Anonymous wrote:I have so many thoughts for you, and unfortunately they're not helpful.

I attended and worked at a traditional, secular girls' camp in Maine that I loved. There are many camps that are quite similar to it, and vary only slightly in traditions and the level of wealth of the girls who have historically attended them.

Counterintuitively, when I went there in the 90s and worked there in the early 2000s, it was more diverse than it is now. I think it has to do with more options being available for summer, the pressure of year-round activities, and the change in international adoption laws that has diminished the # of campers of color who were the adopted children of alumnae campers (and who in turn attracted other non-white campers). No one wants their child of color to be an "only" during what should be a carefree summer. So many kids experience that all year round in a classroom or sport or neighborhood.

The camp directors, while very special to me, have made it clear that they would rather just pull from a diminishing group of privileged white kids from certain schools and cities + rich international girls rather than put in the effort to socially integrate girls from other places and backgrounds. There's a massive scholarship fund and it doesn't seem to be leveraged. I can see the camper numbers going down every year but the explanation is always "parents don't understand the benefits of summer camp", not "we do a bad job of making kids of all backgrounds feel welcome." This is not a unique situation and many camps are about 20 years behind the real world.

Anyway, I have a multiracial child and she is not going to my camp. She pointed out at 8 years old that she would be one of the only asian or mixed asian kids there, and she said she didn't want to be in that situation.

This is a good time to try to visit a camp if you want to see it in action. Many offer visit days during sessions or allow prospective families to visit during parents' weekends. Photos are going to be carefully chosen to showcase the most diverse campers, and it's much better to see the actual camp in action. I am the biggest cheerleader for my camp experience but my advice to you is to proceed with caution in your search.

Anonymous wrote:I have so many thoughts for you, and unfortunately they're not helpful.

I attended and worked at a traditional, secular girls' camp in Maine that I loved. There are many camps that are quite similar to it, and vary only slightly in traditions and the level of wealth of the girls who have historically attended them.

Counterintuitively, when I went there in the 90s and worked there in the early 2000s, it was more diverse than it is now. I think it has to do with more options being available for summer, the pressure of year-round activities, and the change in international adoption laws that has diminished the # of campers of color who were the adopted children of alumnae campers (and who in turn attracted other non-white campers). No one wants their child of color to be an "only" during what should be a carefree summer. So many kids experience that all year round in a classroom or sport or neighborhood.

The camp directors, while very special to me, have made it clear that they would rather just pull from a diminishing group of privileged white kids from certain schools and cities + rich international girls rather than put in the effort to socially integrate girls from other places and backgrounds. There's a massive scholarship fund and it doesn't seem to be leveraged. I can see the camper numbers going down every year but the explanation is always "parents don't understand the benefits of summer camp", not "we do a bad job of making kids of all backgrounds feel welcome." This is not a unique situation and many camps are about 20 years behind the real world.

Anyway, I have a multiracial child and she is not going to my camp. She pointed out at 8 years old that she would be one of the only asian or mixed asian kids there, and she said she didn't want to be in that situation.

This is a good time to try to visit a camp if you want to see it in action. Many offer visit days during sessions or allow prospective families to visit during parents' weekends. Photos are going to be carefully chosen to showcase the most diverse campers, and it's much better to see the actual camp in action. I am the biggest cheerleader for my camp experience but my advice to you is to proceed with caution in your search.

Anonymous wrote:Hi Op, i'm sorry this thread has gone off track a little. I highly recommend Farm and Wilderness camps in Plymouth Vermont. It is an incredibly well run organization in my experience, the counselors are trained exceptionally (they receive more days of training than any camp I've heard of before), they are truly committed to NOT being a camp that is just for rich white kids who have always gone to camp - it is a warm and welcoming place that is more diverse than most camps in the NE. There are multiple options for overnight camp so you can pick one that is a good fit for your child. They are incredibly intentional and thoughtful. Anyway I can't really say enough good things. My son started in the day camp (we would stay nearby for those couple weeks) and now loves Timberlake. Younger son is doing day camp and then will go.

The overnight camps are 3 weeks which I feel is the perfect amount of time. Not too long but long enough to settle in and really build community and benefit.

Here is the website: https://www.farmandwilderness.org/
If you want to learn more about how it all runs and hear from the leadership, the podcast gives a great sense in my opinion: https://farmandwilderness.podbean.com/

If your child is a girl age 9-14, Firefly song is a good place to start: https://www.farmandwilderness.org/camps/fs
There is a podcast episode on Firefly song that is really helpful to get a sense.

If a boy, Timberlake: https://www.farmandwilderness.org/camps/timberlake
Also a podcast episode on this that is helpful

If you prefer mixed gender they offer starting at 11 a really unique camp that combines more art/theater and wilderness: https://www.farmandwilderness.org/camps/saltash-mountain
Same with podcast episode

Hope this helps!

Anonymous wrote:Ahoy there!