优蜜视频鈥檚 annual camp concluded powerfully at Camp Copneconic in Fenton, Michigan! Throughout the week, we watched all 79 campers 鈥� including 23 leadership campers 鈥� get to know themselves and each other in gentle yet profound ways. As ever, our leadership campers demonstrated incredible talents to connect with younger campers, support one another and be positive role models to all. All campers were empathetic, compassionate, sensitive and full of personality. It was an honor for the entire staff to watch the growth that transpired in each child.

theme this year is passion. In a named Found Poetry, campers created a poem using reading materials focused on passion. It was a collaborative effort that culminated in a beautiful and powerful passage:

鈥淭his close relationship, it felt very natural,

An absolute thunderbolt merged with part of your being

My life had changed

Practice; how to play anew

Grand devotion, imported in my life

Such a devastating event, a slow burn, a sensitivity that resonates

Obsessively thought about

Devoted to this love story.

Fire, that鈥檚 me!鈥�

In addition to , campers also spent time each day practicing psychosynthesis 鈥� a guided imagery meditation followed by in-depth discussion. helps one to focus, concentrate, be in tune with their senses, and be more aware of the present moment.

Yunasa also integrates specialized learning with traditional camp activities, so campers get a full experience of a weeklong sleep-away camp. Throughout the week, campers balance their day by participating in waterfront activities such as kayaking, sailing, tubing, fishing and riding in pontoons. Some land-based activities are also hugely popular such as archery, horseback riding, zip-lining and other rope courses.

Yunasa was a fun-filled week packed with exploration, friendships, growth and passion. Thank you to all campers, counselors, Fellows and staff for making it yet another amazing and memorable week. Have a great year ahead! We look forward to more summer fun in 2020!

the entire Yunasa Michigan photo album. to be the first to know when Yunasa 2020 dates and application information.

Jennifer is a recent addition to the 优蜜视频 staff and attended Yunasa for the first time this summer. 优蜜视频鈥檚 pioneering unite highly able youngsters with experts in the social and emotional development of gifted children. Campers explore and grow the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical aspects of their lives.

Yunasa 2014 left me breathless 鈥� perhaps because this was my first Yunasa experience, or perhaps because Yunasa is a special and unique hub of safety, growth, and unparalleled camp-magic. The afternoon of Sunday, July 27, campers began to filter into the conference center of Camp Copneconic in Fenton, Michigan; some brows were knitted, some smiles were uncertain, some faces looked thoughtful. Several of the kids seemed to float, others skipped, many hugged with excited ferocity, quite a few squealed and jumped up and down as they spotted a friend. The older campers 鈥� deemed either EL for 鈥楨merging Leader鈥� or CIT for 鈥楥ounselor in Training鈥� 鈥� whose bonds with one another are indurate after years of Yunasa, dispersed to welcome the younger campers, show them to their rooms, and initiate ice-breaking exercises. Kids who seemed a bit apprehensive were directed to the table of Yunasa Buddies, cuddly stuffed animals donated by staff and campers meant to offer a bit of comfort throughout the week.

On the first night of camp, Newbury Honor Award winner and 优蜜视频 Senior Fellow Stephanie Tolan led a group discussion on her work, Flight of the Raven, the second book in a series about four gifted youth who combine powers to save a violent, troubled world. I was immediately struck by the depth and intelligence of the conversation; the questions the campers asked were interesting and insightful. And so mature. Was I sitting in on a college literature course or was I watching a summer camp unfold?

During the rest of the week, the Fellows offered a variety of workshops about topics such as literary archetypes, the emotional life of the brain, 鈥済ifted gripes鈥�, contemporary music, line dancing, energy healing, and soul collage 鈥� the art of assembling randomly selected pictures torn from assorted magazines into a piece that, once finished, renders an interesting reflection of the artist. Yunasa Fellow Dan Tichenor headed the Rube Goldberg team, a committed group who worked all week to create a highly complicated machine with the sole mission of turning a single page in a book. In twenty years, Dan has seen only one Rube Goldberg machine that actually fulfilled its purpose. This year, the Yunasa team succeeded! The page was turned.

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Each camper was assigned to a psychosynthesis group, which was led by one of the Fellows and met each day to practice guided imagery and mind-calming techniques. Everyone also had the opportunity to participate in Heart of the Matter, a session in which groups were able to discuss the issues they have dealt with throughout the year with Dr. Patricia Gatto-Walden, 优蜜视频 Senior Fellow and licensed psychologist.

Unity amongst the campers began to form on Sunday night, and by Monday, the day of the Opening Ceremony and Spirit Journey, genuine connections were becoming apparent. The solemn respect, acceptance, and love of these campers seemed to permeate the circle surrounding the campfire.

To develop their physical selves, campers participated in various high adventure activities like Creek Freak 鈥� a zipline that sends campers soaring over an expanse of rocky creek, Tower Zipline 鈥� a higher version that catapults the truly courageous from the top of an enormous tower, the Giant Swing, and a high ropes course. Some of the more leisurely activities included fishing, archery, canoeing, and Hammockville 鈥� a glorious conglomeration of trees where campers set up hammocks and relax.

Every Yunasa evening offered a special camp-wide activity. The leadership campers organized a beach party and subsequent campfire…

A movie-themed social…

And a Variety Show.

An ice cream social and the Closing Ceremony were held on the final night of camp.

