What Is the Family Group System?
At Camp Tekoa, every camper is placed into a carefully organized unit of campers paired with dedicated Family Group Leaders (FGLs) who guide them through each day of the camp experience.
For elementary and middle school overnight camps, a typical family group consists of up to 7 boys and 7 girls with both a male and female counselor. These groups are organized by camper age and, when possible, honor cabinmate requests so children feel comfortable from the start. Day Camp family groups typically include 12–14 campers, depending on age, with 2 counselors.
What makes the system so effective is its intentional consistency. Family groups eat meals together, participate in activities together, and share experiences from sunrise to campfire. While campers are housed separately by gender in bunk-style cabins, the family group unit stays intact throughout the week. This structure ensures that no camper falls through the cracks and that every child has a counselor who knows their name, understands their personality, and is invested in their growth.
Small Groups Improve Youth Development
Research consistently demonstrates that small-group settings are where the most meaningful youth development occurs. The American Camp Association's National Camp Impact Study, a longitudinal study conducted between 2017 and 2022, found that high-quality camp experiences promote outcomes like independence, social awareness, and perseverance. The study identified supportive youth-staff relationships as one of the primary drivers behind these outcomes, alongside belonging, engagement, and experiential learning.
Camp Tekoa's family group model aligns directly with these findings. By keeping groups small and maintaining consistent counselor pairings throughout the week, the system creates exactly the kind of relational depth that research shows leads to lasting developmental gains.
The Effective Camp Research Project from Sacred Playgrounds reinforces this even further, identifying five fundamental characteristics of impactful Christian summer camp experiences: safe, participatory, relational, unplugged from home, and faith-centered. Their research found that the relational dimension is one of the strongest predictors of lasting positive change in campers, including improved social competency and increased self-confidence.
The Role of Family Group Leaders as Mentors
At the heart of the family group system are the Family Group Leaders themselves. These counselors make up the majority of Camp Tekoa's summer staff, and they are far more than activity supervisors. They are mentors who live alongside their campers, share in their daily challenges, and model the kind of character and faith that Camp Tekoa is built upon.
FGLs live in the cabins with their assigned campers. They lead Bible studies and devotions, facilitate group activities, manage the daily rhythm of camp life, and serve as the first point of contact when a camper is homesick, scared, or simply needs someone to talk to. It's an immersive role that demands maturity, empathy, and a genuine love for working with young people.
What Camp Tekoa Looks for in Its Counselors
Camp Tekoa's hiring process is thorough and intentional. Every FGL must complete an online application, provide three personal references, pass a personal interview, and clear a national background check. But beyond logistics, the camp looks for specific personal qualities:
- A passion for the camp's Christian mission
- Evidence of enjoying interaction with children
- Strong listening skills
- The ability to think quickly under pressure
- Good character and a positive attitude
- A willingness to laugh, cry, and learn alongside campers
These qualities aren't nice-to-haves; they're the foundation of the camp mentorship experience. Research published in the Journal of Community Psychology confirms that the quality of mentor-mentee interactions is one of the most important factors in determining whether mentoring programs produce meaningful outcomes (Luo et al., 2023). Camp Tekoa's selective hiring process ensures that every FGL who enters a cabin is equipped to be the kind of mentor who makes a real difference.
How Training Prepares Counselors for Mentorship
Hiring the right people is only the first step. All senior staff at Camp Tekoa are required to complete a comprehensive two-week training course before the summer season begins. This training is designed not only to teach practical skills but also to build the kind of staff community that fuels effective mentorship all summer long.
The training covers six core areas:
- Program and activity facilitation
- Camper education, including behavior management and parent relations
- Camp policies and procedures
- Worship and devotions
- Staff fellowship and relationship building
- Specialized certifications such as CPR, First Aid, and lifeguard training
Camp Tekoa recognizes that staff rely on each other throughout the summer as sources of encouragement and support, which is why training deliberately prioritizes fellowship and relationship building among counselors. A supported counselor is a more effective mentor, and Camp Tekoa invests heavily in making sure that support structure is strong from day one.
The Pipeline: From Camper to Mentor
One of the most remarkable aspects of Camp Tekoa's mentorship model is how it creates a natural pipeline from camper to counselor. Many of the young adults who serve as Family Group Leaders were once campers themselves, and the camp has built deliberate pathways to help them grow into mentorship roles over time.
