Camper Phone Policy
This summer, Echo Ranch is moving to a no phones policy for summer campers, with the goal of making summer camp richer, freer from distractions, and safer.
With our phones forming an increasingly huge presence in each of our lives, one of the appeals of Echo Ranch has long been that it’s a haven out the road where, like it or not, your phone doesn’t work! Guests and volunteers alike get to enjoy the rich experience of being “disconnected.” However, cell coverage has slowly increased over the years, meaning that some may be tempted to spend their time at camp with phone in hand, chasing around that (weak and fleeting) signal. We believe that summer camp is a time to get away from normal life, form new friendships, spend time with God, and enjoy new experiences. We don’t want phones to get in the way of giving campers the richest camp experience possible.
Even when there’s no signal to be found, phones can still create major distractions at camp. Apps and mobile games that can operate in airplay mode are a tempting attention black hole. Downloaded music, along with headphones, lets kids tune the world out. There’s a time and a place for these phone features, but hopefully we can all agree that summer camp is not it! We want our campers to fully enjoy all that Echo Ranch and Alaskan summers have to offer while they’re with us and to connect with others in meaningful ways, an opportunity all too rare in our distraction-filled world.
Additionally, phones can be a safety hazard at camp. Phones, with or without signal, make it easier for kids to access, share, or even inadvertently be exposed to inappropriate material. Additionally, phones can easily get lost or even broken at camp. Asking that campers not have their phones during the camp week eliminates these risks.
Photos
Of course, we know that photos from camp are a valued keepsake, and that the ability to contact home is vital for safety. We’re planning to meet these needs in the following ways:
Last year we began sharing photos taken by our staff photographer each week on Waldo, a service where we upload many high-quality photos from the week and protect them by password so they’re only available to campers and their families. We intend to keep sharing as many photos as possible on Waldo so you and your camper can enjoy snapshots from the week. We will also create “photo booth” opportunities during the week for friends to ensure that they get photos taken together.
If your camper is bummed about not being able to take their own photos, we are planning to sell disposable film cameras in our camp store so that campers can have still take personal photos. We also encourage campers to bring their own disposable or digital cameras from home.
As always, if the need arises for a camper to call home, they will be able to use our camp office’s phone, and parents can reach their campers by calling our office as well.
What To Plan For
To help us achieve this goal of making a summer camp a distraction-free environment for campers to have a fantastic week of fun, growth, and community, we ask that you plan for one of the following in advance of dropping your camper off at Echo Ranch.
Hang on to your camper’s phone for them for the week. They’ll have a great week without it!
For campers who bring their phones to camp, we will ask to collect them on Monday morning and securely keep them labeled by name in our camp office throughout the week, so that we can easily reunite the phones with their owners during camp checkout.
Out-of-Town Campers
For those with campers who will be flying or ferrying to Juneau, for safety reasons we ask that you please continue to send your child with their phone. Once at camp, we will collect, label, and store their phones in our camp office throughout the week. Before they depart camp, their phones will be returned to them.
Got Questions?
If you have any questions, please feel free to get in contact with us. We can’t wait for your campers to join us for another fantastic summer!