by Marina Lukanina
Currently, the camp community is particularly concerned about the future
camp market — who will be the upcoming consumer? In which direction
are current realities pushing the development of a camp movement? "It
is said that by mid-century non-Hispanic Caucasians will be the minority.
If this is true, and we look at today's camp market, we are challenged
with the reality that our camp market is fading . . . ." said Peg
Smith, American Camp Association (ACA) chief executive officer (Smith
2006).
As the Latino population continues to grow in the United States,
youth-serving agencies, including camps, are faced with a challenge to
find new ways to deliver education and recreation programs to them. Many
organizations are not aware of specific outreach strategies, which are
necessary to reach out to Latinos; they do not know what programs are
needed or how to deliver them to this specific group. The key issue that
should be currently addressed is the successful incorporation of Latino
children and youth, as well as the majority of their foreign-born parents,
into the economic, social, cultural, and political life of the region.
Understanding Latino Parents
To understand the main reservations that
Latino parents have towards an overnight summer camp, as well as to gauge
their perception and come up with marketing and program approaches to
this segment, a specially-designed survey was distributed in the Chicago
area. Chicago has a great diversity of Latino populations by their country
of origin. It has the second largest Mexican population in the United
States, with Puerto Ricans being the second largest group after Mexican.
According to the U.S. Census, more than half of Chicago-area Latinos
are U.S.-born. While nearly two-thirds of adult Latinos are foreignborn,
more than 80 percent of Latino children were born in the United States
based on the Census data of 2000.
The survey was distributed during April
and May of 2007. The survey represented a non-random sample of 209 adults
and tested key issues that are of a high concern to Latino parents when
determining whether to send their children to camp. The key concerns
evaluated in the study were the following: the extent of parents' willingness
to even consider a summer camp as a possible recreation option for their
children, the importance of having someone Latino on staff and being
surrounded by children of the same or diverse ethnic background, how
often parents need to communicate with their children while the camp
is in session, the amount of money parents are willing to spend on a
one-week overnight camp, and the distance between the home and the camp.
To assess the marketing habits of Latino parents, the question about
the importance of camp marketing materials being both in Spanish and
English was raised.
Feedback about camp programming was asked through an open question,
which asked the Latino parents to identify three main activities that
they would like their children to be exposed to while being at a camp.
At the end of the survey, Latino parents were asked to provide overall
feedback as to what benefits they would like their children to gain from
a summer camp. The conclusion of the survey focused on demographic data
of the applicants, e.g., whether they were U.S. or foreign-born, their
countries of origin, and the amount of time spent in the U.S.
Recommendations
Since "camp" has never been part of Latino culture, it takes
a double effort to help Latino parents understand the actual benefits
of a summer camp in the lives of their children. It is crucial to establish
the necessary level of trust between parents and summer camps. It will
take extra effort to convince Latino parents to even consider the idea
of parting with their precious creations for a week or even two weeks.
"Summer
camp is not part of the Hispanic culture. Many Hispanic parents to this
date are still adamantly opposed to sending their children away for two
weeks, and even a greater number of Hispanic kids really don't want to
change the comfort zone of their homes for the uncertainty of two weeks
away from their families," says David Lira Leveron, retired director
of Camp Operations at the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs Camp located
in Salem, Wisconsin (Leveron 2004).
In the Chicago survey analysis (see page 58), it seemed important to
distinguish the difference between U.S.-born Latinos and foreign-born
Latinos and their attitudes and perceptions of the concept of a summer
overnight camp. However, first and foremost, he/she is a parent and has
to be approached from the perspective of a parent, Latino parent, and
only afterwards, as a parent who is either foreign or U.S. born.
For
any parent of any nationality, the safety of their children is of primary
concern. It is understandable that for Latino parents, who have been
accustomed to always being with their children, the prospect of sending
them to a totally unknown place called a "summer camp" seems
like a scary idea. Camp directors who want to attract Latino campers
to their camps should ascertain that every piece of their marketing and
communications strategies sends a very specific message to Latino parents.
Camp directors should "sell the idea" of a summer camp to
Latino parents, making it look attractive and credible in their eyes.
