The Summerland Program for Technology Habit Change

Look up from your screen and experience real adventure!

Whitewater rafting is available at the camp and selected adventure trips. Kayaking is available at all Summerland programs.

Summerland Camps are, by far, the most professionally managed, the most effective, and the longest-running video game, social media, and smartphone behavior change programs in the world. Our world-famous methodology has been featured in media outlets across the United States. We offer a summer camp, year-round adventure trips, and an online program for teens & young adults.

Summer Camp: Enroll 2 to 7 weeks at our summer camp in the Poconos. Campers receive bi-weekly screen habit change groups and weekly self-esteem groups in a supportive atmosphere on our 350-acre resort-like campus. The environment is always non-threatening and stress-free. Join us in the Poconos from late June to early August.

Mountain biking is available on all Summerland Adventure Trips.

Year-Round Adventure Trips: Our Florida and Georgia-based adventure trips occur during common school breaks including Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Break. Activities include surfing/bodyboarding, kayaking, snorkeling, mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, and gourmet campfire cuisine. This trip is so much more than a tech detox. With two behavior coaching sessions per day and an online parent workshop, participants leave with the skills necessary to manage screens. Join us for a life-changing adventure from late November to mid-June.

Online Behavior Coaching: With our online behavior coaching option, your teen or young adult can learn about self-regulation and screen management strategies in the privacy of your home. We have a range of individual and group session packages available with licensed male and female counselors now available.

We offer caring, supportive staff with decades of child development experience. Our focus is on the positive, utilizing the participant’s goals as inspiration to learn self-regulating strategies. No wonder the Summerland program attracts families from all over the world!

The Summerland Process:

Let’s have some unplugged fun!

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RECONNECTING YOUTH WITH NATURE, PEERS, AND THEMSELVES

– Process Overview –

We don’t think for a minute that changing habits should be unpleasant.  At Summerland, we take a positive approach.  We enjoy fitness, water sports, healthy eating, journaling and so much more.

At our camp program, participants will get an opportunity to experience a wide array of fun activities.  On our 350-acre spectacular lakefront campus, our program and facilities set the worldwide standard for behavior change camps.

Program creator Dr. Mike Bishop personally oversees the implementation of the technology habit change curriculum and supervises all therapeutic staff on site.

Whether at camp or on a Summerland Adventure Trip, everyone participates in Behavior Change Groups– where a specially trained counselor leads the group through a set curriculum on behavioral change.  Participants are led through insight-oriented activities where they count the costs of endless hours of screen time activities and imagine the benefits of investing their time in more productive pursuits.

Journaling at teen boot camp

Journaling is a life skill – not only for planning but tracking behaviors as well.

At Summerland Camps, we use behavioral change methodology developed by performance psychologists and utilized by professional athletes to shape behavior and improve performance.  Campers carry a Behavior Planning Journal and learn how to pre-plan their week to ensure their educational, social, and fitness goals are met.  We call this skill, “self-regulation.”

We stay focused on the positive during camp which is central to our beliefs.  Buy-in is so much easier if we focus on what the camper wants out of life- their goals and dreams.  We then talk about creating a plan to make those ambitions come true.  What behaviors would you need to complete on a daily basis to achieve your goals?

Conversely, what behaviors would you need to avoid to achieve those same goals?  All of this is quantified and planned in the Behavior Planning Journal.

Goal setting as a major goal at camp.

Goal setting is an important component of the Summerland program..

We take a positive approach at Summerland Camps.  Setting positive, attainable goals is part of our process.  We don’t see your child as “broken.”  We correct habits by focusing on the positive, and setting life goals keeps our campers enthusiastic, energized, and moving forward.

We help campers identify life goals in a supportive, positive atmosphere.  We also discuss how to handle falling off track, as this is to be expected from time to time.  We help campers develop a system for monitoring their daily activity to keep them on track and discuss strategies to not let digital media such as television, Youtube, video games, X-Box, social media or other distractions prevent their goal attainment.

Summerland Camps are unique in that we are the first summer behavior change camp for youth that focuses on the effects of digital media overuse in a positive and uplifting way.

For parents that need an intervention now, we offer an online option pre-camp. Your child will work with the same experienced behavior coaches that work each summer at camp. Using our proven methodology, we will assist your child to develop the self-regulation skills they need to police their own screen activity. We offer several convenient packages to suit the needs of most families.

The online option is also a great way to get your child comfortable and familiar with the Summerland staff before they enroll in camp. If your child is hesitant to enroll, we suggest starting with the online option to form a relationship with our team.

Your child will leave happy, healthy, and confident!

Develop Skills to Ensure Success

Video Game Addiction: The Time for Action is Now

As parents, it’s our job to guide our children to independence.  If your child’s ability to self-regulate their behaviors would prevent them from being successful in college or independent living, make an intervention now to correct their habits before it gets out of control.

Here are some questions to explore to see if now is the time for a reset opportunity::

  • Does your child sneak use of their device/video games and defy limits you set?
  • If left alone, would your child play online over doing their homework or other responsibilities?
  • Does your child miss out on socialization opportunities or outside play to engage in screen activity?
  • Has your child’s schoolwork or home responsibilities (keeping room clean, etc) fallen off due to screen activity?

Percent of day on smartphone

Science Daily reports female college students spend 62% of waking hours on smartphones (males 50%).

College students dropping out

Reuters reports only 46% of college students graduate, in part due to “not being prepared” or “inability to cope.”

Effect on Academics

Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine reports Gamers spend 34% less time on homework than non-Gamers.

Summerland Camps in the News:

Effective and Fun!

Our mission is to help adolescents, teens, and young adults learn how to live life in balance with technology so they can succeed in college and beyond.

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Rock Climbing (GA/TN Adventure Trip)
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Snorkeling & Beach Activities (FL Adventure Trip)
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Make Lasting Memories
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Whitewater Rafting (Camp & GA/TN Adventure Trip)
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Mountain Biking (Adventure Trips)
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Ziplines! (Camp & Selected Adventure Trips)
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Gourmet Campfire Cooking (Adventure Trips)
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Self-Regulation & Goal Setting Focus (All Programs)