Ken Glotzer, ACA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Twenty-eight years ago I was lucky to meet a gentleman who had the foresight, knowledge and ability to pick up the pieces of the camp industry devastated by the sexual abuse allegations of the 1980s. He envisioned a strategic partnership between the insurance and camp industries, working together to insure the well-being of all campers. I have been with Henry Skier ever since. The addition of Norm Friedman to the AMSkier team only cemented this partnership with a unique individual capable of providing incredible insight, experience and judgement that, in my opinion, is second only to Obi-Wan Kenobi of Star Wars fame!
Having this strategic relationship allowed Day Camp In The Park (DCITP) to concentrate on what we love and do best – create programs, develop communities with the emphasis on safety, have fun, make friendships and develop harmonious communities for children to learn and grow.
I created DCITP in 1979, after directing two very successful camps, Ramaquois and the RCC Sports Academy and finishing my master’s degree in school administration/supervision). I was then introduced to an incredibly talented, creative individual named Dr. Jay Sexter. With Henry on one side and Dr. Sexter on the other side providing the business acumen, we embarked on creating programs that benefited thousands of children and young adults.
The first series of programs we developed independent of our regular camp was the global camp program. For nine years we trained and incorporated Korean, Japanese and Chinese children and young adults into our camp community. They learned English in our camp immersion program and were acculturated to America; we helped them get into American this global camp program.
In 1992 and 1993, we worked with the ACA to create what was later called the Break Away Program for New York City, addressing the lack of comprehensive learning programs during the summer for inner city children and the impact on reading and math scores. We created a program where thousands of children learned math and reading skills through hiking, sports and play. For example, if the children went on a hike they had to write an essay on all of the potential life forms they saw on trees (termites, ants, moss, mushrooms, etc.). The program was featured on CNN and ABC, and almost became a national model in creating a camp/summer school.
Later, I retired from the Clarkstown schools after 31 years, and embarked on another journey with Henry’s vision and Jay’s help. We collaborated with Touro University to create the first fully accredited online/hybrid master’s camp degree program in camp administration and supervision. As a result, hundreds of young adults have received their master’s degree in camp administration. Also, with the encouragement of Norm Friedman, I wrote a book extolling the virtues of camp, “There is No Place Like Camp.”
For 44 years, I have dedicated my life to the camp profession. With people like Henry on your side, it is not difficult to be successful.
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