PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Nathan Bupp
Phone: (716) 636-4869 x 218
E-mail: nbupp@centerforinquiry.net
Center for Inquiry Offers Niche Summer Camp for the Nonreligious
June 25, 2008
Critical Thinking, Science and Ethics Encouraged
for Young, Curious Minds
Amherst, N.Y. (June 25, 2008)—Summer camp season is here, and parents who wish to avoid religious-themed camps are turning to Camp Inquiry, where the children of secular families will spend a week enjoying a new “Age of Discovery,” examining extraordinary claims and learning to apply science, skepticism and morals to everyday life. Along the way, they’ll study the many cultural beliefs and human values that have existed throughout history and develop a powerful set of thinking tools.
The number of Americans unaffiliated with any specific religion has been steadily increasing. More than 48 million Americans—16.1 percent of the country’s population—happily live without religion, according to the largest-to-date Pew Forum poll on the nation’s beliefs. The nonaffiliated represent the second-largest “belief group” in America after Roman Catholics.
“Given the large number of people who live well without faith, it naturally follows that there is a demand for a positive, alternative summer experience to traditional camps, many of which are unnecessarily entangled with religion,” said Paul Kurtz, founder and chairman of the Amherst, N.Y. based Center for Inquiry-Transnational. “Camp Inquiry is different because it’s organized around the central theme of skeptical inquiry, the ability to ask creative and critical questions about the world. Curiosity and questions are vital components of a child’s education, and these skills are valuable and important for life beyond summer camp and will be useful for many years to come.”
Activities to sharpen minds and shed light on misconceptions include “Monsterbusters & Mythmarauders,” “In the Footprints of Darwin,” and “Sleights of Hand & Tricks of the Eye.” Character-building lessons focus on moral and ethical dilemmas, creative self-expression through the visual and performing arts, the fascinating science behind imagination, and the need to act as a responsible moral agent.
Camp Inquiry is for boys and girls ages 7-16, and will take place from July 13-19 at Camp Seven Hills in Holland, N.Y. The camp features approximately 620 acres of woods, meadows, streams and hills. Camp Inquiry is run by a staff of trained counselors and teachers, and a full-time on site medical professional.
To speak with a representative, call Courtney Hanny at (716) 636-4869, ext. 407, or e-mail her at .
Visit www.campinquiry.org for more details.
Camp Inquiry is one of many educational initiatives offered by the Center for Inquiry, a research institution devoted to the appreciation of science and reason and their applications to human conduct. The purpose of the Center for Inquiry is to promote reason, science, and freedom of inquiry in all areas of human endeavor. The Center for Inquiry is a transnational nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that encourages evidence-based inquiry into science, pseudoscience, medicine and health, religion, ethics, secularism, and society. CFI is not affiliated with, nor does it promote, any political party or political ideology.
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