Coleman Country is known for our determination to teach children to dig up the roots of uncaring behaviors and to plant the seeds of acceptance.

The song, “Don’t Laugh at Me” is the anthem for our initiative of the same name. Just as the songs of social conscience of the 60s galvanized Americans, so too has this song helped us establish a culture that reminds children that physical or relational aggression is not tolerated here.

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, who created the program with input from the Colemans as well as many child development experts, has become a good friend of the immediate and extended Coleman families, and has visited Coleman Country to share his passion and his voice with us.

In our camp community, which champions zero tolerance for ridiculing, children learn first the awareness, then the language, and finally the strategies to resolve conflicts, prevent bullying, and treat others with respect. Getting along with others, accepting difference and working together are our core culture.

Our firm policy against bullying includes teamwork: staff training, parent awareness, and camper programs. Our camp curriculum includes not only an entire project around “Don’t Laugh at Me,” but also Conscious Acts of Caring, “Free the Horses,” and “Operation Respect,” to name just several.

Our counselors know how to identify even covert acts of bullying and deal with them effectively; our campers understand they can control their responses and their destiny by the way they respond, and our parents appreciate the tips we send their way. (To learn more, read our end-of-summer letter about bullying.)