Sadly, Camp Thoreau-in-Vermont closed its doors after the summer of 2004. Happily,
we are working toward re-opening it. Please visit the website of the Association
of Kokosing and Thoreau to find out what's going on.
Overview
Thoreau-in-Vermont is a co-ed, inter-racial summer camp for 145 children, 8 to 15 years of age. The camp is located on a lovely wooded, 380 acre site, on the shore of a 64 acre lake in Thetford Center, Vermont.
Our overall program is not rigidly structured, allowing campers both a large voice in planning activities, and a wide range of choices during most activity periods. The element of choice brings about inter-aging, which is beneficial to both younger and older children. The older campers have the opportunity to exercise leadership and responsibility, and to teach skills to younger campers; the younger campers are provided with helpful "near-peer" role models. Our emphasis is on creating a non-competitive, caring, sharing community, in which each child learns and grows as an individual, as well as part of the group.
Activities
At Thoreau-in-Vermont, we offer a wide range of activities, supervised by mature, qualified staff: arts, crafts, wood shop, folk dance, drama, music, photography & darkroom, video-tape film making, tennis, soccer, softball, archery, basketball, volleyball, frisbee & other sports (taught in a non-competitive atmosphere to encourage participation & skill development), sailing, swimming, canoeing, and kayaking (both flat and white-water) all supervised by certified instructors and lifeguards, fishing, nature study, caring for our small farm animals and vegetable gardens, horseback riding (including trail rides), hiking & camping (on our own site & on the well marked trails of the Green Mtns. in VT and the White Mtns. in NH), high & low ropes course elements, and top-roped rock climbing -- ALL with an emphasis on bringing one's life closer to a respectful relationship with the environment and one's community.
Community living
Campers of all ages may participate in work projects at camp, or in a community service project: running our recycling program, building a shelter for our small farm animals, improving a permanent camp site, assisting at a local free health clinic, reading to preschool children, or helping with a senior citizens meals program.
Facilities
Campers live in wood frame cabins with electricity and bathrooms; at least two counselors (several of whom each year are from foreign countries) live and sleep in the cabins with the children. There's a well equipped arts & crafts studio and wood shop (rebuilt in 1999); 4 clay tennis courts, a soccer & frisbee field; kick ball & softball fields; basketball court; one grass and one sand volleyball court; sailboats, rowboats, canoes and kayaks - plus two water slides; six horse stable and riding ring; drama center, photo darkroom; video studio; recreation hall; climbing wall & 12-element low and four element high ropes course; as well as other program facilities. We are the only camp on our 64 acre lake, providing a sense of privacy for our waterfront programs.
Cost
The camp season is 8 weeks, starting June 27th; we do accept half season enrollments. Thoreau -in-Vermont is accredited by the American Camping Assoc. We have a resident, registered nurse on our staff. Tuition for full season is $5600; for the July or August session, it is $3650. The tuition includes laundry, out-of-camp trips, and all program activities; it does not include transportation to/from camp.
Yup, that's us.
The director of Thoreau-in-Vermont is in his 35th season in camping. Many of our counselors and support staff are multi-year staffers as well. We are all looking forward to the summer of 2004 with great excitement, as we continue our traditions as an educational experience, sharing in democratic community living and group responsibility. We hope that you will be able to share the summer of 2004 with us.
