Connection.

Your-Age-Doesn’t-Matter Therapy

Our oldest campers hanging out with our youngest campers. Teaching them archery strategies. Showing them the best spot to catch a fish. Sharing their camp memories and lighting a fire of excitement that burns all summer for our newest campers.

Where else in their lives do kids get this? Maybe from a particularly loving older sibling or cousin, but teenagers can be inward-gazing.

Older campers live for these interactions. They can’t wait to take on these roles. Just older kids who genuinely want to share what they know with the next generation.

Canoeing-To-Nowhere Therapy

A counselor and a couple of campers in a canoe. Not racing. Not trying to reach the other shore. Just paddling, floating, talking.

The point isn’t Point A to Point B. The point is doing something together. Being on the water with time to think, talk about whatever, and laugh together.

Family-Style-Meal Therapy

Three times a day. All summer long. Kids and counselors passing platters, pouring drinks for each other, negotiating who gets the last piece of garlic bread.

As parents with impossible family schedules, we struggle to manage this once or twice a week with all that’s happening. At camp, we do it for every single meal. No screens. Just faces across the table.

Looking-At-Moon/Stars Therapy

This might be our favorite. Kids stop and look up to see the Milky Way splashed across the sky. Or they may see the moon blazing a trail across Nokomis or Sand Lake.

Feeling small and part of something so much bigger in the best possible ways.

The Real Point

These aren’t programs we’ve developed or initiatives we’ve launched. They’re just…camp at Woodland and Towering Pines.

No marketing committee designed “Walking-With-A-Friend Therapy.”

No consultant suggested we optimize our canoeing program for therapeutic outcomes.

These moments happen at Woodland and TP because this is how humans naturally connect when given time, space, and freedom from the usual pressures. Just kids and counselors at camp.

You can’t improve on a campfire.

There’s no technological upgrade for looking at the stars.

What looks like a normal day at camp is actually something increasingly rare: time for real human connection. And yes, it’s deeply restorative. The scientists are just catching up to what we’ve always known.

Thank you for choosing this path for your children for this summer and summers to come.

For understanding that 6 weeks of “just camp” might be exactly what they need.

Your kids are getting the gift of a million moments that truly build them up and help them to grow as human beings, all disguised as the best summer ever.

They don’t know that walking with friends or sharing family meals is good for their mental health.

They just know they’re happy.

With gratitude for all of our campfires and the girls and staff that make them so special! We hope your daughter/s will join us in 2026 for sitting by the campfire, walking with friends of all ages, eating family style, gazing at the stars, and SO. MUCH. MORE.

Reference: KE newsletter/blog