Leaders in Training (LIT) Program
The journey often begins with the Leaders in Training program, open to rising high school seniors who are at least 16 years old. The LIT program is entirely experiential — learning by doing, experiencing, and living it out. LITs complete one week of dedicated training and then choose between one and seven serving weeks throughout the summer.
During their serving weeks, LITs rotate through different roles including day camp support, serving as a third leader in a family group, facilitating interest groups, and assisting Adventure Resources on off-site trips. This variety gives them hands-on experience across the full spectrum of camp life while being mentored by senior staff.
The LIT program is free for participants and is designed as a volunteer professional development opportunity. It is not a paid position, but it directly prepares participants for paid staff roles at Camp Tekoa the following summer. The service hours earned often help these individuals in other areas, and many LITs go on to become leaders in their home youth groups, churches, schools, and scout organizations as well — evidence that the mentorship they receive at Tekoa extends far beyond camp property.
Family Group Leaders (FGLs)
The next step up is the Family Group Leader role, open to recent high school graduates who are at least 17 years old. FGLs are often described as the backbone of Camp Tekoa's staff because they fill multiple roles throughout the summer, from support positions to serving as Family Group Leaders.
The FGL experience is designed to give these young adults the chance to earn real certifications, gain leadership experience with elementary and middle school campers, and grow in their Christian faith within a community of highly trained senior staff. It bridges the gap between the volunteer LIT experience and other staff responsibilities, creating a natural and supportive progression into deeper camp mentorship.
How the Family Group System Supports Every Type of Camper
Camp Tekoa's family group model isn't one-size-fits-all. It adapts to serve campers at every age and stage, from first-time half-week campers to seasoned adventure seekers. Even Camp Tekoa's day camp programs use the family group model, with groups of 12–14 campers paired with dedicated day camp FGLs who are led and mentored by a Day Camp Director and Assistant Director.
The consistency of this model across all program types means that every child who walks through Camp Tekoa's gates enters into a mentorship relationship, regardless of which camp they attend.
Making Camp Accessible to Every Family
Camp Tekoa believes that no child should miss out on the camp mentorship experience due to financial concerns. The camp donates 2% of all registrations directly to its scholarship fund, and partial scholarships are available through the Tekoa Scholarship Fund for families who need assistance. Families are encouraged to work with their local churches for additional financial support, and payment plans are available for those who register before April 1.
For families interested in learning more about financial assistance options, Camp Tekoa's registration office is ready to help find a path that works.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a family group at Camp Tekoa?
A family group is a small unit of campers organized by age and paired with dedicated male and female Family Group Leaders. These groups do everything together throughout the week — meals, activities, devotions, and cabin time — creating strong bonds between campers and their counselors.
How are Family Group Leaders trained?
All senior staff FGLs complete a two-week training course that covers program facilitation, camper management, camp policies, worship leadership, staff fellowship, and specialized certifications including CPR and First Aid. Some staff also receive lifeguard and ropes course facilitation training.
Can my child request a cabinmate?
Yes, Camp Tekoa honors one mutual cabinmate request per child. Both campers must be registered for the same camp and week, and each must list the other in their registration for the request to be honored.
What ages does the family group system serve?
The family group model is used across all of Camp Tekoa's programs, from Mini Camp (ages 7–9) through High School TKO (ages 14–17), as well as day camp programs.
Is Camp Tekoa accredited?
Yes, Camp Tekoa is accredited by the American Camp Association, meeting over 250 standards developed in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth-serving organizations.
A Community Built on Mentorship
At Camp Tekoa, the family group system is more than a scheduling tool or a way to organize cabins. It's the backbone of a mentorship culture that has been shaping young lives for decades. Every element of the system is designed to ensure that children grow, connect, and carry those relationships with them after the week is over.
As the Sacred Playgrounds research reminds us, the relational dimension of camp is one of the most powerful forces in faith formation and youth development. Camp Tekoa has built its entire program around that truth.
If you're ready to give your child the gift of meaningful camp mentorship, contact Camp Tekoa today to learn more about summer programs, schedule a visit, or begin the registration process. Spaces fill quickly, so early registration is encouraged.
