A Chat With Vanessa Gravell About K:P's Summer Camps

With summer camp season coming up, we thought it would be a good time to check in with Vanessa Gravell, kin:pathic's Head of School Partnerships, who has forged a partnership with Amherst, NH Parks & Recreation for the second year in a row to offer summer camps. Vanessa is an experienced Behavior Analyst, as well, so she brings to her work a keen understanding of how educational programs and partnerships can benefit from behavioral science.​

Tell us about kin:pathic’s 2024 summer camp offerings.
We are offering two exciting programs for 6-9 year olds, Fantastic Fitness and Crafty Creators. We've found through many of our past programs that large group games and craft based activities are favorites, so we decided to dedicate two whole camps around those themes. 
For our preschoolers, we will have a music and movement camp, science experiment/STEAM camp, gardening camp, and a dessert themed cooking camp!

Were some of these camps offered last year, as well?
Our two repeat camps this year are Budding Botanists and the Sugar Chef cooking camp for preschoolers. They were very popular last year so we decided to bring them back! Everything else is brand new, and we are so excited for the new themes.

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What distinguishes a kin:pathic summer camp from other summer camps? 
Kin:pathic camps truly foster a positive and inclusive environment for every child. From the start of this program, we knew we wanted to make sure that every camper with us felt welcomed and had a great time. 
Initially we started by removing the potty training requirement for our 3-5 year olds because as parents ourselves, we found that this guideline excluded many young children from accessing camp and enrichment activities. However, we know it's developmentally appropriate for kids at that age to not be fully trained yet. 
We have expertise in child development and developmental milestones, which I believe also sets us apart and places us at a unique advantage to provide enriching and educational experiences tailored to various age groups and abilities. 
Kin:pathic as a company practices compassion in all that we do, and we bring that into our camps as well. From providing parents in the moment updates if their child had separation anxiety at drop off, to holding individual meetings with families who may have concerns or want extra supports for their child during the day, we really try to go the extra mile to enable all children to participate in and enjoy our camps.

Can you tell us a little bit about your role with the camps? 
Sure! I am the camp director, so I design the themes and curriculum, hire and train the counselors, handle registration, field questions from families, and am present during the actual camp weeks to ensure all is running smoothly.

How has your background as a behavior analyst helped you develop the camps?
I think it gives me a very unique approach to childcare/camps overall.  I have extensive training and experience in how to teach new skills to children, and all of our camps aim to teach a new skill or concept in a fun and hands-on way. 
It's also given me the opportunity to work with hundreds of children of varying abilities over the past 10+ years. This has taught me  that all children are capable of learning and participating, and that all children need support in one way or another. I believe that if we can create a space that is welcoming, supportive, comfortable and accommodating for all, it benefits every child, not just children with therapeutic needs who we might typically come into contact with as behavior analysts. 
A shy child can benefit from teachers/counselors who allow them to warm up to the setting without forcing participation, a nervous child can benefit from being allowed to bring a comfort item from home with them, and an energetic child can benefit from frequent whole group movement breaks that allow all the kids to get up and move. 
In this way, we follow the K:P compassionate approach by getting to know each child, and allowing them to have their needs met in a way that is just naturally built into the environment for everyone without it being seen as extra, or a special accommodation that parents need to request. It's just an accommodating place for all!

What can campers expect from the experience? 
I think they can expect to have a great time, to feel safe and supported, and to make some new friends! In the mornings we usually start with some free play/free choice time. 
Then we'll move into a whole group activity or two, take a snack and lunch break, and we alternate between free choice and whole group activities throughout the day.
​Each camp's activities are centered around the specific theme for that week.

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What part of the work of running a summer camp gives you the greatest joy? 
Seeing children come in on the first day, a bit uncertain and nervous in a new space, and then watching them come out of their shells throughout the week is my favorite part. It's amazing the transformation that we see over just 5 days, and how we get to know them and they get to know one another! Particularly for our youngest preschoolers, it's exciting for me to think that these skills of meeting new friends in a new classroom over the summer might follow them into the Fall and help them adjust more quickly to preschool.