A Response to Modern Childhood
Today’s children are navigating:
Constant digital stimulation
Academic and social pressure
Limited independence
Reduced time outdoors
Heightened anxiety and comparison
At JRC, we offer something radically simple:
No phones
No social media
No performance pressure
No curated personas
Instead, children wake with the sun. They gather eggs, help tend gardens, feed animals, build campfires, swim in the lake, ride horses, and share majestic views at sunset.
It’s not nostalgic. It’s developmental.
When you remove constant distraction, children begin to rediscover:
Focus
Creativity
Initiative
Deep friendship
Why Two Weeks?
Two weeks is long enough for:
Social hierarchies to dissolve
New habits to form
Homesickness to transform into pride
Friendships to deepen beyond surface level
Children need sustained immersion to grow. A weekend isn’t enough. A day program doesn’t create the same shift.
Two weeks allows children to step fully into camp life — and return home changed by it.
What Growth Truly Looks Like
Parents often ask: What changes in two weeks?
Here’s what we consistently see:
A child who was hesitant speaks up.
A child who struggled socially finds their people.
A child who avoided challenge tries again.
A child who doubted themselves returns home more grounded.
Research in child development confirms what camp directors have observed for generations: experiences that are emotionally meaningful, novel, and supported reshape confidence and emotional regulation.
Camp provides something many children are missing:
Play
Social connection
Downtime
Healthy risk
Real responsibility
It is a powerful combination.