FAQs

Service Learning Opportunities
Service-learning is a pedagogy that allows students to develop professional and academic skills in the context of meaningful, applied work with a community service organization. Research shows (Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame) that those who participate in such activities show an increase in motivation, a deeper understanding of subject matter, increased capacity for retention, and analytical skills. Swamp Corps participants are exposed to a variety of situations that touch on sociology, decision-making, leadership, and oration while in the process. These are important factors that can strengthen applicant’s chances of acceptance to a university not to mention the increased demand the job market is placing on students to “differentiate and demonstrate abilities and capacity for success.” Swamp Corps is a fun, safe environment for young students to develop these qualities. A student entering at fourteen years old will have four to five years of service-learning experience to offer a university and the job market.

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Multicultural Sharing
According to a 2003 survey conducted by the Meeting Professionals International Multicultural Initiatives, 80% of respondents reported that industry suppliers must be sensitive to the needs of attendees. Through technology our world is growing smaller and smaller; academia and business entities collaborate across cultures more than ever. It is vital Swamp Corps participants grow in their awareness of these facts. Their involvement will lend itself to increased knowledge and understanding of the diversity of the world in which they live and hands-on-training to interact appropriately.

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Leadership Training
Leadership is key to the success of any organized effort be it business, classroom or civic related. Swamp Corps participants are immersed in leadership opportunities amongst their peers and younger participants. This can be on an individual basis (teaching another camper a game), a small group setting (leading a team or cabin during the week’s events), or being a head counselor responsible for the mobilization, safety and well-being of several teams or cabins; not to mention the one-on-one or group interactions addressing character-building issues.

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International Travel Experience & Goodwill
According to an article in National Geographic magazine, 29,004 high school students from abroad studied in the United States for a semester or an entire school year in 2007-2008. In that same year, only 2,255 U.S. teens ventured into international education overseas. In the post 9/11 world, it is imperative that “ordinary” people travel outside their comfort zones to minimize the “us vs. them” mentality that can so easily precipitate. Swamp Corps offers participants international bridge-building opportunities.

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Diversity and Cultural Tolerance Training
Too many times in our society we value the action figure and the toughness of an individual over the respect and sensitivity needed to build diverse relationships. Our schools, neighborhoods, and workforces are becoming more and more diverse. It is paramount that emerging generations acknowledge and embrace cultural variety. Swamp Corps offers participants the right set of circumstances to grow in these skills.

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Exposure to New Traditions, Languages and Societies
Plato said, “The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, little compared with that of which we are ignorant.” Swamp Corps offers exposure to a wide variety of newness and combats the ignorance that can stagnate an individual.

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Personal Development Via Unaccustomed Experiences
Maturity, practical independence, greater self-confidence, increased self-awareness, and improved relationship-building skills are just a few personal benefits participants gain from the international experiences Swamp Corps provides.

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Safe and Fun Overnight Camping Experience
Kids who spend a week away from home among their peers enjoy the benefits of an environment that allows them to make new friends, make choices and decisions on their own, and grow in their independence. According to recent American Camp Association opinion research, parents see safety and fun as the most important factors in the camp experience. Swamp Corps will imitate Swamp Camp model to provide this for its participants.

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Peer-to-Peer Relationship Training
Research results conducted by L.J. Woodward showed that children with high rates of early peer relationship problems were at increased risk of under-achievement and unemployment when compared with children with low rates of early peer relationship problems. (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines 2000; 41(2): 191-201). Swamp Corps offers age-appropriate, peer-to-peer structure to allow young participants learning opportunities to develop improved peer relationships. Counselors are instructed how to coach participants to this end.

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Service Oriented Activities
Working for the community provides teens with a sense of responsibility and well-being for their local environment and allows them to focus on others and see that their involvement can make a difference by giving back. The camp facilities in the host communities are generally rented; many of them being public schools, boarding schools or the like. Swamp Corps’ service activities focus the participants on improving their community by improving the facility. For instance, in Jamaica in 2010, Swamp Corps held a “Trash-Off Contest” where each team was directed to collect as much trash as it could all through out the property. The goal, of course, was to pick up trash; the kids viewed it as fun and rewarding. Over 220 pounds of trash and light debris was collected. The staff at the facility was quite impressed, as no other group had previously done this.

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Interpersonal Skills Training
As stated in News You Can Use (Volume 2, Number 2, Spring 2003) research by Dr. Nayda I. Torres, Professor and Chair, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, “having good social skills and relationships is extremely important to an adolescent's healthy development and has been associated with qualities such as psychological health, improved academic performance, and success in relationships as adults. On the other hand, lack of social skills and healthy relationships has been associated with negative outcomes, such as delinquency and psychological problems.” She notes six outcomes that result from positive interpersonal interactions: conflict resolution, intimacy, pro-social behaviors, self-control and behavior regulation, social confidence, and empathy. Swamp Corps' processes are designed to provide structured and unstructured activities for children to develop this type of learning.

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Character Based Training
Larsen Professor Robert Selman of Harvard Graduate School of Education stated, “One thing we have learned from research over the years is that social competence and character development are not fully achieved by ages five or ten; they are life-long learning experiences…The kinds of social and ethical problems that students face across elementary, middle, and high school change in dramatic ways, and practice-solving them is essential to the individual and to the society.” Swamp Corps offers class and special learning sessions to address continued character development at every participant age level.

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Team Building Exercises
"Today's work environment is a different world than in the past. Employers do not look for employees who work alone. They seek team members who arrive at decisions based on a collaborative effort of the entire group. Teamwork requires an entire set of skills that differ from those required in the past. Being able to work with others to achieve team goals can be learned with experience. Teams move through stages of development and participants who are open to change and assimilation can acquire the skills necessary to work well with the group.” (Dr. Michael Smith, Yahoo! Contributor Network) Swamp Corps strives to fulfill these experiences with its team-oriented activities and games preparing students at an early age.

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