Robbie Steiner
Age 21, senior at IU-Bloomington
Counselor at CYO Camp Rancho Framasa
Award winner Robbie Steiner, a senior at IU Bloomington, has enjoyed seeing how the kids at CYO Camp Rancho Framasa positively influenced each other. “One of the most rewarding aspects of my supper was seeing kids who had little or no experience around people with disabilities learn to interact with and support other campers who needed extra help. One week,” recounts Steiner, “I was supporting a young man who used a wheel chair. At the beginning of the session, there was one girl who immediately started reaching out to him through conversation and by offering to help him with various tasks. By the end of the week, her attitude had rubbed off on the other 17 or so campers and they were all including him and offering to help him whenever they could.”
Connaughton says that Robbie is a strong leader because he is able to connect and build relationships with each camper in the group. “He interacts extremely well with all campers and genuinely takes their interest at heart.”
This is a skill that Steiner has honed over his three summers of service. Key to getting to know each individual camper, is his ability to overcome the initial impression and build relationships. When one girl arrived at camp wearing revealing clothing and talking about inappropriate things, Steiner was worried about trying to keep her behavior and appearance in line with the values of the CYO Camp. “I chose to treat her no differently than other campers. I started conversations in order to get to know her, encouraged her to participate in group activities, and was sure to give her frequent positive feedback.”
At the end of the week, Steiner was floored by what she had to say about her camp experience. “She said that before coming to camp, she didn’t think she was a very good person, but affirmations from the other campers helped her see the good in herself, said Steiner. “I suddenly was aware that every move I made that week was being watched, and that I had helped her see something in herself to which she had been blind.”
Nestled in the beautiful hills of Brown County, Indiana, Camp Rancho Framasa is owned by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and operated by the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). Established in 1946, CYO Camp Rancho Framasa is an inclusive, residential summer camp and Outdoor Ministry Center. The camp's mission is to enhance the emotional and spiritual development of youth and adults through experiences in the outdoors.
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