Australian Camp Connect Association Inc.

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Camp Connect's - Programs & Initiatives

 

Programs & Initiatives
» Dads & Kids Weekend Camps  » Workshop Days  » Dads Time  » Pit Stop  » Drug Proof Your Kids  » Phone & Email Support  » Website

Dads & Kids Weekend Camps

The weekend camps are the main stay program of Camp Connect. The camps, using accredited campsites run from the Friday evening to the Sunday afternoon. What make the camps that we conduct so different is that they are structured with workshops for the dads or the dads and kids together, factored into the weekend. The aim behind this initiative is that apart from wanting the dads to have had a good time away with their children, we want them to have come away with so much more. It is this reason why camp connect is more than just a fun weekend away.

Apart from the educational component built into our camps, the camps provide an excellent opportunity for the attending fathers to work on building up their social and support networks. The camps provide a very conducive environment for the dads to open up and talk to each other. These discussions are often about very personal issues that they otherwise they may not feel safe enough to discuss outside of the camps. Where it is felt that an attendee needs or wants to discuss their issues further than is appropriate at a camp, we direct them to counsellors who can work with them further on specific issues.

The children attending the camp benefit in different ways as well. There is a great opportunity to spend quality time with their dad and share experiences with their dad that they would not usually get to experience. The children get to mix with and make friends with other children attending the camp. The specialist activities can be, and often are challenging especially for the younger children. With encouragement from their own as well as other dads, the children often will try out and conquer their fear and self limiting beliefs surrounding a particular activity. The result, a great boost in the child's self esteem and a real sense of I can do anything if I put my mind to it and naturally a very proud father.

Six Dads & Kids camps have been run to date, five of these conducted in Victoria and one in Sydney.

Dads Workshop Days

Camp Connect have conducted full day workshops for dads on such topics as:

* 'The Business of Communicating with your Ex Partner'. Deals with the relationship that we have with our ex partners and the impact this has on our children and what we can do about trying to improve it.
* 'Dad Talk', this looks at the barriers that we face in the parenting of our children and how we can overcome them.


* 'What Makes The Difference'
Looks at the things that we can do with our parenting that will produce positive long-long term development outcomes with our children.
* Communication & NLP. Covers advanced communication skills to assist you interacting with your children, their other parent and authorities. Discover techniques to address and change behavioural patterns, regain your power and disconnect from the emotional buttons that others keep pushing.

We have had specialists run these workshops for us. Many donate their time and expertise to support our vital work.

These workshop days when being conducted are generally run the weekend prior to a weekend camp being held so that the the dads can use the knowledge gained at the workshop day the following weekend with their kids.

Dads Time

Dads Time will see the setting up of coffee, play and chat gatherings on Saturday mornings for dads to attend with their kids if they have them or otherwise they can come on their own. They will be very informal in nature. Venues will consist of indoor play centres, kiosks at the beach etc where the kids will be able to expend some energy whilst their dads get to relax and socialise in the company of the other attending dads. There will be someone representing Camp Connect at each gathering.

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Pit Stop

Pit Stop is an eight weekend parenting tune up course developed specifically for dads by Rob Koch and is run through the City Of Casey. Having completed the facilitator training for Pit Stop we are looking at incorporating what Pit Stop has to offer dads, into our programs as an adjunct to the other programs we conduct.

How To Drug Proof Your kids

Being a trained facilitator in the How To Drug Proof Your Kids program run by focus on the Family, we will be running this course as part of a Camp Connect program.

How to Drug Proof Your Kids (DPYK) is an education, prevention and intervention parenting program developed by Focus on the Family Australia motivated by the increasing drug problem among young people and the frustrated attempts by parents to steer their children away from the harmful use of drugs.

Phone & Email Support

As part of our harm reduction strategies we respond to both telephone and email requests for help. We often receive phone calls either from dads referred to us from other organisations, word of mouth or from our website. We are not counsellors but are able to refer these dads, through our network of contacts onto other individuals or organisations that are be able to provide more specialist support in the area that the father or child may require. This support may be in the way of counselling, family law, child support, financial planning. We have an extensive database of specialists that we can refer dads onto if that is what they require. Sometimes all they require is someone to talk to, someone who will listen. We offer that support.

Website - www.campconnect.org.au

Our website currently receives on average over 650 hits per day. Apart from advertising our upcoming programs it contains an extensive list of resources that are available for dads and kids, both locally and internationally. Individuals as well as organisations that work with dads and or children have the opportunity to promote their upcoming programs on the community calendar.