Comfort Zones Get Stretched at Teen Summer Camp

At SuperCamp, the life skills and academic summer camp program, students learn many important life lessons that help them in school, in their relationships with friends and family, and prepare them for success in future years. Two such lessons are moving out of their comfort zones and living above the line.

The educators at SuperCamp understand that everyone has a comfort zone that includes the things they feel comfortable with: activities, people, foods, places and ways of being. Most students tend to want to stay in their comfort zone because it’s easy, familiar, and yes, comfortable. Everything outside may seem too risky, shaky, or dangerous.

At SuperCamp, students are encouraged and empowered to take the risk of moving out of their comfort zones. With the right encouragement, students will slowly peek out and finally venture out of their comfort zone, in spite of their internal voice screaming, Don’t’ go out there – stay here where it’s comfy!

Initially that first step makes them feel weird and uneasy, but soon the discomfort subsides and eventually they find that their comfort zone has expanded! By moving out of their comfort zone, they have experienced something new, they have learned, and they have grown.  And interestingly, as comfort zones expand so does self confidence.

As a foundation for communication and personal interaction, Living Above the Line highlights and puts into practice one the 8 Keys SuperCamp facilitators teach students during the 10-day academic summer programs. This Key is Ownership and it's about taking responsibility for one’s actions. Students learn there are two ways to live: Above the Line or Below the Line.

Those who Live Above the Line and take responsibility for their actions have greater control – and therefore greater academic and personal success – because they take ownership for their current situation. They take ownership of their education, of their relationships, and of their attitudes, affecting all areas of their lives and in the process improving their self confidence.

Living Below the Line is about laying blame, justifying, denying, and quitting, none of which contribute to building self confidence or achieving success.

SuperCamp will run over 35 individual academic camp sessions in 2010 across nine U.S. colleges covering all areas of the country. The colleges include Stanford, Brown, Wake Forest, the University of Washington in Seattle, Colorado College, Cal State San Marcos in San Diego and The Claremont Colleges just east of Los Angeles.

SuperCamp offers three age-specific programs: a Junior Forum for kids going into grades 6-8, Senior Forum for teens entering grades 9-12 and Quantum U for incoming and current college freshmen.

More information on SuperCamp is available at http://www.supercamp.com/ and by calling 800-285-3276.