Camp Staunton Meadows
“CSM is a place where lasting friendships are made, where creativity and adventure are cultivated, and where people return year after year to reclaim some of that magic."

This “small summer camp on a big farm” in Virginia is a traditional one to two week residential summer camp for boys and girls Ages seven to16. The camp promotes community, leadership, and stewardship but de-emphasizes competition, while activities enable campers to safely take risks and make personal choices which are designed to help them learn important life lessons.

But at Camp Staunton Meadows, the campers choose activities they have an interest in and plan their own daily schedules which are broken up into age groups. In fact, each camper is given the opportunity to set personal goals and progress at his or her own pace with the help of cabin counselors. “Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the real world” the camp endeavors to create an atmosphere that encourages and nurtures young people during what the staff calls a critical time of development.

The Camp Staunton Meadows motto is "Learn it! Love it! Live it!" and the activities focus on providing campers with a greater sense of self confidence, positive memories, new interests and friends. It’s a co-ed summer camp and though the days are packed with activities, free time is built into the schedule.

Upper Palmetto YMCA         
"Go where there is no path and leave a trail"

For nearly a century, the Upper Palmetto YMCA has focused on programs that build character, enhance the family unit and contribute to the community. The association serves children and adults in York, Chester and Lancaster Counties but extended communities are also active participants in Upper Palmetto YMCA programs.

Upper Palmetto YMCA camps include Kindercamp half-day programs for children Age three to four and full day camps for kids from Age four to 14. The camps include daily devotions, crafts, swimming, team building, snacks and playground time. Most programs carry weekly themes and include two to five field trips per week at no additional cost depending on age. For children Age 14 and above, Counselor in Training (CIT) camps are also available. Designed specifically for teens who are interested in pursuing a counselor position, CPR and First Aid certification, learning job interview skills and more life-skill activities are included in the program. CITs spend two weeks with actual campers and assist staff with a variety of daily activities.

Upper Palmetto YMCA resident camping is available through the Camp Cherokee “First Timers” Camp
For children who are six and seven years of age. Designed to introduce young campers to resident camping, the four-day, three-night program allows campers to experience “big kid” activities scaled down for their age group. Activities include on-site rock climbing, camp-outs, dances, carnivals, canoeing, archery, arts and crafts, sailing and swimming.

Camp Broadstone
“Camp Broadstone offers a safe and wholesome environment in which campers live, play, and learn as part of a greater community."

In the tiny community of Valle Crucis, North Carolina on 55 acres of woods and meadows is Appalachian State University's year round outdoor adventure and retreat center. The specialized summer camp on the property is called Camp Broadstone. Referred to as the Summer Enrichment Program for Academically Gifted Youth, the camp provides opportunities for students in grades four through nine to explore an eclectic blend of enrichment classes and adventure programs designed to foster intellectual, social, and physical growth.

Campers participate in enrichment programs in the mornings and take part in adventure activities during the afternoons.

They are involved in a broad range of social participation, group responsibility, and individual decision making activities. Morning programs focus on areas like science, history, environmental studies, arts and crafts, journalism, music, dramatic arts, and cultural studies while afternoon programs find campers in fun, challenging environments that foster relationships with others and a better understanding of themselves. High ropes course, rock faces, rivers, trails, Alpine Tower, and group problem-solving courses teach effective communication, group interdependence, and improve self-esteem. As age appropriate, rafting, off site camping, preparing meals, hiking and nature studies are emphasized.

Instructors and counselors from Appalachian State University and other universities make up the staff instructors. Campers are under constant supervision and staff members emphasize positive role modeling in a caring atmosphere. Ratios of staff to campers can range from one to four staff members to every twelve campers. One and two week explorer sessions are available to youth performing two years above their current grade level in math and/or language arts as verified by achievement test scores in the 90th or higher percentile range or end of grade testing scores. Children with an IQ of 120 or higher on a standardized intelligence test are also eligible to apply. Only 72 campers are accepted at Camp Broadstone per session.

Camp Ridgecrest for Boys and Camp Crestridge for Girls
“Our campers are on a journey. On this journey they are offered friendship, encouragement, and the adventure of a lifetime.”

