Our Mission is to enrich and enhance the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of children, teenagers and adults within a warm, caring and supportive camp community.
Every day at Liberty Lake is focused on positively influencing others. Our summer camp experience strives to make a difference in the lives of everyone: campers, team members, camp families and our local community. Liberty Lake's 5-Star Points of Youth Development and Intentional Camp Approach are the core foundational philosophies that we utilize to accomplish our mission.
5-Star Points of Youth Development
Liberty Lake Day Camp's approach to the summer camp experience is anchored by our 5-Star Points of Youth Development. The 5 Star Points reflect our core values and outline the skills, competencies and knowledge that campers learn each and every day.
Recent research conducted by top corporations and universities have explored the 21st Century Competencies which our children need to succeed as adults. These studies indicate that the main skills needed to succeed are not the "Three Rs" that we learn in school, but the skills which help develop "Emotional Intelligence", which are the #1 factor for developing into a successful leader. Ground-breaking studies by The Partnership For 21st Century Skills [2] shows that today's children and teenagers need to learn the APPLIED SKILLS which we teach and learn every day at Camp. Liberty Lake's 5-Star Points are at the forefront of positive youth development in the 21st Century, and feature the long-lasting life skills that are necessary to succeed in today's world.
Point #1 - Independence
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 Self-direction |
Dealing with consequence |
| Personal accountability |
Self-reliance |
Trying new experiences |
| Responsibility |
Making good choices |
Disconnect from parent reliance |
| Resiliency |
Confidence |
Lifelong learning |
| Hard work |
Determination |
Embracing challenges |
| Critical thinking |
Coping skills |
Personal autonomy |
Point #2 - Integrity & Ethics
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Pay it forward |
Keeping Camp safe |
| Civic responsibility |
Creating positive energy |
Keeping Camp clean |
| Sportsmanship |
Do the right thing |
Respect for your surroundings |
| Putting others first |
Contributing to society |
Appropriate behavior |
Point #3- Inspiration & Appreciation
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Positively impacting others |
Nurturing your passions |
| Stewardship |
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Appreciating Camp |
| Broadening your horizons |
Taking safe risks |
Pushing beyond limits |
Point #4 - Teamwork & Collaboration
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Inspiring others |
Active listening |
| Following directions |
Cooperation |
Share ideas |
| Respect for all |
Embrace diversity |
Support & help others |
| Effective communication |
Be a leader |
Negotiate and manage conflicts |
Point #5 - Friendship
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Real vs. Virtual Friends |
Recognize social cues |
| Connect with others |
Patience |
Trust |
| Being polite & friendly |
Meaningful relationships |
Understanding others |
| Respecting differences |
Empathy |
Learn what makes a good friend |
Intentional Camp
Intentional (adj) - "done with intention or on purpose"
At Liberty Lake, we ask ourselves "Why are we at Camp?" The answer to this question extends far beyond simply having FUN. Fun is just one of the many intended results of intentional camp programming.
Everything we do at Liberty Lake is intentional, and guided by our core philosophy and mission. From how activities are facilitated, to how we communicate with campers, to how team members interact with one another – it all has a purpose.
Our intentional approach starts from the top, with a clear vision set by our directors that infuses everything we do. We go to great lengths during the off-season to train our dynamic summer team members in how to program, teach, communicate and think within the intentional camp framework. Members of the Liberty Lake Team are expertly skilled in creating a structured and supportive environment that fosters the positive developmental outcomes listed above.
Liberty Lake's intentional approach to the summer camp experience provides children with a real-world, real-life experiential education that promotes the mastery of our 5-Star Points of Youth Development. Outcome studies conducted by the American Camp Association (ACA), as well as many other youth development organizations and journals, have shown that intentional camp programs such as ours WORK!
A recent study by the ACA and Philliber Research Associates, "Directions: Youth Development Outcomes of the Camp Experience," [3] was a multi-million dollar, one of a kind investigation that analyzed more than 100 camps and surveyed over 5,000 camp families. In the study, camp parents, children and staff all reported significant improvement in many important life skills. For instance, a remarkable 96% of the campers surveyed reported that camp helped them to make new friends.
At Liberty Lake, we have received literally hundreds of letters and emails [4] from parents, campers and team members, expressing the positive impact of Liberty Lake. Notes from campers, such as the one below, fill us with a tremendous amount of pride, and inspire us
to continually improve our summer camp experience -
"My ten summers at Liberty Lake Day Camp have truly been a surreal experience. I couldn’t imagine anything else more fun and meaningful in my life."
~ C.C., Camper
CALL TO SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY ~ 609.499.7820
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