Ages 6-16 · Book 5, Empathy · 4,299 places
Camps and Retreat Centers
For operators who already have the site and the summer and need the week to be worth repeating.
Built on Ellis Abel and the Helping Hand — “What matters more than earning a Gold Star?” A character series, not a curriculum with a worldview attached.
The five sessions
- Session 1
Scope: age bands, group sizes, session length, leader experience
- Session 2
Materials: story, leader script, family take-home, printable pack
- Session 3
Train the team — one session, with the hard cases rehearsed
- Session 4
Run one term and capture what the children actually did
- Session 5
Review, adjust the pack, and set the next term
Questions leaders ask
Is camps and retreat centers in your area a religious program?
No. Ellis Abel is a character series. Each volume carries one named core value — this one is empathy — and the story does the teaching. There is no doctrine in it, nothing to opt out of, and it is used in public schools, libraries and secular programs as readily as anywhere else.
What ages does this work for?
Ages 6-16. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is fully in it, and the discussion prompts are written in two bands so one adult can hold a mixed-age room.
What does a your area licence include?
The volumes, the session material, leader scripts, family take-home pages, and the right to run it under your own program name. Terms are set per organisation and per size, so there is no single-price page.
Do we have to use your branding?
No. You keep your name, your leaders and your program. The books are the spine, not the sign over the door.
The rules that make it work
Helping has to cost something
Kindness that is free teaches nothing, and children over about eight already know it. The cost is named out loud in every session.
Notice first — it is an attention skill
Empathy gets taught as a feeling children are supposed to summon. It starts as noticing one specific person, which is trainable and testable.
Owning a mistake is the harder lesson
Helping a friend is easier than admitting you were the one who caused the problem. The book teaches both, and this is the one adults skip.
Do not announce it
The moment helping becomes a thing you are seen doing, it becomes a performance. The follow-up asks what changed for the other person, never how the helper felt.
Success is bigger than the award
The gold star is in the title for a reason. A room that only celebrates outcomes has already taught the lesson this book is arguing with.
Adults go first, with a real mistake
An adult naming something they got wrong, at a cost, changes a room faster than any activity in it.
Camps by metro area
Northeast
- Camps — New York, NY
- Camps — Philadelphia, PA
- Camps — Boston, MA
- Camps — Pittsburgh, PA
- Camps — Providence, RI
- Camps — Hartford, CT
- Camps — Buffalo, NY
- Camps — Rochester, NY
- Camps — Bridgeport, CT
- Camps — Albany, NY
- Camps — Worcester, MA
- Camps — Allentown, PA
- Camps — Poughkeepsie metro area, NY
