Florida camp fairs held in Boca Raton, Naples, Palm Beach, and Miami provided a wealth of information about teen summer programs and summer camps available this summer.

Tips on Trips and Camps’ Florida Camp Fairs brought over 250 prospective campers and their families together with summer program representatives and camp directors in Naples, Boca Raton, Palm Beach, and Miami. Traditional overnight camps from North Carolina to Maine were represented, as well as summer programs for teens and high school students who were looking for an exciting and adventurous summer.

“There was a myriad selection of sleepaway camps and summer programs represented,” says Lisa Mullen, the Florida Advisor for Tips on Trips and Camps. “Our summer camp fairs are a great way for families to look around and get a feel for what the options are, and what would best suit their child or teen. Not only do parents and campers see a wide range of summer program choices, but they get to speak directly with program representatives and camp directors. This provides families with an assurance level that many parents need before making a decision on a summer program.” A major advantage of Tips on Trips and Camps’ Summer Opportunities Fair is the decidedly personal touch provided by dedicated camp consultants like Lisa. Tips’ camp referral consultants are eager to speak with families, and to really listen to their needs in order to match them up with suitable summer programs. If a specific program that would fit their needs is not represented at the fair, Tips’ camp consultants will follow up and send them information on other options once the fair is over.

Lisa Mullen
Mom and former Teacher, Camp Director, and Camper
Florida Advisor for Tips On trips and Camps
1-866-222-TIPS

Los Angeles summer camp fair provided valuable details for parents on summer programs in California and across the country, with a personal touch.

Despite torrential downpour and the Super Bowl only a few hours away, the Tips on Trips and Camps’ Los Angeles camp fair was a huge success.

Over 250 prospective campers and their families came through the doors at Marymount High School on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Many California summer camps were represented, as well as many camps from back east. Summer programs for teens and high school students who were looking for an adventurous summer were abundant.

“There was a great selection of sleepaway camps and teen summer programs represented,” says Jill Levin, the Los Angeles Tips on Trips and Camps Consultant.

“Our camp fairs are a great way for families to look around and get a feel for what’s out there. Not only are they exposed to a wide range of summer program choices, but they get to talk with representatives or directors of the camps and programs they’re interested in. This provides a certain comfort level that many families need before making a decision on a summer program for their child or teen.”

One advantage of a Tips on Trips and Camps Summer Opportunities Fair is the personal touch that is available. Tips’ camp referral consultants are available to talk to families, listen to their needs, and direct them to suitable summer programs.

If a specific camp or summer program that would fit their needs is not represented at the fair, the Tips’ camp referral consultants will make a note to follow up with the client and send them information on other options once the fair is over. Tips on Trips and Camps’ summer camp fair is an event that doesn’t take much time out of your day, and is time well invested.

Tips on Trips and Camps
Jill Levin, California Camp Consultant
310-202-8448

Tips on Trips and Camps recently held its Annual Meeting in Baltimore to begin its 35th season. For three days Tips’ consultants from all over the US reviewed last summer and discussed plans for the summer 2006 recruiting season. Many topics were covered including insights from site visits made to over 75 different camps and teen experiences. Consultants traveled from Napa, CA to the North Woods of Wisconsin to northern Maine and Canada visiting and evaluating many premier programs in session. The visits provide an opportunity for Tips on Trips and Camps to broaden the offerings to reflect the varied interests of clients. The highlight of the three day meeting was an evening presentation by the original owners of Tips on Trips and Camps who shared memories of the early days of the industry. Eve Eifler, Co-Director, said, “This meeting is vital to the strength of our organization. It’s an opportunity for the consultants to focus on increasing program knowledge, enhancing consulting skills and discussions about industry challenges. This year was particularly interesting for the consultants as they were able to learn about the evolution of referral services over the last 35 years and the increasingly valuable role they play in the camping industry.”

Washington, DC – The teen summer program industry has become much more competitive over the past 15 years, says Tips on Trips and Camps, a free advisory service. Programs have begun to differentiate themselves by offering special programs for “tweens”, community service camp options, career-oriented internships, academic study programs, language programs combined with other interests, and gap year programming.

“These new offerings are a result of teen program directors trying to cater to both parents’ wishes and teens interests,” says Carey Rivers, Co-Director, Tips on Trips and Camps (www.tipsontripsandcamps.com) in Washington, DC.

Summer schedules have to be planned around summer school, sports commitments, and family vacations. To adapt, teen programs are developing shorter programs that can accommodate the schedules of busy teens.  They are also attempting to offer more “bang for the buck” by developing programs that incorporate many interests, such as language programs, community service, and adventure travel.

“Today your teen could choose one program in which he or she could combine multiple activities, like learning Spanish while in a community service program in Costa Rica,” says Ms. Rivers.

Tips on Trips and Camps offers these trends and unique programs for summer 2008 to help you and your child think outside the box:

Options for “Tweens” – Because teen program directors have realized that middle school age kids are looking for new and exciting programs, these “tweeners” have a world of options open to them now.  Now there are language programs for Chinese, Japanese and Arabic, marine science sailing programs in the British Virgin Islands and adventure travel programs, all customized by maturity level and educational experience.

Community Service – To teach our children the value of “giving back,” and completing high school community service requirements, your child can assist in the construction of new classrooms in India, work with orphans in Russia, on hurricane reconstruction on the Gulf Coast or teach tennis to underprivileged kids in urban areas.