Many organizations that have good strategic management systems are already
putting Latinos in the focus of their marketing efforts. Camps, more
than any other organization, should do the same. A summer camp is a wonderful
experience that leaves a profound and positive influence in a child's
life. The latest research done by ACA proves this with statistical data
from more than two hundred camps. Being youth-serving organizations,
camps should pay particular attention to reaching out to Latino campers.
To continue making a positive impact in children's lives, even
to a larger population, camps need to reassure Latino parents that the
camp environment is safe and fun.
Developing Cultural Relevancy
When
working with Latino parents, it is first necessary to understand their
cultural background. Cultural relevancy is the most effective way to
make the message resonate with Latinos. Latinos respond most effectively
to a message that reinforces the values, lifestyle, and behaviors that
are familiar. Having the camp's marketing materials and camp Web
site bilingual as a courtesy to their heritage is a good marketing strategy.
It is a mistake, however, to assume that using "Spanish only" materials
will help to reach more Latinos. Not all Latinos necessarily speak Spanish.
Offering an option to choose the language on the camp's Web site
or by having a bilingual camp brochure, camps will immediately get their
information across to many more Latino parents.
Safety
Many camps in
Mexico devote certain areas of their Web sites to safety issues. The
camp, Icaros Campamentos, has on its home page a link called "Seguridad" (Security)
where details regarding how the camp maintains a safe environment at
the camp, who takes care of the children, etc., are explained. By addressing
this issue so clearly on its Web site, this camp's management is
acknowledging the high degree of importance it places on children's
safety. American camps should also explore various opportunities to address
this same issue on their Web sites, in their camp brochures, parents' handbooks,
and during camp fairs and personal meetings with parents.
Bilingual Staff
A vast majority of parents surveyed indicated that they would prefer
to have someone on camp staff be Latino. Despite the fact that the majority
indicated they want their children to be in a diverse ethnic environment,
Latino parents still feel more comfortable if someone from the same cultural
and ethnic background serves as a camp staff person. Camp staff should
be bilingual to clarify to parents of different acculturation levels
all the possible questions and doubts that they might have about a camp.
It gives them a sense of reassurance that there are people on staff who
will be able to provide the culturally-appropriate sense of comfort to
their children, if needed.
Many opportunities exist now to have Latino
counselors on staff. An international placement agency, Camp Counselors
U.S.A., has just recently opened its office in Mexico City. Mexican counselors
are now able to come and work in American camps along with people from
all over the world.
Communication
Staying in touch with their children
to make sure that they are safe and happy is one of the main obstacles
Latino parents see in sending them to camp. In a typical U.S. summer
camp, children are rarely allowed to call home — no cell phones
are permitted, access to the Internet and e-mail is limited, and parents
are usually not allowed to visit their children unless they make prior
arrangements with camp administration. Some camp directors think that this
is the best way to help children adapt to a new environment and prevent
excessive homesickness. This tactic does not work well with Latino parents.
The majority of them explicitly expressed that they would consider sending
their children to a summer camp only if they were allowed to communicate
with them on a regular basis. A smaller percentage indicated that they
do not necessarily need to talk to their children directly, but they
would like to receive updates from camp staff. The camp's communication
policy should take into account that Latino parents need to be constantly
reassured that their children are safe and happy.
This issue was well
addressed by the Union League Boys and Girls Clubs Camp. The camp director
found an interesting solution: even though children at that camp are
rarely allowed to call home, parents in turn can call their children
during mealtimes. The outcome of this policy was that every year parents
start calling less and less. This camp also permitted parents to come
for a visit at the camp by adopting "an open-door policy." The
camp went even further and offered those parents who were unable to get
to the camp themselves, free transportation to and from the camp. Obviously,
being so responsive to the primary concerns of parents led to a significant
increase in the number of Latino campers attending this camp for the
past few years. An open-door camp policy should establish the right channels
of communication for children, parents, and the camp staff. As a way
to make parents more comfortable about sending their children away, a
phone call from a camp staff member on the arrival day to parents can
serve as an excellent tool. Camps can set up a computer lab where children
could write e-mails to their parents without having to be online. All
the letters would be later sent by a camp staff member. Counselors should
be encouraged to write little notes to the parents about their campers
throughout the entire summer. By having access to various types of communication,
parents would definitely feel more at ease sending their children away.