- Camps — Syracuse, NY
- Camps — Harrisburg, PA
- Camps — New Haven, CT
- Camps — Portland, ME
- Camps — Scranton, PA
- Camps — Lancaster, PA
- Camps — York, PA
- Camps — Springfield, MA
- Camps — Waterbury, CT
- Camps — Reading, PA
- Camps — Manchester, NH
- Camps — Trenton, NJ
- Camps — Atlantic City, NJ
- Camps — Utica, NY
- Camps — Norwich, CT
- Camps — Erie, PA
- Camps — Binghamton, NY
- Camps — Barnstable, MA
- Camps — Burlington, VT
- Camps — Kingston, NY
- Camps — Amherst, MA
- Camps — Chambersburg, PA
- Camps — Bangor, ME
- Camps — State College, PA
- Camps — Vineland, NJ
- Camps — Lebanon, PA
- Camps — Johnstown, PA
- Camps — Pittsfield, MA
- Camps — Glens Falls, NY
- Camps — Altoona, PA
- Camps — Lewiston, ME
- Camps — Williamsport, PA
- Camps — Watertown, NY
- Camps — Gettysburg, PA
- Camps — Ithaca, NY
- Camps — Elmira, NY
Midwest
- Camps — Chicago, IL
- Camps — Detroit, MI
- Camps — Minneapolis, MN
- Camps — St. Louis, MO
- Camps — Cincinnati, OH
- Camps — Kansas City, MO
- Camps — Columbus, OH
- Camps — Indianapolis, IN
- Camps — Cleveland, OH
- Camps — Milwaukee, WI
- Camps — Grand Rapids, MI
- Camps — Omaha, NE
- Camps — Dayton, OH
- Camps — Des Moines, IA
- Camps — Madison, WI
- Camps — Akron, OH
- Camps — Wichita, KS
- Camps — Toledo, OH
- Camps — Springfield, MO
- Camps — Lansing, MI
- Camps — Fort Wayne, IN
- Camps — Youngstown, OH
- Camps — Flint, MI
- Camps — Canton, OH
- Camps — Davenport, IA
- Camps — Ann Arbor, MI
- Camps — Peoria, IL
- Camps — Lincoln, NE
- Camps — Rockford, IL
- Camps — Green Bay, WI
- Camps — South Bend, IN
- Camps — Sioux Falls, SD
- Camps — Duluth, MN
- Camps — Cedar Rapids, IA
- Camps — Evansville, IN
- Camps — Fargo, ND
- Camps — Kalamazoo, MI
- Camps — Appleton, WI
- Camps — Champaign, IL
- Camps — Topeka, KS
- Camps — Rochester, MN
- Camps — Lafayette, IN
- Camps — Columbia, MO
- Camps — Joplin, MO
- Camps — Elkhart, IN
- Camps — Springfield, IL
- Camps — St. Cloud, MN
- Camps — Racine, WI
- Camps — Saginaw, MI
- Camps — Iowa City, IA
- Camps — Muskegon, MI
- Camps — Eau Claire, WI
- Camps — Oshkosh, WI
- Camps — Bloomington, IL
- Camps — La Crosse, WI
- Camps — Terre Haute, IN
- Camps — Waterloo, IA
- Camps — Kenosha, WI
- Camps — Janesville, WI
- Camps — Bloomington, IN
- Camps — Jackson, MI
- Camps — Traverse City, MI
- Camps — Rapid City, SD
- Camps — Monroe, MI
- Camps — Jefferson City, MO
- Camps — Niles, MI
- Camps — Sioux City, IA
- Camps — Bismarck, ND
- Camps — Wausau, WI
- Camps — Manhattan, KS
- Camps — Springfield, OH
- Camps — Battle Creek, MI
- Camps — Ames, IA
- Camps — Mansfield, OH
- Camps — Lawrence, KS
- Camps — St. Joseph, MO
- Camps — Sheboygan, WI
- Camps — Muncie, IN
- Camps — Sandusky, OH
- Camps — Michigan City, IN
- Camps — Kankakee, IL
- Camps — Grand Forks, ND
- Camps — Mankato, MN
- Camps — Fond du Lac, WI
- Camps — Bay City, MI
- Camps — Lima, OH
- Camps — Dubuque, IA
- Camps — Decatur, IL
- Camps — Cape Girardeau, MO
- Camps — Columbus, IN
- Camps — Kokomo, IN
- Camps — Midland, MI
