Pathways Online Resource Directory
Summer
Camps
The
following directory includes
on-line resource directories,
local day camps,
and
specialized residential summer camps.
When choosing
the right summer camp for your child, the key is the match
between the needs of your child (particular interests,
structure) and the characteristics of the camp (staff:
camper ratio, activities, philosophy). Before choosing a
camp, be sure to visit the camp with your child to determine
if it is the right choice. It is important to ask questions,
particularly with regards to the following aspects of each
camp:
-
Staff: What
is their background? What are their ages? What is the
ratio of staff to campers?
-
General:
What is the camp's philosophy? What percentage of
campers return each year? What is the profile of the
typical camper? Are there any additional expenses? Is
the camp accredited by the American Camping Association?
What is the camp's refund policy? Are references
available?
-
Special
Needs: What experience does camp staff have working with
my child's disability? Are all camp activities available
to my child? What methods of communication/ limit
setting are used? What educational or therapeutic
services are offered (such as speech, OT, social
skills)? Is the camp integrated (children with and
without disabilities and/or children with many kinds of
disabilities) or is it targeted to a specific
population?
-
Open Houses:
Attend any available open houses if you can, in order to
meet the counselor and tour the grounds of the camp.
In addition,
call or speak with the staff before the beginning of camp to
discuss particular needs or concerning behaviors. You should
also maintain ongoing communication with camp staff and let
them know that you are available to discuss any concerns and
situations that may arise. And, don't be afraid to voice a
complaint or ask to speak with a camp staff supervisor,
especially if there is an ongoing concern.
Feel free to
contact us if you have any questions or concerns
about choosing or accessing an appropriate camp for your
child.
On-line Resource Directories
Annual Special Camp Guide -
Resources for Children with Special Needs; because all
children have the right to learn, grow, play and
participate. Find a camp designed for children with
special needs in your area.
Frost's Summer Camp Guide
- Use this directory to find a traditional day or
overnight summer camp or a specialty, sports, arts,
travel or academic program.
American Camping Association
- Use this searchable database to help identify
ACA-accredited summer camps in the six New England
states that match your specific search criteria. The
search results will yield brief summer camp profiles and
links to summer camp websites. Keep your search broad at
first by entering only one or a few criteria.
Summer Camps and Trips
- a free national and international referral service
that matches a child's needs with appropriate summer
programs - day camps, teen camps, community service,
special needs, conventional camps, cultural camps,
therapeutic programs.
Student Camp and Trip Advisors,
Inc. - a directory of camps for children age
8-18, including academic, drama, sports, arts, outdoor
adventure. Day and overnight trips include
Massachusetts, New England, across the United States,
Canada, and other countries.
Local Summer Day Camps
The Bridge Center
- formerly HandiKids, the Bridge Center provides
therapeutic recreation to children, teens and young adults
with physical,
cognitive and/or developmental disabilities. In our
encouraging, yet challenging environment, caring counselors
help individuals have fun as they develop self-confidence,
meet new friends, exercise, socialize and develop important
life skills through play.
Delphi Academy - Summer
Camp is the perfect time to give Delphi Academy a try. Most
of our regular school year curriculum is available to
students, but we spend a lot of our time during summer weeks
just having fun. Camp is available for students from the age
of two through fourteen. Each student gets a personalized
program for both academics and recreation.
JCC Jacob and Rose Grossman Camp
- Seventy-five acres of the pine-studded Hale Reservation in
Westwood, MA make Grossman Camp the perfect setting for
activities on land and water! Varied activities give
Grossman campers a sense of the world around them -- and
supportive, experienced counselors and staff give them the
confidence to tackle them in a Jewish camping environment.
Creative Vacation at the Massachusetts
College of Art and Design - Creative Vacation is
a rigorous and fun program for young artists in grades 4
through 12 to develop their creative voice and skills in
disciplines they love. Options include painting, sculpture,
fashion, computer animation, and more. Creative Vacation is
for students of all abilities who have a desire to expand
their knowledge in the visual arts. Through daily art
classes, visits to nearby museums and studios, and meetings
with visiting artists, students learn about making a
connection between their own artwork and the world around
them.
