Camp Photos & Updates: Campanion, Blog & More

Healthy Separation & Finding the Balance in Communicating

One of the many reasons Camp is so transformative for kids, in addition to getting to interact with nature and totally unplug from technology, is that being away from home helps develop individuality and autonomy.

To help your child to build independence, resilience and confidence, we aim to establish a healthy and safe separation for you and your child while they are at Camp. We’ve found that this separation can help parents discover a healthy independence from their children as well. In this spirit, it is important to trust that no news is good news!

We also understand that many parents are curious to catch a glimpse of what their child is experiencing at Tawonga. During your child’s session, we will share general updates with you so that you can have a sense of their adventures.

What to Expect This Summer
During your child’s summer camp session, you will have the opportunity to get a peek into their Tawonga experience through photos and mini-updates posted in Campanion (the app version of CampInTouch) and blog posts on Tawonga’s website. The goal of these touch points is to provide some assurance and comfort that your child is safe and having a good experience, to help you better understand how your child is spending their time at Camp, and lastly, to offer a peek into the Tawonga magic and our mission in action. 

Seeing Photos of Your Child
Over 300 campers attend each session, and we only have one summer photographer to capture it all. In addition, our intention of sharing photos is to capture authentic Tawonga moments while still providing an unplugged, immersive experience for campers, informed by our Screen-Free Policy. Accordingly, you can expect to see a picture of your child a couple of times per week – and one of those instances will be in a group bunk photo. It’s possible you’ll see them more frequently; we appreciate your understanding.

Every summer, our parent community is split on how often they would like to see photos of their child; inevitably, some want more – but some want less. We strive to strike a balance that gives you a peek into Camp life while not being overly disruptive to the camper experience. This balance also seeks to foster a healthy separation while your child is away from home.

Accessing Photos
If you are interested in seeing photos of your child this summer and in receiving general updates (including the “Tawonga Tidbit” with our kitchen menu), we strongly recommend downloading the Campanion app. However, using the app is optional, and all photos that are uploaded to Campanion this summer will also appear in the desktop version of CampInTouch (just scroll down to the “Online Community” section and click “Photos”). Note: Desktop version is not compatible with Safari.

• Face Finder: Parents who choose to can opt into Campanion’s “face finder” (facial recognition), an option that is now common for many preschools, camps and other childcare facilities. Those opting in just need to upload a reference photo of your child to Campanion when you log in. Then, any time Tawonga posts a photo of your child, you will be notified in the app (you can also opt into receiving an SMS notification when a photo of your child is uploaded).
  • Parents who do not opt into face finder can still see all of the photos from your child’s session by looking at the photo albums posted in Campanion as well as on the desktop version of CampInTouch.
• Guest Access: Have a family member who would appreciate tuning in as well? You may grant “Guest” access in your CampInTouch account to designated individuals, where they can view photos through the desktop version of CampInTouch (currently, guests are not able to view photos in Campanion).

FAQs
Check out these FAQs with more information on how to use Campanion and what to expect from Tawonga updates from Camp this summer. 

Summer Blog
In addition to the mini-updates and photos in Campanion, we will post photos and more in-depth session updates to Camp Tawonga’s blog a couple times a week while Camp is in session. As the blog is public, this platform is both for parents to enjoy, and for any other Tawonga fans tuning in (alumni, other family members, etc). The blog is a great way to welcome your friends and family members into the magic of Camp Tawonga, and we encourage you to share posts with them! On the summer blog, expect photos of campers, summaries of the day’s activities and general insights into life at Tawonga. You’ll also find staff spotlights, Tawonga Tidbits (with the day’s kitchen menu!), guest entries and more! 

How to Subscribe

• The best way to stay current with Tawonga’s blog posts is to subscribe! Visit tawonga.org/blog and enter your email address at the bottom of the screen under “Subscribe to our Blog.” You can then customize your blog subscription to your child’s session if preferred. Be sure to click “Confirm Follow” when you receive your confirmation email, at which point you will receive email notifications when posts relevant to you publish. 
• Following your child’s session, you will receive an email with lots of information, including a link of high-resolution photos from the session previously posted in Campanion/CampInTouch, available to download for free. In addition, campers will receive a digital unit photo following their session.
• A Note on Quests: Due to the backcountry nature of Tawonga Adventure Quests, we do not post Quest photos to Campanion/CampInTouch. However, for most Quests, we strive to publish a blog post a few weeks after the completion of the Adventure Quest with an album of pictures and a summary of the trip. 

Optional Session Facebook Groups

Prior to your child’s session at Camp, you will be invited to join an optional session-specific Facebook group. Joining this group will allow you to directly engage with other Tawonga parents. These groups are intended to build community and help parents connect with one another. Tawonga will not be posting photos during the session to these groups. 

Tawonga Social Media

Follow us to stay connected, particularly in the off-season for Down the Mountain programs and other updates! 

Facebook: facebook.com/Camptawonga

Instagram: @camp_tawonga

Questions?
Questions about our summer content can be directed to Casey Cohen, Senior Director, Communications at casey@tawonga.org. We welcome your feedback and ideas, and always appreciate hearing your Tawonga stories!