I’m off to spend the day at Camp Indecon! I’ve heard great things about the camp over the years, from instructors, parents, and the kids themselves. Since I’m interested in teaching kids about philosophy, I wanted to see the curriculum in action with my own two eyes. As you can see from the statement of philosophy below, this isn’t any ordinary camp!

If we don’t formally teach our children how to think — society will teach them not to.

The staff of Camp Indecon has created a curriculum to formally teach children how to think for themselves and be responsible for their decisions based on their nature as human beings.

Our campers learn the skills of independent thinking through the Montessori Method of Education, which stresses following life’s natural path of development and maintains that (i) anything presented to a child should meet his/her developmental needs at the time, (ii) each child’s own pace and style of learning should be followed, and (iii) the child should be free to choose his/her own work within the limits and structure of the program.

Montessori’s emphasis is the child’s preparation for life, not just the exam. By considering the whole child’s development and individual interests and personality, it fosters independence, self-direction, self-discipline and self-motivation while providing superior preparation in academic areas.

For our campers, increased self-confidence is the natural outcome of recognizing that they are capable of creating their own life plans. Through hands-on activities, they learn about the nature of the world, especially their own nature as human beings. Through working examples, they discover the consequences of listening to peers with incorrect thinking habits and witness the positive results of healthy ones.

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected in this electronic age, the social structure for people of all ages is expanding. Camp Indecon provides a new avenue for children to communicate that is not be limited to the neighborhood or school. Through e-mail and fax, our students are able to keep these new friends for life — sharing not only their memories of Camp Indecon, but also the values for which it stands.

Equipped or not, the children of today will become the decision-makers of tomorrow. Let us help to equip them.

Cool, eh?