- Camps — Grand Island, NE
- Camps — Minot, ND
South
- Camps — Dallas, TX
- Camps — Houston, TX
- Camps — Atlanta, GA
- Camps — Washington, DC
- Camps — Miami, FL
- Camps — Tampa, FL
- Camps — Orlando, FL
- Camps — Charlotte, NC
- Camps — Baltimore, MD
- Camps — San Antonio, TX
- Camps — Austin, TX
- Camps — Nashville, TN
- Camps — Virginia Beach, VA
- Camps — Jacksonville, FL
- Camps — Raleigh, NC
- Camps — Oklahoma City, OK
- Camps — Louisville, KY
- Camps — Richmond, VA
- Camps — Memphis, TN
- Camps — Birmingham, AL
- Camps — Tulsa, OK
- Camps — Greenville, SC
- Camps — New Orleans, LA
- Camps — Knoxville, TN
- Camps — Sarasota metro area, FL
- Camps — McAllen, TX
- Camps — Charleston, SC
- Camps — Baton Rouge, LA
- Camps — El Paso, TX
- Camps — Columbia, SC
- Camps — Cape Coral, FL
- Camps — Lakeland, FL
- Camps — Greensboro, NC
- Camps — Little Rock, AR
- Camps — Deltona, FL
- Camps — Winston-Salem, NC
- Camps — Palm Bay, FL
- Camps — Augusta, GA
- Camps — Durham, NC
- Camps — Fayetteville, AR
- Camps — Jackson, MS
- Camps — Chattanooga, TN
- Camps — Port St. Lucie, FL
- Camps — Huntsville, AL
- Camps — Pensacola, FL
- Camps — Lexington, KY
- Camps — Killeen, TX
- Camps — Wilmington, NC
- Camps — Corpus Christi, TX
- Camps — Ocala, FL
- Camps — Savannah, GA
- Camps — Brownsville, TX
- Camps — Gulfport, MS
- Camps — Myrtle Beach, SC
- Camps — Lafayette, LA
- Camps — Asheville, NC
- Camps — Naples, FL
- Camps — Mobile, AL
- Camps — Spartanburg, SC
- Camps — Beaumont, TX
- Camps — Tallahassee, FL
- Camps — Fayetteville, NC
- Camps — Montgomery, AL
- Camps — Shreveport, LA
- Camps — Hickory, NC
- Camps — Lubbock, TX
- Camps — Huntington, WV
- Camps — Gainesville, FL
- Camps — Clarksville, TN
- Camps — Columbus, GA
- Camps — Roanoke, VA
- Camps — Hagerstown, MD
- Camps — Fort Walton Beach metro area, FL
- Camps — Kingsport, TN
- Camps — Waco, TX
- Camps — Longview, TX
- Camps — College Station, TX
- Camps — Tuscaloosa, AL
- Camps — Laredo, TX
- Camps — Slidell, LA
- Camps — Amarillo, TX
- Camps — Lynchburg, VA
- Camps — Daphne, AL
- Camps — Tyler, TX
- Camps — Lake Charles, LA
- Camps — Hilton Head Island, SC
- Camps — Macon, GA
- Camps — Fort Smith, AR
- Camps — Panama City, FL
- Camps — Charlottesville, VA
- Camps — Gainesville, GA
- Camps — Athens, GA
- Camps — Monroe, LA
- Camps — Punta Gorda, FL
- Camps — Jacksonville, NC
- Camps — Johnson City, TN
- Camps — Lexington Park, MD
- Camps — Warner Robins, GA
- Camps — Auburn, AL
- Camps — Florence, SC
- Camps — Charleston, WV
- Camps — Houma, LA
- Camps — Bowling Green, KY
- Camps — Dover, DE
- Camps — Midland, TX
- Camps — Burlington, NC
- Camps — Abilene, TX
- Camps — Jackson, TN
- Camps — Greenville, NC
- Camps — Blacksburg, VA
- Camps — Odessa, TX
- Camps — Vero Beach metro area, FL
- Camps — Homosassa Springs, FL
- Camps — Decatur, AL
- Camps — Hattiesburg, MS
- Camps — The Villages metro area, FL
- Camps — Florence, AL
- Camps — Dothan, AL
- Camps — Sherman, TX
- Camps — Valdosta, GA
- Camps — Winchester, VA
- Camps — Wichita Falls, TX
