Wellness Camp Comparison

Camp Pocono Trails is the leading wellness camp offering a specialized focus on fitness, wellness, managing online activity, good eating habits & nutrition, sports skills, self-esteem, and more.

Is the behavior change program proven?

CAMP POCONO TRAILS: YES

Our reviews speak volumes about our weight loss, wellness, and behavior change summer camp. Please see our testimonials & transformations, and check out this camper spotlight.

Summer Camp Management

Tony and Dale Sparber have dedicated their lives to Camp Pocono Trails since 1992 and live right on the camp grounds during the summer. For three decades, the Sparbers have helped countless adolescents, teens, and young adults achieve long-term weight control and permanent behavioral change.

Under their direction, licensed counselors, nurses, nutritionists, social workers, personal trainers and more utilize a multidisciplinary approach to wellness. Each team member, from a psychologist down to former campers that now work as counselors have their role to pay in transforming our participant’s lives.

Proven Results

Our results are proven every summer at Camp Pocono Trails. We have yet to have a camper complete a session without being successful. Some success we see is no less than astounding.

Our results are different than fad diets or self-help wellness programs. Pseudo-science produces temporary results at best. The path to long term change always comes down to the following:

  • Create opportunities for success in a structured environment.
  • Reinforce to the participant they are in control using their current success as proof.
  • Address “self-talk” or negative thinking patterns that have been prohibiting success.
  • Create an environment of support and unconditional acceptance.
  • Develop a long-term plan for success.
  • Generalization: Transfer feelings of accomplishment on to other things to keep the participant moving forward.

Internet habit reversal

In our technology habit change program, our effectiveness is measured by the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ). Parents report a range of improved behaviors from decreased anxiety, decreased loneliness, and improvement in communication skills.

Is the camp atmosphere positive and supportive?

CAMP POCONO TRAILS: YES

Camp Pocono Trails is unique in that every camper comes here to change their lives for the better. Some are focused on weight management, while others want to gain sports skills or wellness skills. Others want to work on habits so they can be successful in college, while some campers just want to feel better.

There is no judgement here at camp. Everyone is accepted for who they are and making friends is easy. At camp we like to say, “There are no strangers here- just friends you have not yet met.”

Amazing Camp Activities

Camp Pocono Trails offers an amazing selection of over 100 on-site activities — everything from zip lining to a climbing wall, boating to fishing, yoga to aerobics, golf to tennis, cooking classes, nutritional instruction and great workouts guided by inspiring instructors. All activities are on-site in a traditional camp setting designed for fun.

Take a moment to check out our page “101 Ways to Have Fun”. Our campers sleep in comfortable cabins (no bunk beds!), and our property features amenities like obstacle courses, aerobics studios, sports fields, tennis courts, two outdoor heated swimming pools and more.

Compare to The Cost of Doing Nothing

Compare for a moment the cost of enrolling your child or yourself at camp versus doing nothing. Many campers come here to get healthy or to manage sedentary behavior that impede with health and happiness.

Parents can quickly see how current behaviors can lead to depression, social isolation, lower career opportunities, lower social or marriage opportunities, and ultimately decreased health and happiness. Lower quality of life and shorter lifespan are correlated with many health issues.

Now consider the costs of camp. Apart from the financial costs of camp which are miniscule in comparison to long term costs associated with decreased health and happiness, sometimes parents are concerned with the participant’s immediate effect on self-esteem and their relationship with the child.

Are staff members qualified for health and fitness, self-esteem, or changing habits?

CAMP POCONO TRAILS: YES

Our programs are managed – hands-on – by competent, respected professionals who specialize in child and teen wellness and have been with our camp for many years.

Camp Nutrition Classes

We have nutrition classes and cooking classes overseen by our on-site registered and licensed dietitian. In fact, most of our camp counselors have a background in nutrition or personal training.

Campers leave with a nutrition guide and practical skills to keep them on track upon the transition home, we discuss the plan for home from day one at camp. While any weight loss camp can produce immediate results, what sets Camp Pocono Trails apart is our ability to transfer these skills back home.

Safety at Summer Camp

We have 4-5 on-site registered nurses at all times. Campers are checked in by a qualified nurse who conduct a wellness check to ensure the safety of others. All medications are handled by our nurse team and you can rest assured if you child has any medical issues, they will be addressed by competent nursing staff.

Summer Camp Therapy Component

Our Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program and self-esteem programs are run by on-site licensed children’s guidance counselors and social workers. The other chains boast an MD, an RD, a Certified Chef, and a Therapist. Most often, these people are not at the camps.

Our staff includes a psychologist, mental health counselors, and social workers. Our program was designed by competent therapy staff and implemented by the best-of-the-best when it comes to therapists available.

Are you accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA)?

CAMP POCONO TRAILS: YES

In order to gain ACA accreditation, Camp Pocono Trails has met or exceeded expectations with more than 25 prerequisite health and safety standards, in addition to more than 40 other standards in 10 operational areas that prove our camp is a safe and wonderful place for our campers.

Accreditation Ensures Safety at Camp

ACA accreditation is the best evidence parents have of a camp’s commitment to a safe and nurturing environment for their children. This voluntary accreditation assures parents that camp practices have been measured against national standards and go a step beyond a state’s basic licensing requirements. To be accredited, the ACA sends accreditation officials to associated camps to ensure nursing, safety, food and health standards are met.

The “Good Housekeeping” Seal of Approval

One must ask, “If a camp is not accredited, what health or safety standard can they not meet?” There is only one major association for summer camps: The American Camp Association (ACA). For a summer camp to fail these requirements, one must ask why the camp is not able to meet minimum safety standards.

Accreditation is based on a commitment by the camp to best practices. Parents can (and should) verify the accreditation status of any camp at any time. This may be accomplished through ACA’s Web site at www.ACAcamps.org or by calling 1-800-428-CAMP.

Ready to Change Your Life?

Call 1-800-365-0556
now, or complete the form below and a camp representative will reach out to you ASAP. We look forward to hearing from you!