It’s the dead of winter so you think you’ve got lots of time to think about how your kids are going to spend their summer, right? Wrong, at least regarding certain wilderness expeditions, teen camps, and tours. Brochures and pamphlets get sent out as early as late autumn, and many of the most popular programs fill up fast. Then there’s the matter of having passports ready for overseas trips and having the bank account primed to pay the bill.##M:[more]##
That’s the reason for the mid-winter Summer Trip and Program Fair for high school students on Wednesday, January 18, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Princeton High School. Students and parents from all area high schools are invited. Other camp fairs are scheduled for Saturday, January 14, from noon to 4 p.m at the Holiday Inn Jamesburg, sponsored by the American Camp Association, and Sunday, January 29, from noon to 3 p.m. at Mercer County Community College.
“Planning your child’s summer is not just about picking up an armful of brochures,” says Helaine Isaacs, a consultant with Tips On Trips and Camps, an organization that opens doors to exciting summer opportunities. “The brochures all look great. Anyone can hire a great marketing program and produce something glitzy. You can’t tell very much from it. We work with over 400 camps and programs throughout the United States and abroad. Our service is free to families because we are compensated on a referral basis by the camps.”
Isaacs is one of twelve consultants who work for the company, owned by two women in Baltimore. But her home office is based in Montgomery, so she’s plugged into what central New Jersey families want to do with their kids. “I have the benefit of references from parents throughout the country about different kinds of programs. There’s a lot of information. Anyone can go on the Internet. They’re not vetted. Parents have no comfort level. They wonder how well the camps are run, how are they supervised. How is the staff trained, do the kids like it. We visit overnight camps in session so I personally visit camps several weeks each summer as do my colleagues. If there’s a camp that I haven’t seen, one of my colleagues has.”
Isaacs says that the hands-on training for the teen programs is detailed and comprehensive. There’s an annual meeting so that consultants can meet with the directors of teen programs as well as owners of camps. “We get to know their vision for the program, what’s new and exciting. We talk to the parents and the kids themselves. If we place a family, we reach out with a phone call, postcard, or E-mail to get feedback so we can have the information for ourselves and to pass on to other families.”
Isaacs says it’s rare that they need to stop using a program but if there is negative feedback from parents, it has been done. Over the years she has also noticed a changing trend in the focus of summer programs, at least from the perspective of families.
“There are some families that look at the summer experience as part of their resume for the college application process. They’re far-sighted that way and want to know what will help them get them into the school they want. Others don’t approach it that way at all. We try to get the family to focus on what the child will enjoy and what’s a good fit for that child.”
Another big industry trend: programs used to be more pure in focus. Just language immersion, community service, or a wilderness adventure. Now many of the programs are hybrid. Kids want a little Spanish and they will do some community service and explore the rain forest and then do some kayaking and rafting.
This summer marks the fourth season Isaacs has been working with Tips on Trips and Camps. She has a strong background in corporate human resources, having worked at Citibank and with a consulting firm in recruiting. When she was laid off in 2001 she didn’t want to go back to corporate world. She wanted flexibility and to be able to use her skills of matching people with programs. “I had worked in a service-oriented world. This was a way that allowed me to do it in a non-corporate setting. I get to work as a citizen in the community and as a parent,” she says.
Isaacs and her husband, Hanan, an attorney and mediator in private practice in Princeton, have two sons, 9 and 12. Joshua is in the third grade and is going to overnight camp for first time this summer to Southwoods, a camp in the Adirondacks. Stuart, a sixth grader, will be spending his second summer there.
Isaacs was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her father was in the men’s clothing industry. Her mother worked in the letters to the editor office of the New York Times for close to 30 years. Isaacs earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from SUNY Albany, and a masters in social work from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
As a parent herself, Isaacs often relies on the recommendations of other parents for products, services, and programs. Her company extends that word-of-mouth network for parents and gives them a comfort level they could never get from an Internet website or a glossy brochure.
“Some parents come to me with a blank slate, absolutely no information. Others have talked to friends and gotten word from the grapevine. So they come to me and say tell me about this program. If they know we placed 20 kids and they’ve had a wonderful time, they feel better about sending their own kids off.”
Here are some tips offered by Tips on Trips and Camps when it comes to planning your child’s summer. First, make sure that you think about the location, number of weeks, interest and personality of your child, and budget. This important information plays a key role in finding the right summer program. A consultant like Isaacs can suggest a list of summer programs to match your child’s needs and interests and give you all the information you cannot find in a brochure.
The organization also has a suggested list of questions you should ask when you’re trying to find the right fit for your child. For example, you can ask what is special about the program, what is the philosophy and how is the quality of the staff and facilities?
Make sure you are fully aware of all costs, including tuition, optional activities, spending money, special clothing and equipment, insurance, and refund policy. Giving your child the summer adventure of a lifetime doesn’t come cheap. Parents should know that the programs begin at about a thousand a week.
You will want to know how problems are handled, including medical emergencies, smoking, curfew violations, special needs, and communications with parents. Another interesting question to ask: What is the percentage of return campers and staff.
Summer Trip and Program Fair, Wednesday, January 18, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Princeton High School, sponsored by Princeton High School PTO. Free. Students and parents from all area high schools are invited. Tips on Trips and Camps, sponsor. Helaine Isaacs, 609-497-3434. E-mail Helaine@tipsontripsandcamps.com.
American Camp Association Summer Camp Fair, Saturday, January 14, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Jamesburg. Barbara Rubin, camp fair director. www.acanjsummercampfairs.org. 732-469-8910.
Summer Youth Camps Open House, Sunday, January 29, from noon to 3 p.m. at Student Center, Mercer County Community College. E-mail campcollege@mccc.edu. www.mccc.edu. 609-586-9446. For sports camps call 609-586-4800, ext. 3779. For Tomato Patch program in theater, dance, music, and the visual arts call 609-586-4800, ext. 3566.