The activities at these two Christian-based camps are broken up in two categories including camp-wide activities and tribal activities. Campers can choose from a variety of areas in which to participate from archery to weightlifting, Guerilla Warfare to Clue, Diamond Smuggling to Council Ring.

Both camps are founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ. The camp keeps Christ in all of the programs even through daily activities. This is achieved by fostering an environment that nurtures children to grow their relationship with Christ through events and activities that help campers see Jesus in new ways they might not have thought of previously. Campfires, morning watches, worship, quiet time and relational evening devotions are just a few activities that camp staff say helps campers to be more in tune and strengthen their relationship with Christ.

Activities are age specific and geared to break through clutter of daily life to heighten the understanding of the gospel. The staff strives to show campers that being a Christian is fun. Camp Ridgecrest for Boys and Camp Crestridge for Girls are both located in the Blue Ridge Mountains about 20 miles east of Asheville, North Carolina.

Harris YMCA
“It’s a place where campers have fun, make friends, and feel good about themselves, everyday.”

If choices are what you seek when choosing a camp for your child, the Harris YMCA offers 39 different camp varieties. The largest camps, which encompass full day traditional camps for kids Age five to 15, include games, climbing, archery, arts and crafts, singing, and “just being a kid”. But the Harris YMCA also offers specialty camps. From preschool-age activities to gymnastics and cheerleading, these specialty programs are geared towards children who already know how they want to spend their summers. Dance, water sports, football, basketball, volleyball, golf, science, arts and crafts, individual and group competition, kayaking and triathlon to name a few make up the specialty camp calendar at the Harris YMCA. Besides variety in curriculum, the YMCA endeavors to provide experiences which reflect values and principles.  

All Harris YMCA camps encourage healthy lifestyles. However the Harris “Y” also offers a spin on healthy lifestyle camps with their Iron Kids Triathlon camp. The half-day camp for rising 2nd to 7th grade campers is preparation for youth triathlons. Campers can receive instruction in basic swimming, cycling, running, nutrition, hydration, and how to transition between events. Proper technique, safety, pacing and sportsmanship are emphasized. The Iron Kids Triathlon camp culminates with a mock triathlon competition.  

The Harris YMCA is certified by the American Camp Association. Pressing the importance of safety, camp officials believe camp is a place where children can grow in spirit, mind, and body, but also it’s a place where campers should have fun, make friends, and feel good about themselves. 

Success Oriented Achievement Realized (SOAR)
“Campers flourish when they are encouraged to focus on their strengths in an experiential setting.”

Every child is special, and some children require extra special attention to bring out their own unique gifts. Moreover, it takes a truly extraordinary kind of person to be a camp counselor for gifted children. SOAR features a success-oriented, high adventure program for preteens, teens and adults with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder. Developing self-confidence and social skills, learning problem-solving techniques and gaining a willingness to attempt new challenges are on the menu at this exceptional camp located in Balsam, North Carolina. SOAR’s program activities include wilderness adventure experiences and numerous other activities.

SOAR is a private, non-profit corporation. The camp serves school-aged youth and anyone can apply from Age eight to 18. The motivation for campers to succeed comes through successful goal orientation, say staffers. The SOAR system is built on their knowledge that all individuals identified with learning disabilities and AD/HD possess inherent talents and gifts. These abilities can transfer into adult successes once students learn to negotiate challenging obstacles of childhood and adolescence. Children with learning disabilities and AD/HD derive substantial benefits from places like SOAR since traditional education systems are often unable to respond to individual learning styles.

The two fundamental principles on which SOAR is founded are that youth with LD and AD/HD flourish when encouraged to focus on strengths and success comes from encouraging students to develop and utilize strategies which enable them to compensate for the challenging characteristics of learning disabilities and AD/HD. In other words, success builds essential self-esteem and self-confidence. SOAR campers develop problem-solving skills, effective communication strategies, increased self-awareness, and social skills.

Parents who wish to continue their own research into camps available through the summer in the Carolinas can visit MySummerCamps.com for additional information on a variety of camps for all types of children. The site is a terrific resource for finding the perfect summer camp that suits your child’s needs and activity preferences.

Meanwhile, consider the camps we’ve listed in our cover story for your child’s summer camp adventure. Choosing the right camp for your child is a giant step for children, and for parents. We hope in researching and providing information on just these few, we’ve made that step just a little easier to take.