Camp isn’t just a break from routine. It’s a laboratory for becoming: more capable, more confident, more connected, more yourself.
When parents ask “What will my child get out of camp?”, they deserve a real answer—not marketing fluff.
At Camp Augusta, we’ve identified 11 intended developmental outcomes that we explicitly design for and work toward. These aren’t happy accidents. They’re the result of intentional philosophy, evidence-based approaches, exceptional staff training, and thoughtful community design.
Some outcomes are universal to good camps: fun, friendships, activity skills. Others are distinctive to Augusta’s approach: deep creativity, emotional intelligence, appreciation for true community, anti-canalization stretching.
This page breaks down exactly what campers gain—and how Augusta specifically cultivates each outcome. These benefits compound over time, especially in two-week sessions, where campers move beyond adjustment into genuine transformation, and over multiple summers as campers developmentally mature. Long-term Augustan become stellar human beings.
Learning “I Can Do This”
Real confidence doesn’t come from being told “you’re amazing.” It comes from facing challenges, stretching beyond comfort zones, and discovering “I’m more capable than I thought.”
How Augusta Cultivates Independence:
Being Away from Home:
- Living without parents for 1-2 weeks
- Making decisions independently
- Managing homesickness (with support)
- Discovering resilience you didn’t know you had
Mental Freedom:
Away from the routines and expectations of home/school, campers experience what psychologists call “anti-canalization”—the loosening of habitual patterns that allows new ways of being to emerge. (Learn more about anti-canalization)
Challenge by Choice:
- Campers set their own limits on activities
- Staff support without pressuring
- Learning to trust your own judgment about readiness
- Stepping into the growth zone when YOU choose to
- Learn more about challenge by choice here
Competence in Activities:
- Over 150+ activities to try
- Leveled progression systems in 14 activities
- Real skill development, not participation trophies
- Achievements that come from genuine effort
Overnight Camping:
- Sleeping under stars away from camp
- Wilderness trips for advanced campers
- Minimal-impact camping skills
- Self-reliance in nature
What Campers Report
“I didn’t think I could make it a week without my parents, but I did”
“I learned I’m braver than I thought”
“I can try new things even when I’m scared”
“I figured out how to solve problems on my own”
Exercising the Creative Muscle
Creativity isn’t just about arts and crafts. It’s a way of thinking—the ability to imagine possibilities, experiment with ideas, and bring something new into being.
How Augusta Cultivates Creativity:
Diverse Activity Exposure:
- 150+ clinic activities—arts, adventure, performance, making
- Glass torch art, lathe woodworking, blacksmithing, aerial silks, balloon sculpture, paper marbling, and dozens more unique offerings
- Not kits or assembly—blank slates for genuine creation
- No digital/screen-based expression—hands-on making
Cabin Activities:
Every cabin is asked: “If you could do anything—anything you could imagine—what would that be?”
- Then we help make it happen
- Hundreds of unique cabin activities created over the years
- From building obstacle courses to creating elaborate treasure hunts to staging performances
- Imagination becomes reality
Evening Programs:
- Entirely new programs created each year
- Campers participate in storied adventures
- Inspired by the creativity and encouraged to contribute their own ideas
Playstation
- Spontaneous, experimental, “what if?” moments
- Science with twists, games no one’s heard of, creative challenges
- “Oh my goodness, really!? Well okay, I’ll try it!”
Special Wakeups:
- Creative invitations to the day, every morning
- Models that life can be infused with imagination
- Hundreds of unique wakeups, new ones invented yearly
CAPP Projects:
- Creative community service and beautification
- Building, painting, designing, improving
- Taking ownership of your environment
Story Experiences:
- Mostly happening in 2-week sessions, Story Experiences are a uniquely campy blend of creativity.
- Often co-created between campers and staff.
- SE’s have range, from calm and relaxing to adventurous and fantastical
Old School Play Yard:
- Our Old School Play Yard has over 40 games!
- Games are non-digital, and harken to a bygone, analog era
- They offer creativity by showing the many different forms of play beyond the digital
Being Around Creative Staff:
- Staff who love to experiment and play (check out the staff bios!)
