Who said camp is just for kids? Across Maine, most youngsters have packed their trunks, said good-bye to their fellow campers, and returned home to family and friends and preparations for school. Counselors, too, are getting ready for their fall activities – school or college or jobs. But the pleasure and enjoyment of camp activities […]

Across the state, summer camps are nearing the end of their seasons. For many directors and leadership staff that means looking ahead to closing up buildings, storing equipment, thinking about maintenance needs. But season’s end also means campers are going home, leaving the constant connection to friends, the immersion in new and favorite activities, and […]

Half a dozen teenagers are gathered on the shore of the Kennebago River.  They are buckling and adjusting the straps of their lifejackets, examining a selection of paddles spread out on the ground, and pacing a little nervously as they look out on the water.  Among them is 14-year-old Noah from Maryland, a camper at […]

Summer camp staff members assume enormous responsibility when they take on their jobs. They teach a variety of activities, oversee cabins full of youngsters, engage in conflict resolution, homesickness management, and other relationship challenges, and work with other staff members to ensure that campers stay healthy and happy. It’s a tall order – and a […]

During the sweltering weather of July’s first week, about two dozen youngsters and their parents and caregivers gathered on the shores of North Pond in Rome. At Pine Tree Camp – Pine Tree Society’s program that offers camp programs for individuals with disabilities – non-verbal kids were immersed in five days of summer camp. Armed […]

Summer camps are in full swing. Across the state, kids are throwing themselves into an exciting variety of activities, meeting friends from near and far, and, in many cases, are living away from home for the first time.  And while all those experiences require adjustments for the camper, summer camp may demand some adjustments for […]

In the coming days, camp programs across the state will be in full swing. From robotics to music to sports – plus traditional residential camps nestled among woods and water – offerings in the state’s camping community are vast. And come July, a few dozen youngsters will have the chance to attend a camp like […]

For many, summer camp in Maine brings to mind outdoor adventure in the state’s natural beauty. But for two decades, youngsters have had an entirely different camp opportunity, one that opens the vast world of aviation careers. Maine ACE (Aviation Career Education) Camps offer its participants an inside look at the military and commercial aviation […]

Living in cabins and tents. No electronics.  Exploring mountains and waterways. Taking risks, learning new skills, fostering lifelong friendships. Maine’s youth camp season will be in full swing in a matter of weeks.  Tens of thousands of youngsters from around the country and all over the world will soon arrive for a summer of living […]

“I really believe a summer camp job is an internship in leadership.” Garth Altenburg, director of boys’ Camp Chewonki  in Wiscasset, isn’t alone. Several camp directors facing a hiring crunch for the summer season say working at a camp provides young adults with a skill set both sought by post-graduation employers, and not easily gained […]