Summer camp creates advantages for kids by providing an experience through which they can build the skills that predict for success in college, career, and life: resilience, independence, optimism, self-regulation, and the ability to connect with others. [i] That is why parents choose to extend those advantages as much as possible. Over 95% of Vega campers return every year because they love it, and feel loved while here! We see firsthand (and hear from parents after the summer) such noteworthy growth in a variety of social, psychological, athletic and artistic areas every summer. One aspect that has become clear to us over the years is that true growth takes time.