It’s Friday and the final day of our staff training week.

The Mentors In Training (MITs) joined us for the first time today so we played some ice breakers to get to know them. The weather this week has been beautiful; it’s been sunny every single day. During this week, we learned how the compass can be applied to many different aspects of our day, year, and life. We learned how to make bow drills to start a fire. And today, we played a game of capture the flag.

Photo: Ben Bookout

One of the biggest things that the staff of Primitive Pursuits stresses, is the importance of respecting the land and culture around us as it has a rich history. We connect and engage our campers by singing songs, playing games, and telling stories to inspire them or teach them a lesson. 

At the end of the last staff training day, we sat in a circle and everyone got to say what they were most excited about for the summer. 

Here were some of the things people said…

• Reconnecting with their inner child
• Learning new games
• Meeting new people
• Sharing the space with everyone
• Learning new outdoor survival skills
• Working with a wide age range of campers
• Learning and growing as a person
• Spending their first summer in Ithaca
• Making new friends
• Wading in the cliffs
• Helping kids appreciate nature

Overall, this week was very engaging, enriching, and peaceful. Camp is a great way to set aside everything aside (distractions, social media, personal stressors) and tune in to nature, new friends, and new skills.  

We are so excited to embark on the journey of summer 2022, as every summer is a brand new summer with new kids and new staff.

Photo: Ben Bookout

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