HARBOR CAMPS

We build confidence, resilience, and community for our campers by way of our campers:
-Living communally in a bunk with others
-Having face-to-face relationships with one another (no electronics!)
-Participating in fun and challenging outdoor activities in a noncompetitive atmosphere
-Learning that they are strong and have unlimited possibilities regardless of the challenges they face
because of their identity or condition
-Learning to be independent and to step outside their comfort zone
-Making lifelong friendships

At a time in our country when transgender youth and youth with disabilities appear to be losing rights, and sometimes losing hope, our camps are ever more important. We provide a safe haven for kids and families to be among friends who understand - entirely - what each other are going through in life. Our programs foster relationship-building, confidence, and community. We provide skill-building in our daily schedule via the following activity areas: various field and court sports, archery, rock climbing, swimming, paddle boarding, canoeing/kayaking, low elements challenge course, fine art, drama, and music.

We focus on the joy of camp, letting kids be kids, learning, growing and having fun!

Harbor Camps has four full-time, year-round staff that recruit campers, hire staff/volunteers, maintain the facility, and raise funds, and take care of all other aspects of the business operations. During the summer we have well over 100 staff and volunteers making our programs run smoothly.
Funds from donors enable us to be able to provide much-needed financial aid and scholarships for those campers who would otherwise not be able to attend our camps. Tuition fees cover the rest of the operating costs for our camps.
Nick Teich, PhD, LCSW, founded Harbor Camps in 2009 and has many years of camp experience prior to that. In 2022, Nick became the Director Emeritus and Board Chair, and Umut Dursun, MM took over the role of Executive and Camp Director.

Nick and many of camp's founding members are still involved in the organization through the board and are deeply invested in it's continued growth.

We began in summer 2010 with 40 campers at a rented site for one week. We now serve over 900 campers each summer at our own facility, over 7 weeks. We have always been able to provide financial aid and scholarships to campers who would otherwise not be able to attend. Since purchasing our property in 2015, we have continued to build and renovate at camp, adding new cabins, bathrooms, a new health center, and office, plus updating common spaces, all to benefit our campers. We look forward to continued expansion and growth, with a promise to never turn a camper away because of lack of financial means to attend camp.