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Steve Baskin

About

Steve Baskin is an Honor graduate of Davidson College and Harvard Business School. He began his professional career as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs, but chose to leave finance to pursue a career in summer camp and outdoor education. He and his wife Susie are the owner/directors of Camp Champions in central Texas. He is also a co-owner in Camp Pinnacle in North Carolina and Everwood Day Camp in Sharon, Mass. Steve serves as the Chair of the American Camp Foundation and is the US Ambassador to the International Camping Fellowship. He has presented as a speaker at multiple conferences. He believes that the summer camp experience can be the most powerful growth opportunity available to children other than their parents.

Recent Posts
A Manifesto for Strength
A challenge to parents to allow their children to embrace challenge and discomfort. Summer camp is a great place to begin the process.
Summer Camp and Disruptive Moments
Former summer campers often describe their experiences as "life changing", despite the fact that they spend far less time at camp than home or school. This article discusses one reason that camps have a disproportionate impact on the children they serve.
Interview for Power, Not Pain
Parents often make a basic mistake when they talk with their children: They focus on the challenges rather than the triumphs of the day. Taking a different approach—interviewing for power rather than pain—helps develop capability and optimism in their children.
In Parenting, Less Can Be More

Parents deep desire to help their children often leads them to do too much. From their children's social lives to their academic performance, they provide more help than their children truly need, overestimating their ability to affect outcomes. Instead, they should create narratives for their children that prime them for success. After that, they should simply do less.

Parents deep desire to help their children often leads them to do too much. From their children's social lives to their academic performance, they provide more help than their children truly need, overestimating their ability to affect outcomes. Instead, they should create narratives for their children that prime them for success. After that, they should simply do less.

Reasons Cell Phone Usage Reduces Happiness

A recent Kent State University study links frequent cell phone usage to reduced happiness. This article suggests 5 reasons that this happens.

A recent Kent State University study links frequent cell phone usage to reduced happiness. This article suggests 5 reasons that this happens.

Excess Cell Phone Usage Reduces Happiness

A Kent State University study linked frequent cell phone usage to reduced happiness in students, but did not prove causality. This article provides evidence that the relationship is, in fact causal: the cell phone usage causes the reduction in happiness for the users.

A Kent State University study linked frequent cell phone usage to reduced happiness in students, but did not prove causality. This article provides evidence that the relationship is, in fact causal: the cell phone usage causes the reduction in happiness for the users.

Keeping Grandparents Relevant

Grandparents can be powerful parenting partners, but our culture tends to "de-venerate" our elders. Here is a plan to increase the impact of grandparents.

Grandparents can be powerful parenting partners, but our culture tends to "de-venerate" our elders. Here is a plan to increase the impact of grandparents.

Choosing Stories for Our Children

Stories frame the way we see the world. As a result, parents must be intentional in selecting the stories that their children hear and believe.

Stories frame the way we see the world. As a result, parents must be intentional in selecting the stories that their children hear and believe.

Preparing Teens for College

Parents' desire to create advantage for their children in college may actually create long-term disadvantage.

Parents' desire to create advantage for their children in college may actually create long-term disadvantage.