Meadowcroft Day Camp -
established in 1936, is... people... a forest... a forest
and people full of love and experiences to give each child a
sense of being which allows them to say "I am, I exist, I
accept me as a wonderful person totally in tune with myself,
my environment, my universe... I am happy."
Mass Audubon - at Mass
Audubon's summer camp programs, children spend time
outdoors, discover the natural world, meet new friends, play
noncompetitive games and have fun! And with 16 day camps
from the Berkshires to the Cape & Islands, and everywhere in
between, there's a Mass Audubon camp in your neighborhood.
The South Shore Natural Science Center
Nature Adventures Summer Camp - offers exciting
opportunities for children to learn about the natural world.
Campers will develop an awareness, appreciation and concern
for our environment; explore the habitats of animals; learn
about natural science through stories, hikes, games and
crafts; and most of all, have fun! We offer 1/2 day camps
for our younger campers, ages 3 through Kindergarten, and
1/2 or full day options for campers entering grades 1
through 6.
Nobles Day Camp - A
beautiful 187 acre campus is located in Dedham, MA, abutting
the Charles River. They have been providing a high quality day
camp program for boys and girls since 1948! As you browse
through the following web pages, if you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact us.
Boy Scouts, Camp Sayre -
occupies 110 acres, and borders the state-owned MDC Blue
Hills Reservation, which is made up of more than 5000 acres
of woods, hiking trails and paths. Sayre has the one of the
best stocked Camp Stores in the Massachusetts area. They
have a pond for swimming and offer tent campsites,
Adonrondack (lean-to) shelters, and winter cabins for
overnight groups, and activity field for athletics and
camporees, boats and/or canoes for overnight groups, a Cub
Day Camp Program, and a C.O.P.E. (Challenging Outdoor
Physical Experience) course. Their 100 seat Dining Hall is
fully heated and has a complete kitchen.
Girl Scouts, Patriot Trail Camps
- Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts offers an exciting
and creative summer program for girls entering grades 1-12.
Campers will have a rewarding experience whether they come
for one week or all seven. Each week has a theme, and camp
will include some activities related to it, as well as
swimming, singing, arts and crafts, nature, outdoor skills
and cookouts. Girls will be decision-makers with leadership
opportunities in every program. Campers will work on and may
complete Girl Scout recognitions.
South Shore Day Care Camps
- offers children a wonderful program with a wide variety of
activity choices. Our American Camping Association
accredited site at Hale Reservation in Westwood is located
in a 1200 acre wooded area with many natural camping
resources, including a fresh water pond and several nature
trails. Our carefully selected staff of professionals and
college students work to create an environment for children
where new friendships and experiences build both self-esteem
and positive memories.
South Shore YMCA Summer Camps
- Day camp for children is the YMCA's most widely offered
program nationwide. For kids, Y camp is a fun way to enjoy
the summer. For families, it's a way to give children a
safe, positive developmental experience. The Quincy Branch
offers two day camp locations during the summer. Our day
camps serve children ages four through 14, and are located
at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy (Camp Clark) and the Blue
Hills Regional Technical School in Canton (Camp Blue).
Harbor Discoveries Camp -
is a marine and environmental science program that includes
traditional camp activities as well. Nature serves as our
outdoor classroom as we explore a variety of aquatic
environments.
Camp Thayer - is for
children, and is a place where dedicated teachers ensure to
making the summer a fun, relaxed, and socially exciting one.
The philosophy of our program is to provide children an
opportunity to develop in an atmosphere of respect, trust,
and friendship. Our mission is to provide children with an
opportunity to develop in an atmosphere of respect, trust
and friendship.