- Adults modeling creative living
- Permission to be weird, playful, inventive
Philosophy of Mistakes:
- Safe place to fail and succeed
- “The Art and Science of Mistakes” as learning opportunity
- Experimentation encouraged in all areas
What Does This Build?
Campers learn how to think divergently. They learn to believe in their own ideas with creative confidence. They find a willingness to experiment and take creative risks, solving problems through imagination. Most of the 12 dimensions of psychological richness are found at camp. (you can quiz yourself to gauge them in your own life).
Augustans leave camp with a passion to be a student in life, wielding curiosity and inventiveness in their everyday.
Dr. Grayson has a draft book on fostering creativity and innovation with a single-page checklist as an excerpt.
Building Bonds That Last
Camp creates friendships differently than school. Without the usual social hierarchies, cliques, and pressures, children connect more authentically. Our staff, after almost 400 hours of training (much on communication and mentoring those skills in others), create an environment where new friendships form and flourish.
How Augusta Cultivates Friendship:
Constant Social Interaction:
From sun-up to sun-down, camp is social:
- Chatting in the cabin
- Walking to activities together
- Sitting at meals
- Chilling during rest hour
- Participating in activities side-by-side
- Evening embers conversations before bed
Small Community Size:
- 90 campers total—small enough to know everyone
- Dunbar’s number honored (150 people max for meaningful relationships)
- You’re not choosing friends from 400 strangers—you’re getting to know 100 people
- Everyone can be known
Cabin Intimacy:
- Just 5 campers per cabin
- Living together 24/7 for 1-2 weeks
- Shared experiences (cabin activities, embers, challenges)
- Deep bonding in small groups
Two-Week Sessions:
- Week one: adjusting, getting comfortable
- Week two: genuine depth and connection
- Time to move past surface-level friendship
- Bonds that often last beyond camp
No Screens, No Distractions:
- Face-to-face interaction only
- Conversations, not texting
- Presence, not performance for social media
- Old-school connection
Shared Challenges:
- Trying scary activities together
- Working through cabin conflicts
- Creating cabin activities as a team
- CAPP projects
Evening Embers:
- Deepening connections through vulnerable conversations
- Sharing hopes, fears, dreams, reflections
- Being seen and seeing others
What Campers Report:
“My best friends are from camp”
“I feel like I can be myself here”
“People at camp get me in a way people at school don’t”
“I met people who like the same weird stuff I do”
Becoming Who You Want to Be
Character isn’t fixed—it’s cultivated through environment, mentorship, and practice.
How Augusta Cultivates Character:
Exceptional Role Models:
- Extensively trained staff (3+ weeks, 450+ pages, 70 hours pre-camp)
- Adults who model integrity, kindness, vulnerability, responsibility
- Staff selected for emotional intelligence and maturity
- Best-practice hiring and training methods
Values-Based Guidance:
- No punishment, reward, or guilt
- Success Counseling connects actions to values
- “Who do you want to be? How do your choices align?”
- 100% Responsibility framework
- Learning from mistakes, not being defined by them
Community Living:
- Shared responsibility for cabin, dishes, camp care
- Making decisions that affect others
- Experiencing interdependence
- Learning to balance individual needs with community good
Character Qualities Developed:
- Integrity (acting aligned with values)
- Responsibility (owning choices and impact)
- Kindness (treating others with care)
- Resilience (bouncing back from setbacks)
- Service (contributing to something larger)
- Courage (trying despite fear)
- Honesty (being authentic)
Character Insight Resources: Camp provides extensive resources on character development for families.
Serious Fun
Yes, we list fun as an outcome. Because joy matters. Play matters. Laughter matters.
But Augusta’s fun isn’t empty entertainment—it’s what we call “serious fun.”
What Makes Augusta Fun:
Scores of Activities:
- 150+ clinic options
- Something for every interest and personality
- Trying things you’d never encounter otherwise
- Mastering skills that challenge you
Evening Programs:
- Immersive adventures with the whole camp
- Themed challenges, heroes, villains, quests
- Where else do 140 people play epic make-believe?
