Tawingo Crest Program

Fun and learning take place every day at Tawingo. The skills taught during Interest Groups are both life skills and life-enhancing skills. Campers learn skills that will keep them safe (swimming) and skills that will help them be happy and comfortable living and playing in the outdoors (fire building). Campers choose the specific skills they wish to learn, each day, in the areas of swimming, canoeing, nature, campcraft, and leadership, offered at three specific levels: Turtle, Fox, and Eagle.

The Turtle Crest is primarily experiential and designed to engage campers in a wide range of outdoor and leadership skills through fun activites. In most cases active participation at this level is all that is required to complete each skill.

Tawingo Legend tells the story of a young camper who comes to a brand new place in the outdoors. Perhaps naive, perhaps hesitant, the camper begins to explore and learn slowly and carefully, with the steady pace of the Turtle. Soon the camper is able to do many new things with many new friends and, like the Fox, begins eagerly and quickly to acquire a wider range of skills. Finally, like the Eagle, the camper discovers that with proficiency in higher level skills comes the wisdom and leadership to help teach others and to prepare for new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

The Fox Crest blends hands-on learning with theoretical knowledge of the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of outdoor and leadership skills. Campers might learn weather theory or examine the specific mechanics of a paddle stroke in order to improve their proficiency. The Fox Crest is an important stepping stone to special programs at Camp like the Voyageur Adventure, Wilderness Journey, and Tawingo Leadership Course.

The Eagle Crest challenges the camper with independent learning, critical/creative thinking, and integration of different skills areas. Campers gain a deep and thorough knowledge of outdoor living and hone their hard and soft leadership skills.