Why RJ is Right for Camps?

You are already doing so much of this work! Camp is rooted in nurturing relationships and building community, which is the foundation of restorative practices! Camp invites campers and staff to “unplug,” stay off their devices and be present with one another. Camp is all about creating shared values and is committed to living them out. It’s who YOU are. 

Stewarding community. In a restorative approach our role, as stewards of a community, is to ensure that instances of conflict and harm are addressed in a way that takes into account the whole humanity of everyone involved: whether they were an active participant in the causing of harm, a person who was harmed, or a community member who was impacted by or witnessed the harmful incident or conflict.

Conflict is a learning opportunity. When part of a camp community, conflict is unavoidable. You cannot hide from it. Restorative Justice sees conflict, especially in an educational environment such as camp, as a learning opportunity, specifically an opportunity to practice skills and tools that aid in the development of character.

Young people today are carrying a lot. Young people are feeling lonelier and more disconnected. In this social media world there are not as many natural opportunities to develop the skills needed to build healthy relationships and navigate conflicts. Now more than ever campers and staff need safe spaces, informed by an equity lens, where they can stay present, feel connected, heard, seen, and supported as they develop positive social emotional skills. Camp is the perfect place for this to happen.