Recently camp leaders from across the country gathered at Ferncliff, a Presbyterian camp and retreat center in Arkansas, for three days of training focused on helping camps respond to school violence. The training provided a unique opportunity for other camps to learn from Ferncliff’s experience in working with the survivors of school violence.
In March of 1998 two students from Westside Middle School near Jonesboro, Arkansas shot and killed a teacher, four of their classmates and injured ten others. In response to the shooting, Davis Gill, Executive Director at Ferncliff, wanted the camp to help the young people impacted by the tragedy. After months of making connections, building trust with students and parents and developing a program, Ferncliff held a special weeklong residential summer camp for 68 students from Westside Middle School.
The camp proved to be powerful in the helping the healing process for the survivors of the Westside shooting. It provided a safe place where they could be kids again. At camp they were able to laugh, play and have fun, all of which many had struggled to do in the months following the shooting. Based on the success of the first camp, Ferncliff made the commitment to work with the Westside students until they graduated. In addition, Ferncliff expanded its reach to survivors from other school shootings.
At the training, camp leaders were able to hear firsthand from school shooting survivors about the devastating impact of these traumatic events. Survivors from Westside, Columbine, and Sandy Hook shared their experiences and how these events changed their lives. They discussed the healing process and gave camp leaders insights into what helped and didn’t help in the process. They also shared how important the camp experience provided by Ferncliff had been for survivors.
David Gill and others from Ferncliff shared with camp leaders how the camp for survivors operated. The group discussed scheduling, staffing, funding and programming for these special camps. Ferncliff also shared important lessons learned through the years.
As a result of the training, Presbyterian Church (USA) camp and retreat ministry, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the camps in attendance have begun the process of developing a network of camps prepared to respond to school shootings. This collaborative effort will look at standards, training and certification for this unique type of ministry.
On the last night of the training camp leaders and survivors gathered at Ferncliff’s labyrinth, which was built by campers from Westside. [Read more about the labyrinth here.] As they walked silently through the center of the labyrinth they passed stones painted with the names of schools that have experienced school shootings. The stones were a poignant reminder of the impact of school violence on young people. They also, however, represented the power of camps, both in the past and in the future, to serve as places of healing for these young people.
John Erdman served as Director of three Christian camp and retreat centers (two of them UMC-affiliated) before his recent move to lead Living River, a new Presbyterian Camp, Retreat, and Environmental Education Center in central Alabama. Before moving into full-time camp ministry, John worked in leadership development, training, and human resources positions in business and higher education. He is also a veteran of the United States Air Force. John holds undergraduate degrees in Government and Management from the University of Maryland and a Masters degree in Education from the University of Oklahoma. He and his wife Donna have five children and six grandchildren.