- Camps — Rocky Mount, NC
- Camps — Alexandria, LA
- Camps — Dalton, GA
- Camps — Texarkana, TX
- Camps — Albany, GA
- Camps — Morgantown, WV
- Camps — Hammond, LA
- Camps — Harrisonburg, VA
- Camps — Jonesboro, AR
- Camps — Wheeling, WV
- Camps — Cleveland, TN
- Camps — Salisbury, MD
- Camps — Staunton, VA
- Camps — Morristown, TN
- Camps — Elizabethtown, KY
- Camps — Lawton, OK
- Camps — Goldsboro, NC
- Camps — San Angelo, TX
- Camps — Brunswick, GA
- Camps — Anniston, AL
- Camps — Owensboro, KY
- Camps — Steubenville, WV
- Camps — Sebring, FL
- Camps — Pinehurst, NC
- Camps — Beckley, WV
- Camps — Sumter, SC
- Camps — Gadsden, AL
- Camps — Paducah, KY
- Camps — Rome, GA
- Camps — Victoria, TX
- Camps — Hot Springs, AR
- Camps — Hinesville, GA
- Camps — Parkersburg, WV
- Camps — Enid, OK
- Camps — Eagle Pass, TX
West
- Camps — Los Angeles, CA
- Camps — Phoenix, AZ
- Camps — Riverside, CA
- Camps — San Francisco, CA
- Camps — Seattle, WA
- Camps — San Diego, CA
- Camps — Denver, CO
- Camps — Portland, OR
- Camps — Sacramento, CA
- Camps — Las Vegas, NV
- Camps — San Jose, CA
- Camps — Salt Lake City, UT
- Camps — Fresno, CA
- Camps — Tucson, AZ
- Camps — Honolulu, HI
- Camps — Bakersfield, CA
- Camps — Albuquerque, NM
- Camps — Boise, ID
- Camps — Oxnard, CA
- Camps — Stockton, CA
- Camps — Colorado Springs, CO
- Camps — Provo, UT
- Camps — Ogden, UT
- Camps — Spokane, WA
- Camps — Reno, NV
- Camps — Modesto, CA
- Camps — Santa Rosa, CA
- Camps — Visalia, CA
- Camps — Vallejo, CA
- Camps — Salem, OR
- Camps — Santa Maria, CA
- Camps — Salinas, CA
- Camps — Anchorage, AK
- Camps — Eugene, OR
- Camps — Greeley, CO
- Camps — Fort Collins, CO
- Camps — Boulder, CO
- Camps — Kennewick, WA
- Camps — Olympia, WA
- Camps — Merced, CA
- Camps — Bremerton, WA
- Camps — San Luis Obispo, CA
- Camps — Bend, OR
- Camps — Yakima, WA
- Camps — Santa Cruz, CA
- Camps — Prescott metro area, AZ
- Camps — Bellingham, WA
- Camps — Las Cruces, NM
- Camps — Lake Havasu City, AZ
- Camps — Yuma, AZ
- Camps — Medford, OR
- Camps — St. George, UT
- Camps — Chico, CA
- Camps — Billings, MT
- Camps — Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Camps — Yuba City, CA
- Camps — Redding, CA
- Camps — El Centro, CA
- Camps — Idaho Falls, ID
- Camps — Pueblo, CO
- Camps — Grand Junction, CO
- Camps — Logan, UT
- Camps — Maui, HI
- Camps — Santa Fe, NM
- Camps — Hanford, CA
- Camps — Flagstaff, AZ
- Camps — Mount Vernon, WA
- Camps — Napa, CA
- Camps — Albany, OR
- Camps — Bozeman, MT
- Camps — Missoula, MT
- Camps — Wenatchee, WA
- Camps — Sierra Vista, AZ
- Camps — Twin Falls, ID
- Camps — Farmington, NM
- Camps — Longview, WA
- Camps — Cheyenne, WY
- Camps — Corvallis, OR
- Camps — Helena, MT
- Camps — Fairbanks, AK
- Camps — Pocatello, ID
- Camps — Grants Pass, OR
- Camps — Great Falls, MT
- Camps — Casper, WY
- Camps — Lewiston, ID
- Camps — Walla Walla, WA
- Camps — Carson City, NV
Cities and all 3,143 US counties are covered too — every place page is live. The campaign sitemap lists every one.
