Camp Education lives here
Camp Education International (CEI) is the first organization in the world to formally define, structure, and publish “Camp Education” as a distinct educational field.
For more than 150 years, camps have changed children’s lives — but the idea of camp as education has never been fully articulated, systematized, or organized in one place. Until now.
CEI exists to do exactly that.
CEI is the central home of Camp Education worldwide — where the concept is named, defined, organized, researched, taught, implemented, and continually refined. It is intended to be the most trusted, coherent, and accessible source of knowledge about Camp Education for practitioners, policymakers, educators, researchers, and leaders across the globe.
If you want to understand what Camp Education is, why it matters, how it works, and how to implement it well — this is where that knowledge lives.
Why this matters
Camp Education has long existed in practice, but not in theory. CEI is doing three things no one has ever done before:
1. Naming the field
We are establishing “Camp Education” as a clearly defined educational paradigm — not a pastime, not enrichment, and not simply recreation.
2. Authoring its foundation
Through the forthcoming publication Camp Education: Definition & Framework (v1.0), CEI is creating the first comprehensive intellectual framework for the field — its history, purpose, principles, challenges addressed, and outcomes achieved.
3. Building a system around it
Camp Education is not just an idea at CEI — it is an integrated system that includes:
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A CEI Method
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Clearly defined CEI Domains and Subdomains
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Documented CEI Experiences
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Intended Outcomes for children and communities
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A growing body of research and evidence
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Professional training and leadership development
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And emerging AI tools such as our proprietary CampGPT® to make Camp Education more accessible worldwide
Explore the Core of Camp Education
A brief explanation of the concept, its domains, and how it works in practice.
A quick glance at the case for why camp is essential education for children today.
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