In July, 27 children and teens from across the nation convened for Camp Inquiry ‘08 where they embarked upon a week of exploration, imagination, and critical thinking. Sponsored annually by the Institute at the Center for Inquiry and located at the sprawling and picturesque Camp Seven Hills in Holland, NY, Camp Inquiry promotes the tenets of secular humanism through collaborative engagement in science, skepticism, and the creative arts.

The universal ethical principles of respect, integrity, and responsibility constitute Camp Inquiry’s philosophical foundation and undergird camp activities and curricula. To kick off the week, campers articulated and adopted these mutually-agreeable moral ideals when they collectively authored and signed their camp constitution. “We decided that we should show respect for ourselves, our fellow campers, camp counselors, the camp site, and others’ property,” they wrote, after a group discussion of their values.

On the first full day of camp, kids and counselors considered the intersection of scientific inquiry, imagination, and the narratives that chronicle our perceptions of the world. After examining journal entries of preeminent thinkers, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Charles Darwin, campers began creating and collecting artifacts of their own, which they compiled into “inquirer’s notebooks” at the week’s end. In one such activity, campers constructed working pinhole cameras using black-painted oatmeal containers, golf tees, and photo paper on which to capture and develop their own images of nature.

Between team sporting activities, water-balloon tosses, and shared meals in the rustic lodge, a number of special guests visited to facilitate an array of activities and interactive presentations. The week began with a focus on the elements of observation and the diversity of individual perspectives. Artist and educator Bruce Adams conducted a photographic art activity that focused kids’ imaginations on the pairing of evocative images and text, illustrating the power of our minds to make sense of the world and our place in it. Then, campers were treated to a talk by scientist Allison Hopper who delivered a graphically-rich presentation about spirals in nature. Adams and Hopper highlighted the human capacity for observation as the basis for scientific discovery, as well as an appreciation for the aesthetic splendor of the natural world.

Campers also dabbled in scientific discovery, prompting discussions about the value of science as a method for understanding the universe and improving the human condition on our planet. A visit from the Buffalo Astronomical Association, complete with high-powered telescopes and demonstrations by astrophotographer Alan Friedman, sparked wonder and amazement, as well as contemplation of the origins of the universe and how humanists construct meaning without reliance on religious narratives. Other scientific explorations at camp included a fossil dig, a live-animal presentation by Nickel City Reptiles, and a spectacular physics show with visiting scientist David Willey.

Camp Inquiry devoted a day to understanding skepticism, beginning with paranormal investigator Joe Nickell, who fascinated campers with an assortment of photos and stories of monsters, ghosts, aliens, mind reading, along with other pseudoscientific claims that he has examined throughout his career. Later, while the younger campers enjoyed the tales of storyteller Karima Amin, teens gathered in the pavilion for an open discussion of skepticism with D.J. Grothe, illusionist and host of Point of Inquiry. Campers examined the nature of skepticism as a kind of intellectual self-defense, as Grothe calls it, against the bombardment of specious claims in our society. To conclude the evening, Grothe performed a magic show that left campers and counselors transfixed. Eager to learn his slight-of-hand secrets, the audience paid close attention as Grothe revealed his method for making coins dramatically disappear and again materialize. Tricks that had seemed to onlookers as physical impossibilities were, by the conclusion of the demonstration, easily explainable by the basic principles of psychology and physics. Grothe and Nickell underlined the humanist notion that a healthy dose of skepticism should be applied to epistemological and ontological claims that conflict with natural laws; however, as both speakers demonstrated, the humanist is open to new ideas and evidence uncovered by disciplined inquiry.

Camp Inquiry integrates the elements of a memorable camp experience for kids—roasted marshmallows, pillow fights, and new friendships—with the tenets of secular humanism, including ethical choice-making, taking naturalistic approaches to garnering knowledge, tapping into our boundless imaginations, and applying science and reason to human quests and dilemmas. It’s a place for children to think, question, and grow.

External links

Camp Inquiry

How Camp Inquiry introduces kids to the principles of humanism by Dr. Angie McQuaig

Center for Inquiry website