Cabin Activities:
- Your imagination, made real
- “What if we could do anything?”
- Hundreds of unique, camper-designed experiences
Out-of-Camp Trips and Special Events:
- Yuba River swimming
- Special adventures beyond camp
- Surprise moments throughout sessions
- Celebrations, traditions, one-time experiences
Table Games, Free Play, Hanging Out:
- Rest hour in hammocks
- Chatting at snack
- Spontaneous cabin games
- Unstructured time to just be
But What’s “Serious” About This Fun?
The fun at Augusta includes:
- Learning you can do things you’ve never tried (competence-building fun)
- Finding life-long loves (discovering passion for arts, horses, climbing, etc.)
- Marveling at nature’s intricacy (awe-inspiring fun)
- Experiencing Wish, Wonder, Surprise (magic-making fun)
- Living in true community (belonging fun)
- Overcoming challenges (growth fun)
- Being in your challenge zone and realizing you’re okay (brave fun)
- Failing and discovering failure can be… fun?! (resilient fun)
- Contributing selflessly (service fun)
This serious fun is something you can get used to—and carry into life.
Skills for Navigating Relationships & Emotions
Emotional intelligence—the ability to understand and manage emotions in yourself and others—is more predictive of life success than IQ.
Augusta explicitly teaches EQ skills.
How Augusta Cultivates EQ:
Compassionate Communication (NVC):
- Framework for expressing needs without blame
- Observation, Feeling, Need, Request
- Practiced by staff, modeled for campers
- Creates shared language for emotional expression
“Level 1” Behavior Guidance:
- Everyday coaching without coercion
- Gentle redirection that respects dignity
- Teaching self-regulation through modeling
Varying Leadership Styles:
- Different situations require different leadership styles
- Flexibility in communication and guidance
- Matching style to context
“Success Counseling”:
- For more challenging behavior
- Values-based guidance, not punishment
- Connecting actions to who you want to be
- Building emotional awareness and responsibility
Staff Training in EQ:
- Extensively trained counselors in emotional intelligence frameworks
- Adults who model healthy emotional expression
- See Dr. Grayson’s resource on EQ
Safe Place to Experience Failure:
- No grades following you
- Failures here don’t hold you back
- Learning from setbacks without shame
- Developed resilience
Real-Life Happiness Training:
- Sourcing happiness from people and perspective, not things
- Away from media/culture messages about worth
- Experiencing that connection and meaning create joy
- Offers cornerstones of meaning (lots of expression, discovery, and love), and other elements of well-being like fun, flow, and perspective.
EQ Skills Developed
Campers learn to recognize and name emotions, to understand emotional triggers, and to manage strong feelings constructively. By example, they learn to lead with empathy, express needs clearly, and listen deeply. They get to witness and live in a community where conflicts are resolved skillfully and relationships are built healthily.
Understanding We’re Better Together
Modern life isolates. Camp connects. Children experience what real community feels like—and often carry that hunger for belonging forward.
How Augusta Cultivates Community Appreciation:
True Community Experience:
- Intentional community, not just coexisting
- Shared responsibility (cabin care, dishes, CAPP)
- Participatory culture (your voice matters)
- Everyone belongs and contributes
What Children Learn:
Community isn’t just proximity—it’s connection and care. Campers learn belonging through contribution. They experience first-hand what it looks like when diverse people work toward shared goals. As they see the Augusta community thriving, they take part in it, knowing that their voice and actions shape community culture.
Real Mastery Through Practice
Activity skills aren’t the only outcome—but they matter. Competence feels good. Mastery builds confidence.
Augusta has some of the most activities of any summer camp in the country, and for each activity, we have years of organized knowledge management saved to help the skills continue to grow.
