Most people agree that boys and girls develop differently. In general girls develop language more quickly while a boy’s develop in their visual/spatial abilities. Other studies show that boys focus when under stress while girls tend to take less risk in stressful situations. So it is no surprise that children consistently perform better in single-gender schools. Settings focused on their particular strengths are simply going to be more effective.
Camp, however, is different. We are not making our campers better students (though I suspect they are), we are making them happier, more adventurous people. Our strength is that camp is both an intensely social (we live together!) and a low stress setting. The result is a place where it is safe to try new things. It is a place where the boys live together in their cabins as families, and like a family, it is a place where they can cheer for each others’ success and encourage each other when they fail. This is why boys who attend single-gender camps are more likely to develop a healthy sense of adventure, make life-long friends and return year after year.
Adam Boyd
Merri-Mac Director
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