What does summer camp have to do with kids' mental health? A lot more than you might think. In this episode, we're joined by two mental health professionals who know Sky Ranch well: Dr. Cristina Sevadjian, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, and Partner at Sparrow House Counseling, and Angie Knight Buja, MA, LPC-S, Founding Partner of Sparrow House Counseling. Cristina and Angie have been part of the Sky Ranch family for years, providing training to our summer staff on how to support campers as they navigate unique circumstances, emotions, challenges, and needs throughout their time at camp. Together, we talk about the ways summer camp can impact a child's mental health, confidence, independence, friendships, resilience, and emotional development.

We're answering some of the questions parents are asking:

• Is summer camp actually good for kids?
• How can camp support kids' mental health?
• Can camp help build confidence and independence?
• Why are friendships and face-to-face connection so important?
• What about homesickness and anxiety?
• What does time away from screens do for kids?
• Why are healthy challenges important for childhood development?
• What is the impact of a child seeing someone a few years older living out their faith in Christ?

We also talk about how some of the most meaningful growth happens when kids are given the opportunity to try something new, work through a challenge, make a friend, discover they're capable of more than they thought, and have space to encounter the Lord who made them. So, what do two mental health professionals have to say about camp? Press play and join the conversation! You can also watch this conversation on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/FS0o9he61SQ

You can also learn more about Sky Ranch Summer Camp on our website here: https://skyranch.org/pages/summer-camps