Word-of-Mouth
". . . It takes ten satisfied parents to convince
one doubtful parent to finally send his/ her children to camp. At the
same time, it takes one unsatisfied parent to convince ten parents not
to send their kids to camp (Leveron 2004)." This was clearly proven
by the Chicago survey. A large number of parents put "word-of-mouth" as
the main vehicle of their decision-making process of choosing a summer
camp. Camps should strive for building real partnerships with parents
by actively involving them in camp life. Motivate camper parents to volunteer
at your camp or ask for their input about current programming. Camps
can also partner with schools in the communities, organizing educational
presentations about the value of a camp experience and camp programs.
Another suggestion is to offer a family week-end trip when parents could
come and experience a summer camp together with their children. By familiarizing
themselves with the concept of a summer camp and by getting to know the
camp director and the facility, chances are much higher that these parents
will send their children to a camp. It should not be neglected that Latinos
tend to be extremely receptive to the testimonials of celebrities.
Session
Length and Fees
The majority of survey responses showed that Latino parents
would be comfortable letting their children go away to camp for no more
than two weeks. Camps should organize their summer schedule by offering
one- and two-week sessions.
A vast majority of respondents indicated
that they were not willing to pay more than $100 for a one-week camp.
However, there was a small sample of people (16 out of 209) who mentioned
they would be willing to spend over $300 for a one-week camp. Camps must
distinguish whether their recruitment goal is to target as many Latinos
as possible or whether the goal is to target specific groups of Latinos
at certain income levels. Survey results showed that the more children
there are in the family, the more likely parents are willing to send
them to a summer camp. Camps are strongly encouraged to offer an attractive
discount system for siblings attending the same camp.
Today, many Latino
parents still need to be educated about the value of a summer camp. Camps
first need to make their own "investments" in earning and
establishing credibility in Latino parents' eyes.
The last question
in the survey asked parents to express what it is that they wanted their
children to get out of a summer camp. What specific benefits would they
hope their children would gain from this experience? There was a very
consistent pattern identified in the answers to this question. The main
benefits that parents hoped their children would enjoy were the ability
to interact and communicate with each other, to become more disciplined
and mature, and to become more responsible and independent.
Camp may be the only place left in our world that provides the everyday
opportunity to influence young people in such a profound and positive
way. "There are currently more than 12,000,000 Hispanic children
in the U.S. whose parents need to be educated about the benefits of the
camp experience (Leveron 2004)." Camps that are willing to continue
being relevant today and tomorrow are highly encouraged to focus their
attention on attracting the Latino population to a summer overnight camp.
Survey Analysis
Author's Note:
I would like to express my gratitude to the people
who supported my research efforts: Phillis Johnson, AEMM associate chairperson,
Columbia College Chicago; Paulette Whitfield, graduate faculty, Columbia
College Chicago; Gordie Kaplan, American Camp Association, Illinois,
executive director; Jenifer Vargo, development director, Association
House of Chicago; Lauren Smith, Out-of-School Time supervisor, Association
House of Chicago; Angelica Gomez, The Learning Place supervisor, Association
House of Chicago; Carmen M. Sanchez, principal of Irving Park Middle
School; Hector Rodriguez, principal of Carman Buckner Elementary, Waukegan;
and Dr. Ana Gil Garcia, associate professor of Northeastern Illinois
University and President of Fulbright Chicago Chapter. My special thanks
goes to David Leveron, retired director of camp operations, Union League
Boys and Girls Clubs. Interacting closely with him for the past year
and a half and being given a wonderful opportunity to work at his summer
camp brought an incredible insight to my project and my overall understanding
of Latino culture and particularly Latino parents.
References
Smith,
P. (2006). "Letter
from Peg," Camping Magazine, American Camp Association. November/December
2006.
Masud-Piloto, F. "Latinos in the Midwest: Advancing in el
Mero Medio," Dialogo, Center for Latino Research, DePaul University.
Fall 2005 #9.
Lira Leveron, D. (2004). "Outreaching to Diverse
Communities: The Hispanic Community," Camping Magazine. American
Camp Association, July/August 2004.
Originally published in the 2008 March/April
issue of Camping Magazine. |