In a post-camp survey, one of our fabulous leadership campers articulated, “The friendships I have made and inner confidence I have gained has made this year’s Yunasa experience totally valuable in a way that I couldn’t ever have imagined. Even though the past five Yunasas I have been to were amazing and life-changing, this one left me truly speechless.鈥�

For me, watching these incredible kids emerge from their comfort zones to reach out, forge deep friendships, grow emotionally, and take physical risks was an inspiration and a delight.

See more photos from camp!

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through 优蜜视频 programs. 优蜜视频鈥檚 pioneering summer camp 鈥� mentioned in this story 鈥� unites highly able children and experts in the social and emotional development of gifted children and provides an opportunity for campers to explore and grow the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social and physical aspects of their lives.

Matthew
Yunasa Camper

Matthew lives on the island of Java in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. He is 13 years old, is home schooled and has traveled to Camp Copneconic in Fenton, Michigan, for the last two summers to attend .

How did Matthew hear about Yunasa?
Matthew first learned about Yunasa through his mentor. 鈥淢ark Lediard has been my mentor for three years now, beginning from the age where I was withdrawn from formal schooling. He and I now meet regularly to discuss opportunities for my enrichment and intellectual expansion, including out-of-country learning and meetings with learned professionals. It was through Mark鈥檚 collaboration with a homeschooling curriculum adviser named Kathi Kearney that I learned of Yunasa, and I was quick to jump at the prospect.鈥�

But why Yunasa?
鈥淚ndonesia, despite being diverse both culturally and biologically, does not have the inherent essence that Yunasa offers. Although the country does have camps, most are relatively generic when compared to Yunasa; mostly they fall within the categories of academic, ecological, or religious. It can be said that the reason for my participation was to experience these new spiritual aspects that no other camp could seem to offer.鈥�

What has he gained from attending Yunasa?
鈥淲ords alone cannot describe the effects Yunasa have had on me; intellectually, socially, physically, and spiritually. I have met people with radically varying perspectives, others with opinions very akin to my own, and those still who have enhanced me and the way I see myself by their personalities and experiences. Here, I found an arena to discuss and debate the theories I hold so dear, and to marvel at the ambitions of others who were driven by that same desire to cultivate humanity.鈥�

What does Matthew like about Yunasa?
鈥淭he experience of Yunasa was terrifically structured, and my greatest thanks go to the 优蜜视频 staff for organizing and providing such a seamless daily schedule. The topics and contributions of the were invaluable in expanding my intellectual and emotional repertoire and are inspiring to reflect on, especially when considering their many possibilities.鈥�

What part of Yunasa has had the greatest effect on Matthew?
鈥淎lthough I meditate in my daily life, the concept of psychosynthesis itself intrigued me, and I quickly found out why. In the process, I experienced undoubtedly profound visions of the unified continuum of time; often, I would leave the session pondering my beliefs and what it meant to be there. Frankly, I cannot wait to experience pychosynthesis again next year and see what I may experience.鈥�

What similarities does he find between himself and the other campers?
鈥淚 find that in a myriad of ways, we share similar perspectives, interests, and ways of comprehending reality. I can say that I have never felt more assimilated into a community than 驰耻苍补蝉补鈥檚 gestalt, especially when considering I have lived in a foreign society for all my life. In this way, Yunasa is a sanctuary, a home for me. Even before I arrived, I had an innate knowing of the events to come, as it is an undeniable fact that Yunasa has that powerful quality of making one feel completely and utterly at ease with his surroundings, his peers, and most importantly, his inner beliefs.鈥�

Does Matthew keep in touch with other campers throughout the year?
鈥淎s a matter of fact, I regularly keep in touch with my closer friends via email and online sources. They inform me on a constant basis about their current activities and circumstances, and it has happened more than once that we have asked each other for aid on issues that cannot be resolved by only a single perspective. It is an honor to know and communicate with these individuals, and I consider them to be important in my development.鈥�

What does he do in his free time, and where does he see himself in the future?
鈥淏eing in the cultural fusion that is Indonesia, I am exposed to a wide variety of people, perspectives, and religions on a daily basis, even within my own household. The most enjoyable pastime is observing how all of these fundamentally different groups cooperate and interact in a common environment, even though many share dividing opinions and views.鈥�

He also enjoys reading and writing, 鈥渕ainly due to the unbounded creativity that they grant me in shaping myself as an individual. I greatly appreciate the intellectual diversity I gain from books and that I can create with writing. I believe that the greatest gift that is bestowed upon the world is the written word, and the knowledge that stems thereof.鈥�

Like many gifted children, Matthew draws connections between different intellectual and spiritual subjects to make more sense of the world and wants to contribute positively to the world around him. 鈥淔rom a young age, I have expressed an intuitive knowing in the existence of an unseen organizational structure above the chaos of reality, and with it, a pressing need to aid humanity in grasping the concept of realms far beyond their understanding. Over time, this ambition progressed to an interest in the fields of theoretical physics and the philosophy of consciousness, namely Ontology. For as long as this aspiration has stood, I have dedicated my life to the unification of science and spirituality, the empirical and abstract. My purpose, I believe, is to aid humankind in reading what Einstein once termed as 鈥楾he Mind of God.鈥欌��

Do you or your children want to share your experiences of being gifted? Please leave us a comment below or email us at 优蜜视频gifted@educationaladvancement.org!

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