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Over the last several weeks we have had the opportunity to look back on this past summer and remember. We are very grateful for the 83 families who had the courage to fill out our parent survey! Henry Cloud defines integrity as the courage to deal responsibly with reality, and I am so very proud of our Huawni Families as you gave us some very timely, relevant, and honest feedback. Not only was this beneficial for us, but your feedback is also helpful to prospective summer camp families looking at Huawni for the first time.

Camper Experience

We think what our campers think is important, and each summer we get feedback from them on how we’re doing. Kids are sharp, and we trust their observations. This summer campers rated their cabin counselors a 4.7 out of 5 , or 9.4 out of 10. That actually matched up to our 2016 camper ratings (for their cabin counselors). 4 is considered “good” and 5 is considered “excellent”. From our campers’ perspective, their cabin counselors did an excellent job this summer.

At the end of each session, we also polled our parents on their satisfaction with their child’s summer camp experience. This was feedback from a parent’s perspective, usually after they had heard from their children about their experience first hand. Families rated their overall camp experience a 6.6 out of 7 (the equivalent of 9.4 out of 10) with 7 meaning extremely satisfied. That is actually up from our 6.47 rating last summer. When asked, “Overall, how satisfied were you with your camper’s counselors this session?” families gave a 6.6 out of 7 rating, with 7 being extremely satisfied, which is also up from 6.4 last summer. And finally, when asked “How likely are you to recommend Camp Huawni to a friend?” families gave a 6.7 out of 7 rating, with 7 being extremely likely.

Parents said…

As a parent to both a typical and atypical child, I appreciate that Camp Huawni embraces differences and helps each child find, develop, and nurture their true self.

After camp [my daughter] was more respectful. She seemed to be aware that her actions could affect other people. This camp has helped my child be able to make friends and be more confident in herself.

Excellent camper to counselor ratio. Excellent counselors who care and are patient. Excellent counselors who are zany and fun. Excellent counselors!

This camp teaches the values of self, family, friendship, and love. Your kids learn these things from counselors that are intentional and SERVE. The counselors are hand picked and nearly all are over qualified. These are the people you want your kids to be like. Many parents are former campers and counselors and have helped pioneer the way for the next generation of the Huawni family. Your child will learn who they are and why in a safe environment held by God’s grace.

The kids grow up with such a love for outdoors at Camp Huawni. Love the quaint size of the camp and traditions.

We love camp because when she comes home she is the most pleasant person to be around for months!!!!

Camp Huawni is a transformative experience for both campers and parents. A HUGE thumbs up!

My kids are very independent, but camp is their therapy to get away from technology and experience the outdoors, friends, and just fun! Thank you for providing an amazing experience for [our] kids!

Both kids have commented they are more relaxed and more themselves at camp than anywhere else.

[My son] loved it and, as always, learned a lot about himself and what he is capable of. He always seems more grown up, and communicative with me when he gets back from camp. [For parents looking to send your child to camp] Do it…. you may not think your child is ready but they are. It’s an amazing way for them to learn all the things they are capable of and know their true selves better.

I so wish we had found Camp Huawni sooner. [Our daughter] attended other camps but she just wasn’t fulfilled. Probably since they were larger camps, only one counselor per cabin, and just not made to feel comfortable. Camp Huawni is the perfect size. You get to know everyone there and given the opportunity to make and keep lasting friendships.

[Our son] just finished his 1st year at Camp Huawni. At 6 years old we weren’t sure if a two-week camp was okay and we were nervous. All the Directors/Owners/ Office Staff/ Camp Counselors were Amazing and answered all my questions, returned calls, sent packages on time, made us know they really cared about our child— you name it they did it! So we picked him up to non-stop camp stories and showing us around— so happy, excited to share all his fun activities with us. The stories of adventures and the amazing time he had makes us so happy we made the choice to choose this camp for him and our other son next year!!

I’ve never seen such a high staff to camper ratio in a lifetime of camping experience. The kids get lots of love and attention, but they are also encouraged to safely step out of their comfort zones and try new experiences. Camp is good for the whole family because everyone grows!

What went well?

  1. The new boys bathhouse was a huge improvement and well liked by our boy campers and parents.
  2. Opening and Closing Day ran smoothly and was easier.
  3. Parents really loved our camper to counselor ratio.
  4. Families appreciate that their children are unplugged from technology.
  5. Parents notice the confidence and respect their children exude after camp.
  6. The Huawni Experience meets the needs of all types of kids.
  7. Campers feel comfortable and even find who they really are while at Camp.

What can we improve?

As great as this summer was, there is always room for improvement. I feel as though our parents are feeling more comfortable sharing honest, and even hard, feedback. This is extremely helpful. Here is what we need to improve!

  1. Improve food options, quality, and bring back some traditional meals (i.e. cinnamon rolls!)
  2. Improve the quality and quantity of daily pictures posted for parents
  3. Be more consistent with posting pictures throughout the day for parents
  4. Do a better job of making sure kids don’t lose their belongings (lost and found)

Camper to Counselor Ratio

One thing that sets Huawni apart is our low camper to counselor ratio. The more counselors we have, the more time we have to invest in our campers. We aim each year to have a 3:1 camper to counselor ratio and the actual ratio in Boys and Girls Camp varies from session to session. Overall, we had a camper to counselor ratio of 2.7 campers to every 1 counselor. That’s an improvement from 3.3 to 1 ratio in 2016.

Summer Camper to Counselor Ratios

Session 1 = 3.2
Session 2 = 3.2
Session 3 = 2.6
Session 4 = 1.7

Our session highlight videos are probably the best reminder of just how special our summer was. Here is a look back at each session!

Session 1 Highlight Video
Session 2 Highlight Video
Session 3 Highlight Video
Session 4 Highlight Video

What’s next?

Now that summer is over, we are jumping into a handful of things as we prepare to make Summer 2018 better than ever. We just wrapped up our Returning Camper Discount sign ups as 75% of eligible campers are already enrolled for 2018. New Campers can now enroll for 2018— we highly encourage you to sign up now because many of our sessions fill up quick. You can tell your friends that there is a 100% tuition back guarantee until April 1, 2018, so there is little to no risk in signing up now! Another big priority every year is getting our counselors back on board for next summer. As of today we have 12 counselors already signed up for 2018 (soon to be 16)! We are also reaching out to brand new families and sharing the Huawni Story. If you know someone who would benefit from Huawni, make sure and have them go to our request info page. and we will contact them soon.

Here are a few projects we’re working on at Camp this fall:

  1. Tilling the grounds and planting new grass around campus
  2. Removing and building new bunks in Sweet Gum Suite, Willow Glen, and Berry Patch
  3. Removing stumps around campus
  4. Mowing the bottoms

I want to say THANK YOU again to all our Huawni Families who have entrusted us with your kiddos. Our desire is to see your children leave our gates knowing their true significance and purpose. From what we are hearing through your feedback, this is happening! We are excited about the upcoming summer— please don’t hesitate to contact us if there is anything you need or have questions about.

Warm regards,
Travis

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