Camp Cures Loneliness
Overnight summer camp provides opportunities for building community, forming deep friendships, and creating support networks to combat loneliness.
According to a June 2025 study by The World Health Organization, social isolation and loneliness among teens is on the rise. It’s interesting how kids can spend all day with their peers in school and after school sports or extra curricular activities yet still feel lonely. The study points to dissatisfaction with the quality of social interactions as one of the main drivers of loneliness.
Enter overnight summer camp, where the nature of the experience lends itself to building strong bonds among peers. Overnight summer camps are designed to create community. And true community is what successfully combats loneliness.
How We Nurture Connections
Let’s dig deeper into this. What is it about overnight summer camp that solves for loneliness? Here’s how the community of girls at Camp Jeanne d’Arc cures loneliness:
- Well-Nutured Cabin Groups. The cabins at Camp Jeanne d’Arc become family structures equipped with highly-trained counselors who, from day one, foster friendship, responsibility, and connection. The cabins get to know each other through games, cabin chants, and a fair amount of unstructured down time to build bonds and deepen relationships.
- Work Together For Each Other. Cabin time is not all play – the campers also have to put in the work. Campers need to work together to clean cabins, refill the bread baskets at meals, clear the dining tables, collaborate for counselor appreciation activities, engage in service projects, and more. Instead of dreading it, the work at camp creates a sense of support for each other and pride in jobs well done. Working together strengthens the camper friendships.
- No Screens. Social media can help people connect, but it can also be quite isolating. A teen might have hundreds of Tiktok followers but very few people she can unwind with, talk to, and share feelings. When the screens are not an option at Camp, the relationships campers build are deep and lasting.
- Time. Sometimes kids just need time – time walking to and from activities, time in front of the Hearth (mess hall) waiting for meals, time winding down the night in cabins, etc. Campers have more time – they are not in cars commuting too and from school, they don’t have homework or long practices, and mostly, they are never alone! It can be as simple as this: extended periods of time with other kids without the distractions of screens, homework, and family/school stress can help build strong bonds.
- Togetherness. Similar to the theme of time, physical proximity to others increases connectivity. At Camp Jeanne d’Arc, activities like campfire (where we sing songs around a fire) gives campers the opportunity to sit arm in arm with their friends and share a common experience that brings them joy.
- Positive Reinforcement for Inclusiveness. Camp Jeanne d’Arc leadership places a high emphasis on inclusiveness, kindness, and compassion. Weekly awards recognize campers who exhibit these characteristics and help create a culture of raising each other up! Being there for each other creates a sense of belonging.
- Physical Activity. Studies show that when our bodies move, our brain function increases. At Camp, kids are constantly on the move – waterfront activities, sports, hiking, dancing, and even travelling to and from cabins. So how does brain function impact loneliness? Increased capacity in memories, reasoning, and thinking can lead to more satisfying interactions with our peers!
- Post-Camp Network. Even after camp, the friendships nurtured at camp serve as a support network. Kids may encounter social friction or incidents of being excluded or difficulty finding their social footing. Oftentimes, they can rely on their friends from Camp to be reliable and available for a late night Facetime or an encouraging text exchange, allowing campers to feel connected to their camp community year round.
A Foundation for a Connected Life
Overnight summer camp offers a powerful antidote to the rising tide of loneliness among teens. Through intentionally crafted cabin groups, collaborative work, ample unstructured time for connection, a culture of inclusivity, and the benefits of physical activity, campers build deep and lasting friendships. These bonds extend beyond the summer, providing a vital support network that helps navigate the challenges of adolescence. In a world increasingly fragmented, the community forged at camp provides not just a cure for loneliness, but a foundation for a fulfilling and connected life.