Progression Adventures Summer Camp 2017

After initial consultation with a small number of parents, CMRCA has decided to offer a new summer camp experience this season to help support families to get their kids out of the house, off their screens, and more authentically engaged with what Chiang Mai has to offer. 

The current itinerary leans heavily on CMRCA's 15 years of experience of its foreign and local staff leading educational and recreational trips throughout the region. Lead by the vision and experience of our founder, Joshua Morris, our key guides and facilitators have all been working in the industry for at least a decade, if not longer, and are constantly provided opportunities to attend trainings and certifications. 

For this camp, we've taken a few of our most popular bespoke experiences from the programs we run with international schools from around the world, and then combined them with some more local Thai recreational activities in order to provide an affordable mix of adventures over the course of two weeks in June. 

Rather than just being a typical tourist tour, or a travel package of activities, we leverage our guides and their cultural and historical knowledge in order to provide a tailored experience for the children participating. Furthermore, this camp is an opportunity to actually grow and develop personally. Throughout the weeks, we will include elements of models, mindsets, sociology and psychology to help the students better connect to what they’re feeling and why, and to help them grow in how they relate to and work with themselves and others. Additionally, they will gain a much deeper insight into Thai culture, and will be encouraged to use Thai language and cultural practices throughout their journey, in as many interactions as possible with both their CMRCA facilitator and guide, as well as the local residents and guides at each activity, furthering their authentic connection to Thailand and Chiang Mai, versus remaining just a ‘tourist,’ or otherwise temporary resident. 

Week 1

1. The camp starts off on Monday with our Lanna Cultural and Language Orientation. Through a series of activities and games students are (re)introduced to key aspects of Thai culture and language that they will be called upon to utilize throughout the two weeks. In the afternoon, the group embarks on the Lanna Exploration, an amazing race style scavenger hunt of the old city wherein they navigate to their choice of a variety of checkpoints and challenges, each of which calls for authentic local interaction locals as well as the culture and history of Chiang Mai. 
2. Tuesday dives right into outdoor adventure with a day on the rock at Crazy Horse Buttress, our world class limestone climbing and caving playground. Students will not only be introduced to climbing, rappelling, Tyrollean Traverses, and caving, but will grow as a team as they learn about how to use the equipment to keep themselves and each other safe. 
3. After two busy days, Wednesday brings a brief respite, and a more relaxed day of museums, art, and some time (maybe a movie) at the mall. 
4. Thursday transitions to a day at Chiang Mai's zoo, wherein our local guide will be able to bring a new level of understanding and perspective about the various animals and their historical and cultural relevance within Thai culture.
5. Friday notches back up the energy a bit with the serene Monk’s Trail hike up to Wat Pha Lad, potentially with activities based around Buddhism and meditation, followed by lunch (potentially a lakeside picnic) and outdoor fun at Huay Thong Tao Lake. 

Week 2

1. After a weekend apart, we jump back into the action on Monday of Week 2 with the Food & Fields Experience. For this day with partner with Sanpathong Farm Stay for a farming and cooking experience not open to public groups-this is a bespoke experience CMRCA has designed with our partner. It's hands on and a lot of fun, and includes quite a bit of feasting! 
2. We then test the teamwork developed over the first week a bit by taking the group to Mae On for some orienteering and trekking through a small valley, on private trails developed by CMRCA with local farmers. After some initial skills training with route cards, maps, and compasses, the children are sent (with a guide or two for support) on a self-directed hike wherein they must discover how to best utilize their strengths individually and as a team to navigate their way to the final checkpoint. Along the way are opportunities for educational activities and games exploring bamboo, traditionally used native plants, rice production, and banana plantations from cultural, biological, and economic perspectives.
   
3. The middle of the week again finds the group taking a break from adventuring with another more relaxed day in town, where possibilities range based on what the group collaboratively decides to do (within a limited budget), in order to promote their empathy, teamwork, and some life skills. 
4. The next day we set off for Mae Rim, its well known Insect Zoo, and a couple of rides of the Pongyong Coaster. Depending on how the day goes, how the group feels, and timing, there may be an option to visit Mae Sa waterfall as well.
5. The final day of the program we again build up to a stimulating hike to the top of Doi Suthep, as a literal and metaphorical summit experience that provides an opportunity to remember and reflect upon the past two weeks, and share final appreciation and gratitude to the other members of the group. Again, depending on time and the group, there may be a final stop and reward with a visit to the Tube Trek Water Park to cool off before heading home. 

The activities run roughly ~08:30-16:30 each day, Monday to Friday, and the group size is limited to 8 to increase the amount of personal attention given to each child, and promote the bonds between them and our lead facilitator, as well as among the group of children themselves. Some days may be longer, depending on the travel time to the activity (e.g. Mae On or Mae Rim), but these will be planned and communicated in advance. 

The families will be responsible for pickup and drop-off at a singular meeting point. All the families would get the children there on their own from their respective homes (spread all around the city), allowing the group to actually start the day at the same time (and not be spending an inordinate amount of time picking each other up). We would then pick them all up from that 1 location to begin the day's activities. Once done with the day, drop-off would be arranged at that same location. Once we have the final list of families, we can work together to find a location that is convenient and reasonable for all. If the group ends up all living close to one another, we are open to investigating direct pick-up/drop-off at individual homes. 

Please reach out to eric@theprogressiongroup.com for any questions or concerns. Once the final participant list is confirmed, a group email thread will be created with all parents to finalize details and keep an open line for communication throughout the two weeks. 

In order to make this program feasible, we really must meet the group size of 8 students. As the program starts in 1 week, we need to finalize the participant list as soon as possible. To support this, the following Payment & Cancellation Policy will apply: 

100% of the payment is due upon registration to to hold the dates, staffing, and logistics. 

50% can be refunded by or before Tuesday June 30th. However, 90% will be refunded if a replacement participant is found. 

Price as listed here (19,250) applies to payment by cash. If payment by PayPal/credit card is desired, it will require an additional 4% surcharge, resulting in a price of 20,020.