What Makes North Star Camp for Boys Special

Our Philosophy

Camp is fun. That’s the easy part. Independence, responsibility, and friendships are rooted in the camp experience. At North Star Camp, we believe that camp is an opportunity to endow future generations with the confidence, character, and life skills to go out and make a difference in the world.

There are no formulas when raising kids. Each child is unique. North Star Camp offers every boy the opportunity to feel safe exploring his own personality and interests, allowing him to become the best version of himself. Through our experiential outdoor education, we can push each camper outside of their comfort zone to promote their development while providing them with a community of support, warmth, and empathy.

Our Core Values

Do The Right Thing For The Right Reasons

A simple motto that goes a long way; people have an innate sense of right and wrong. While not solving all of life’s most complicated problems, this moral compass promotes behaviors guided by kindness, empathy, respect and understanding.
Individual Attention, Community Mindset

Our staff consists of youth development professionals, teachers, educators, camping veterans and, oftentimes, former campers. We hire more than 120 staff members for our 215 campers – one of the best staff-to-camper ratios in all of camping. These individuals are role models who are dedicated to enriching the lives of our campers by making their summer experience as memorable and fun as possible. This allows each camper to receive the individual attention from staff necessary to provide them a sense of security from someone attuned to their growth and development.

The North Star Camp community functions because every camper and staff member gives into it as much as they take from it. From weekly Cabin Campfires where campers talk about their feelings and needs of their cabinmates to simple norms like saying “hi” to everyone you walk past, North Star Camp is committed to creating young people who are willing to devote themselves to causes bigger than themselves.
Supporting Social & Emotional Growth Of Our Campers

We view our staff as social and emotional educators. Sleepaway camp comes with its own unique challenges – being away from home, living with others, and stepping outside of one’s comfort zone. Our counselors devote their summers to working with each child to help him process his emotions and develop an awareness & understanding of his own social interactions. Regular reflection and discussion allow campers to build up their social and emotional intelligence through real life successes and failures – thus creating more capable and resilient children.
Intentional Programming With Our Values
Independence, responsibility and friendship are innate parts of going away to camp. When we develop our program each summer, we make sure we are adding to those parts of camp by ensuring character development is happening the right way. Here are a few ways we make that happen:

Reflection – Friday Night Services & Sunday Night Cabin Campfires
Every Friday night, we have a values-based campfire program with stories and songs led by the campers and counselors. Each Sunday, cabins get together to set goals for the upcoming week and talk about any cabin issues that may be present.

Meaningful Check-Ins
Counselors, village directors, and camp directors frequently check-in with each camper. We want to make sure they’re having fun, but also give them a safe space to vent about any issues that may be bothering them. Having a strong support system lets each camper grow and take risks in a comfortable and welcoming environment.

Social & Emotional Benchmarking
Campers gain so much independence and personal growth by being away from home for the summer. We try to capture that by having our counselors write parent letters to send home with each camper at the end of their session. Parent letters highlight the growth and development each camper achieved.

Achievement Based Programming
We are always pushing kids outside of their comfort zone (during activities, camping trips, or simply by being at camp itself). Our activities are designed to challenge campers, while also helping them develop lifelong skills and learn more about themselves.
Encouraging Sportsmanship & Fun When It Comes To Competition

When it comes to competition, we put greater emphasis on values and sportsmanship than over who wins the game. Regardless of skill level, the expectation is that each camper tries his best, shows kindness towards others and encourages his teammates. Campers are friends before the game, during the game and are expected to act in a way that they are still friends after the game. After all, it just doesn’t matter who wins the game as long as everyone tries their best and has a lot of fun.
Maintaining A Tech Free Environment
A Wide Variety of Fun!

Our programming activities ranging from Adventure, Athletics, Creative Arts, and Watersports give every child the chance to enjoy and experience something new. Camping trips, campfires, special programs, and more provide opportunities for every boy to shine in his own way.

Our Mission

North Star Camp for Boys exists to create and promote a safe, fun environment in which the community ensures the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual growth of its members.

Inclusion Statement

Our community members come from all over the country and world. We celebrate different cultures, beliefs and identities. Camp is a place where members can truly be themselves, explore their interests, and learn from others who are different from themselves. We believe in an equitable camp experience free from barriers rooted in race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or class.