Sarah Pirtle and the Discovery Center

Welcome New Campers

Here’s a description of our camp and what we do to help first year campers feel welcome.

A Description of Our Camp

Journey Camp is led by a national pioneer in peace education. It is a treasured place for young people who want time to make their own choices, enjoy making new friends where everyone is valued, like the support of teen leaders, and really enjoy playing in the woods.

Parents tell us how glad they are that we specialize in making it safe and comfortable to come to camp without knowing anyone ahead of time. New campers are greeted right away with a tour as they arrive. Parents can stay a half hour as children get settled. Very soon the first morning, the community divides into small groups called “Roots Groups” where children get to know eight others in a welcoming setting before the day gets going.

Staff of all ages are trained to look out for new campers and help each person make friends. By the end of the first day, children tell us they are surprised to see how familar the faces have become. They have made new friends and they feel nested.

We create a relaxed atmosphere where children are attended to, and can express what they need. The staff works hard to get to know each person and think about them. Every day the “Roots Group” continues to meet during snack, and this provides a home base. These welcoming practices have been effective for over two decades to insure that you don’t need to come to camp with a friend you already know.

More Details About Support

WHAT MAKES JOURNEY CAMP DIFFERENT AND BELOVED:

After holding sessions for over thirty years, we’ve learned how to help young people make new friendships. 

We offer kindness, creativity and support. 

We make agreements so that everyone is treated in a friendly way. Journey Camp is a place where your feelings and needs are acknowledged, honored, and met. 

There’s lots of freedom of choice.

All day long we help people get nested doing things they enjoy. When we go into the woods, you select whether to build a stick house, a fairy house, or help collaborate on the big global house. If you choose play-building, you create your own character. Workshop times always offer a wide range of choices from crafts to active games to hikes to songwriting and dance.

When we say you can be yourself, we really mean it.

When campers realize they aren’t going to get in trouble for their feelings, they feel safer. People can ask to be included in a game and the answer is always yes. We teach how to advocate for yourself and let people know what you need. Our core values are peace-building and mutual respect.

BIG SUPPORT is available.

A warm group of young teens are there to assist campers as well as six adult staff who’ve been returning year after year. This is a place where all ages respect and enjoy each other. Campers ages 7 to 10 have layers of help from several tiers of leaders. There are younger teens who are like older sisters, older counselors who know what makes camp work, and college age leaders, as well as adults who span many decades. The staff gives close attention and thinks carefully about what will help each person.

Staff members take the feelings of the campers very seriously and teach them how to believe in themselves and ask for what they need. 

We welcome campers who would love a place with such support.

We respect a young person’s need for play and fun. We serve children who like to explore and are in touch with their creative spark. We are on a hillside where we do not have swimming. We have active climbing and games. Our camp is not competitive sports oriented. It is a camp for fun, humor, and giving space for kids to develop their own culture of play.

We serve young people who feel nourished by nature. We feature daily activities in the woods and emphasize nature awareness. 

We serve young people who like to be part of a community. We serve children who are ready to learn to balance individual and group needs, can participate in problem-solving and learn communication skills. This is a camp for children who have already learned self-control and care about learning how to be conscious about their actions to take responsibility for their behavior.

We promote ecology and partnership values:

  • We emphasize respect for all dimensions of diversity and actively foster understanding of differences as well as interrupting any exclusion or bias.
  • We teach cooperation and partnership, helping children feel part of the generations of people who want to help create a human society that respects all life and fosters justice and sharing.

Journey Camp has intangible qualities — there’s a welcoming spirit, a way that the campers look out for each other, the listening abilities of the staff, the nurturing, and the individualized planning that takes in the needs of each camper.  Our leadership program allows for a ratio of one staff for every three campers.