How Augusta Develops Skills:
Lesson Plans & Competent Instructors:
- Every activity area has detailed lesson plans
- Trained instructors who know progressions
- Ask to see our lesson plans—we’re proud of them
Time to Learn:
- Four clinic periods daily
- Two-week sessions especially allow skill progression
- Enough time to move from beginner to competent
Leveled Systems:
- Many activities have structured progression
- Archery, Climbing, Ropes, Mountain Biking, Riflery, Mountain Boards, Horses, Canoe, Fire-Spinning, Throwing Range, Sword Fighting, Whip, Aerial Silks
- Clear goals, achievable challenges
- Unlocking new opportunities as you advance
Balanced Skill-Based Exposure:
- Extensive arts (visual, fiber, performance)
- Diverse music program
- Adventure (climbing, ropes, mountain biking)
- Equestrian (horsemanship, riding)
- Circus skills (aerial, fire, juggling)
- Field games
- Outdoors/nature
- Target sports (archery, riflery, throwing)
- Water activities
- Unique Augusta offerings (blacksmithing, ninja, etc.)
What This Creates:
Campers learn that they CAN learn, bringing a student mindset beyond school.
They develop real competence in chosen areas and pride in genuine achievement.
Campers discover new passions and hobbies to develop their curiosity and expression, and a growth mindset follows them all the way.
Loving the Natural World
You protect what you love. Children who connect with nature develop environmental awareness and stewardship.
How Augusta Cultivates Environmental Awareness:
Beautiful Natural Surroundings:
- 90 acres of old-growth forest
- 200+ foot trees
- Waterfalls, creeks, lake, river
- Immersed in Sierra Nevada biodiversity
Nature Education and Minimal Impact:
- Learning about ecosystems, plants, animals
- Organic learning through living in nature
- Leave No Trace principles
- Overnight trips with minimal environmental impact
Environmental Stewardship:
- 100% solar powered (230+ panels)
- Measuring food waste at every meal
- Composting extensively
- Recycling (summer trash = average family’s yearly trash)
Time for Awe:
- Stars at night
- Deer walking through camp
- Swimming in waterfalls
- Sitting by the creek
- Moments of wonder at nature’s beauty
What This Creates
Campers develop a love for the natural world. They see and experience an environmental ethic and values, where human impact isn’t ignored. They build campfires, cook outdoors, and see birds flying through the canopy.
Research shows time in nature reduces stress, improves focus, enhances creativity, and builds environmental connection. We build this into the daily life of Augusta.
Nourishing Body and Mind
Healthy habits formed at camp often transfer home—and a taste of screen-free living can shift perspectives.
How Augusta Supports Healthy Lifestyle:
Nutritious Meals:
- 92%+ organic
- Scratch-made from whole ingredients
- Locally sourced additions to many meals
- Full salad bar at every lunch/dinner
- Accommodates ALL dietary needs
Learn more about our incredible food here.
No Television, Video Games, Movies, Digital Entertainment:
- Complete break from screens
- Discovering life without devices
- Face-to-face connection only
- A camp session like this is likely the only time in a child’s life when they can go without screens for two weeks straight
Frequent Exercise Through Play:
- Play the best kind of exercise
- Movement embedded in activities and games
- Not forced fitness, but natural activity
Sleep, Fresh Air, & Sunlight
- Enforced bedtimes (everyone needs rest)
- Living Outside all day (which promotes better sleep)
- Vitamin D exposure
- Natural Rhythms
What Children Learn
Campers experience what healthy food tastes like, and how good it feels to be active daily. They see that life without screens is not only possible—it’s fun and rewarding, and good for the body.
Kids leave Augusta with a felt connection between nature, physical health, and mental well-being.
Outcomes by Design, Growth by Experience
These outcomes aren’t aspirational. They’re intentional results of:
- Evidence-based developmental approaches
- Extensively trained staff who understand how growth happens
- Thoughtful community design that supports flourishing
- 150+ activities that challenge and engage
- Nature immersion that grounds and inspires
- Intentionality in every element
Augusta is itself an imperfect, growing community. We endeavor to distill these outcomes, and they do take time and receptiveness. So none of this is a perfect guarantee. However, we pride ourselves on our attention to growth and meaningful outcomes in our campers.
Your child won’t gain all outcomes equally. Some will resonate more than others. But every camper leaves with growth in multiple areas—growth that transfers to school, home, relationships, and life.
6. Social Skills & Emotional Intelligence