About Copper Cannon
Outdoor Education Center

- Mission - Our History - Copper Cannon today -
- Who does it serve? - Purpose and Goals -

Mission

Mission Statement: Copper Cannon Outdoor Education Center is dedicated to providing at-risk New Hampshire youths with an opportunity to grow and thrive. Copper Cannon's outdoor education and recreation programs offer children a community that values cooperation, teamwork, good citizenship, and respect for one another and the environment. Copper Cannon provides a healthy and secure setting to address each child's individual needs and potential.

History

Copper Cannon is a non-profit organization that began as a vision to give less fortunate children an opportunity for a meaningful outdoor camping experience. That visionary was Ham Ford, who himself overcame the experiences of an underpriveleged childhood, and resolved that one day, he would also help others. In 1963, Copper Cannon became a reality.

Over the years, Copper Cannon has evolved into more than a meaningful camping experience. It's dedicated staff have developed a wide array of programs designed to teach children many important fundamentals. Today, Copper Cannon is known as Copper Cannon Outdoor Education Center.

Copper Cannon Today

Copper Cannon Outdoor Education Center is more than just learning about and experiencing the great outdoors. The Summer Camp Program is designed to teach the fundamentals of good citizenship, moral behavior, respect for self and others, and to instill in each child how special he or she is; to send each child home with a sense of self-esteem, pride in themself, and the knowledge that a person's worth is better measured on the inside than the outside.

Who Does It Serve?

The Copper Cannon Summer Camp Program is FREE and welcomes any boy or girl from the ages of 9 - 12 regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, or handicapping conditions from the State of New Hampshire, who is physically capable of coping with rustic camp life. Learn more about eligibility

The Copper Cannon Outdoor Education Center is also available throughout the rest of the year, during the Summer Camp's off-season, for a small fee, to organizations who wish to use the facilities to enrich the lives of young people. Learn more about using the Center

Purpose and Goals

Our purpose and goals are to promote the professional development of each staff member to enable everyone to work at their greatest potential. Operating a small Outdoor Education Center will allow opportunities for discussion, decision-making and formulation of treatment plans tailored to group and individual camper needs. The Executive and Assistant Executive Director, along with the summer Program Coordinator, will develop a program that will function to meet the needs of the campers, staff, and utilize a multi-sensory approach, recognizing the challenges of working with less fortunate and low income populations. Our philosophy approaches understanding the individual, from two separate yet interrelated perspectives.

Copper Cannon Outdoor Education Center is formed on a development and family systems model. The learning and behavior patterns of less fortunate children, from low income families, are best understood against the framework of natural child development. This approach encourages the appraisal of the whole child and recognizes normal tasks of growth as they characterize cognitive, affective, social, emotional and motor functions. Family systems theory offers a means of understanding the camper as a developing organism within a large context.

Working with low income families and less fortunate children requires a close relationship between the staff and the campers. We feel that this is best accomplished in a small outdoor education center environment.

Our Goals in developing the properties needed to function as an Outdoor Education Center for less fortunate youths from low income families are:

To design programs to meet the needs of the campers and the staff.
To develop a functional program integrating therapeutic use of the outdoors, with education and recreation.
To develop clear communication between the Center and the parents, legal guardians, and sponsor's of campers, on the purpose and goals of Copper Cannon Center.
To create and maintain a home-like atmosphere.
To develop effective patterns of staff organization, skills, and time utilization.
To create and maintain an environment of good qualities, achievements, and respect between campers and staff.
To interface with the local and surrounding environments in a positive manner.
To create and maintain open communication between the Board of Trustees, Executive Director, Center staff, campers, parents, legal guardians and sponsoring groups. Mainly for feedback and future improvements, where needed.