Unplug and Play: Cultivating Resilience Through Exploration and Joy This Summer

With the public school semester drawing to a close in just 30 days, our twelfth year of summer enrichment camps is fast approaching. While we could simply repeat past programs, I always seek divine guidance on how to best serve our campers and their families. Our devotional theme is one avenue for imparting truth, but equally important is crafting a message that will resonate with our young people aged 5 to 17. A key goal for LHCC in 2025 is the intentional development of impactful programs specifically tailored for our growing number of teenagers.

My recent engagement with Jonathan Haidt's "The Anxious Generation" has been profoundly insightful. This compelling study examines the significant shift in adolescent development, termed the "Great Rewiring," which occurred roughly between 2010 and 2015. Haidt argues that the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media during this period fundamentally altered the trajectory of adolescence. This "rewiring" has been linked to diminished in-person social interaction, heightened social comparison and cyberbullying, and a pervasive state of distraction and potential anxiety. Perhaps you can relate. This is not new news.

Compounding this digital immersion is the concurrent decline in unstructured play and independence among children and teens. Opportunities for spontaneous, self-directed play and exploration have become increasingly scarce. This is where we aim to take action.

Considering these findings, a compelling theme for our Summer Program emerges: "Unplug and Play: Cultivating Resilience Through Exploration and Joy." This theme will center on encouraging unstructured play, fostering creative exploration, and promoting responsible risk-taking. Activities could encompass improvisational games, nature exploration with minimal adult guidance, construction challenges using limited resources, and the acquisition of fundamental life skills such as cooking or basic repairs. The emphasis will be on empowering children to experiment, learn from mistakes within a secure environment, and cultivate problem-solving abilities and self-reliance. This approach directly addresses the documented "decline of play and independence" and the critical need to build resilience through tangible, real-world experiences.

These themes will even be integrated or rotated throughout our extended summer program, offering a comprehensive strategy for nurturing well-being and resilience in teenagers, directly responding to the concerns raised in "The Anxious Generation." As is our tradition at LHCC, we will first present these ideas to parents to ensure their understanding and support, fostering consistent goals and practices both at camp and at home.

As in previous years, we rely on the enthusiasm and dedication of high school and college students who serve as interns and counselors. We hope that their involvement will also prove beneficial to them personally. They will play a vital role in facilitating play-based activities for younger campers, including Olympic-style team games, outdoor adventures and explorations, imaginative role-playing, and opportunities for social interaction and public speaking.

Looking ahead to the upcoming school year, we envision addressing the crucial topic of mindful navigation within the digital world and the development of healthy technology habits. Rather than advocating for outright bans on technology (which are often impractical), this theme will focus on cultivating mindful and balanced relationships with digital devices and social media. This approach acknowledges the "Great Rewiring" while aiming to equip our LHCC teens with the necessary skills and awareness to navigate the digital landscape in a healthier manner, thereby mitigating some of its potential negative impacts.

We also have a vital call to action as this blog draws to a close. We invite enthusiastic and dedicated high school and college students to join us this summer as volunteers and interns! This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of young people, fostering their resilience and well-being through the power of play and exploration. By contributing your time and energy, you will not only help create a memorable and impactful summer for our campers, but also gain invaluable leadership experience, develop crucial interpersonal skills, and contribute directly to your community. If you are passionate about empowering the next generation and believe in the importance of an unplugged and playful childhood, we wholeheartedly encourage you to apply and become a vital part of the LHCC summer team!

Here is the link to register: https://www.lhcclt.org/getinvolved. Please join us and also consider covering our participants in prayer this summer for transformational scholastic, spiritual, and social change, aligned with our mission. Your support, in any form, is deeply appreciated.

Working while it is day,

Brent Morris

Executive Director

April 2025