Internships – If your child has a specific career interest and wants to gain experience in that field, he or she can work side by side with professionals in areas like Archaeology, Fashion Design, Medical Research and Strategic Studies. They can even sit at home and read this gamsat in 2019 guide and also about many other exams thus preparing themselves for it in hand. Career internships on college campuses are available in England, and in large U.S. cities, like New York City, Boston and Philadelphia. After their daily “work,” students can participate in evening activities, weekend excursions, and college visits for the participants.

Language programs – Though learning a foreign language is not a new concept, combining it with other interests is a new phenomenon. Many language programs abroad incorporate a home stay, where a student is matched with a family, which enriches the student’s experience through cultural exchange and community service. Teens can study painting, photography or cooking while learning Italian or study architecture in Switzerland while learning French. Your teen can also dabble in rare languages, like Arabic, Modern Greek, or Swedish right here in the U.S.

More Exotic & Intensive Teen Travel – Now a child can live with a host family in a rural village, hike to ancient ruins, and help build a school for kids — all in a 4-week trip.  With the trend toward the more exotic, you can find teen programs that travel to Senegal, Bolivia or Cambodia. While these programs used to be about visiting busy tourist attractions, some have morphed into mini think tanks, undertaking the study of global issues, such as health care and global health care issues in Ghana, or community development in El Salvador, or biodiversity in Madagascar.

College Campus Academic Study Programs – Academic programs are much in demand because they give high school students a taste of what it’s like to live on a college campus. In addition to academic study, programs offer SAT Prep, college tours, leadership programs, a range of sports programs, visits to local attractions as well as weekend excursions to nearby cities. Course studies range from architecture to advertising, economics to environmental science.

Gap Year Programming – The United States is one of the few countries in which kids follow a traditional path from high school to college to graduate school to profession.

American students are mirroring the desire of their foreign counterparts and taking some time off between high school and college. They now even have a name for it – “the Odyssey.” Your graduate can sail around the world, live with a family in a rural village in Kenya, help teach in the village secondary school, offer extracurricular activities and initiate and participate in community service projects.

For more information on the different options and new choices available for teen summer programs, contact Tips on Trips and Camps.

About Tips on Trips and Camps
Tips on Trips and Camps (www.tipsontripsandcamps.com) is free  summer camp advisory service founded in 1971 with offices in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York City, St. Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, Princeton, Westchester, Connecticut, Los Angeles, South Florida and Paris, Barcelona and Brussels.
Call–866-222-TIPS (8477) for more info.

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At a time when most companies are down-sizing, camp advisory service Tips on Trips and Camps, Inc. continues to expand. What’s their secret?

“Of the hundreds of placements we made to camps and teen programs, 96% of families rate our matches as EXCELLENT or GOOD! And, less than 1% of our clients had any complaints whatsoever.  I think that’s a pretty good track record,” says co-owner, Eve Eifler of Baltimore.

Co-owner Carey Rivers of Washington, D.C. says, “In the last two years, we have added 6 new consultants and expanded our reach into Chicago, Dallas, Hartford, Boston, and Barcelona, Spain. We are proud of the service we provide to families all over the United States and abroad.”

Tips on Trips and Camps, Inc. (“Tips”) was started by two moms in Baltimore in 1971 who wanted a better way to research camps and teen programs for their own children. Today, Tips serves families throughout the United States and abroad via the internet and maintains area offices in: Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York City and Westchester County, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Southern Florida, Connecticut, St. Louis, Chicago, Dallas, New Jersey, Paris (France) and Barcelona (Spain).

Parents call one of their local Tips consultants or register on the Tips website www.TipsonTripsandCamps.com and get instant, FREE access to hundreds of carefully screened and selected camps and teen programs. Rivers said, “We provide clients with the information they need to make an educated decision on summer programs for their child – from questions for directors, to references to call, to on-site visit reports. We are better than Google!”

With all this success, however, Tips on Trips is a relatively unknown resource to many parents. Eifler agrees, “We are not a big budget operation, but our service is invaluable to the parents who know to use it. Our business is mainly word-of-mouth and we keep our clients happy!”

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Families using the Tips on Trips free camp referral service gain broad exposure to the variety of summer opportunities available. Tips on Trips provides personal consultations by phone to determine the needs of the family and then provide them with videos and brochures by mail. Tips on Trips can help the family compare summer programs, give references and, ultimately, find the program that suits each child. We guide a family through the selection process from beginning to end with follow-up evaluations on all summer experiences.

Mullen said, “Parents often make the mistake of choosing a program for their child based solely upon where their friend’s child is going. Unfortunately, that choice may not be the best fit for their child.” Why? One of the beauties of summer camp can be the chance for your child to step outside familiar paths and familiar roles, to broaden their experience of the world.

Lisa and her fellow camp advisors evaluate residential summer programs through interviews with camp directors, personal visits to programs in the summer, and feedback from recent participants. A telephone conversation with a knowledgeable camp advisor affords a breadth and depth of knowledge from first hand observations.

Tips on Trips is one of the oldest and largest, quality camp & summer program referral agencies in the country offering phone consultations and camp fairs world-wide, and all their camp advisory services are free to families.

Tips on Trips and Camps’ Florida Consultant, Lisa Mullen can be reached at (561) 279-1333 or e-mail protected from spam bots. Lisa would be more than happy to volunteer to be a source for any article regarding choosing a summer camp, how to assess if your child is ready for overnight camp, and the benefits of overnight camps and summer opportunities for teens.

Tips on Trips and Camps
Lisa Mullen
1-866-222-8477