Specialized Residential Summer Camps
YouthCare Summer Camps -
offer therapeutically based programming to help children and
young teens develop and maintain positive relationships with
peers and staff. Along with the input from parents, our
program goals are to improve self awareness and acceptance
of themselves. develop pro-social behaviors and language
through targeted social coaching, learn how to establish
friendships by breaking down this complex process into
simple steps, utilize more effective coping skills for
anxiety and depression, and give the children opportunities
to succeed in summer activities.
Nature's Classroom at Sargent Center
-This wonderful facility, with a long history of excellence,
serves thousands of students and teachers every year. Along
with the school programs, Nature's Classroom at Sargent
Center will continue the long history of summer camp
programs, and will proudly continue to serve groups of all
types for conferences and retreats.
Camp All Star - With a 3:1 camper to staff ratio,
a customized schedule of over 20 activities, trips out of
camp, evening programs, and days full of fun, Camp All-Star
is the place to be during the summer! Located at Kents Hill
School in the scenic Belgrade Lakes region of Maine, the ACA
accredited Camp All-Star has emerged as a leader amongst
premier camps in the U.S. Camp All-Star is not just about
sports - we are about fun.
Birch Hill - is a
traditional summer camp for boys and girls ages 6 to 16. Our
elective program lets campers choose from over 40 activities
throughout their 2. 4, or 6 week stay. Our Camp is dedicated
to building self esteem, fostering friendships, and
discovering new challenges and adventures. Birch Hill is
situated on 50 acres in the "Lakes Region" of NH, just an
hour and a half from Boston, MA.
South Shore YMCA Camp Burgess and Camp
Hayward - Burgess and Hayward are overnight camps
that offers one- and two-week sessions for boys (Burgess)
and girls (Hayward) ages 7 to 15. We are located on Cape Cod
on beautiful Spectacle Pond, across from our sister Camp
Hayward. Our brother-sister structure allows campers to
benefit from a same-gender environment while also
experiencing safe and positive opportunities for co-ed
social interaction.
Jewish Community Center's Maccabi Camp - Known
through three generations as Camp Kingswood, JCC Maccabi
Camp Kingswood is an overnight camp for boys and girls
entering grades 3-11. Located on a beautiful lake in
southern Maine, JCC Maccabi Camp Kingswood's flexible
schedule emphasizes opportunities for campers to develop
interests and to experiment with new ideas and activities in
sports, outdoor life, and the cultural and creative arts in
two, 3-1/2, 5-1/2, and seven week sessions.
Camp Nawaka - is a summer
co-ed overnight and day camp located in the Berkshires of
western Massachusetts. Nawaka's overnight camp serves just
120 campers with 40 staff members. Campers from ages 8 to 15
attend Nawaka, coming from varied racial, ethnic, cultural,
socioeconomic, and geographic backgrounds. All campers
become Camp Fire USA members when they register for camp.
Camp Starfish - Our positive approach, engaging
philosophy and overall experience is different. Camp
Starfish provides a 1:1 staff-to-camper ratio at all times
to enable success, build social skills, teach coping
mechanisms, and help children who have difficulty finding
success in traditional settings. We are a one-of-a-kind
summer camp and year-round support program.
Wediko Summer Program - For
over 70 years, Wediko's Summer Program has served thousands
of children and teens. The intensive therapeutic setting
provides an opportunity for children to challenge themselves
in social, emotional, and academic areas.
Thompson Island Outward Bound Summer
Programs - Thompson Island Outward Bound is
located in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area
in Boston, Massachusetts, and enjoys a course area rich
in cultural and natural history. One of 34 islands to
explore, Thompson Island boasts 204 acres of woodlands,
beaches, salt marshes, meadows, and high challenge
adventure courses. The Outward Bound Summer Connecting
with Courage (girls), Passages (boys), and Environmental
Expeditions (Co-ed) expeditions explore the Boston
Harbor Islands and/or the Massachusetts Bay.
Scholarships based on financial need are available on
first come first serve basis.
