Overnight Camp

Click here for a letter from our Executive Director about  Summer 2020.

To access your existing camp account: Click Here.

Photo Galleries of Summer 2019 are on our Photos page and on our Facebook page

Camper Car Drop off first day is 10:30-11:30 am Car Pick Up last day is 4:30-5 pm*

Camper Bus Drop off is 10:15 am at Northeast location   Bus pick up is 5 pm at Northeast location

If you find that your session choice is full for your child’s age group and your child can only attend that particular session, please choose the Wait List for that session. Otherwise, please register for a session with availability and add the Wait List option for the session you would prefer. If space becomes available in that session, we will call you. If you need assistance, please call the camp office at 215-542-7974 and ask for Becky.

The Mission of Summer Camps at College Settlement is to deliver a unique camp experience to young people concentrated in the greater Philadelphia area, without regard to economic circumstances. Our programs foster personal growth and provide a safe, affordable, and nurturing place for young people to enjoy the outdoors while learning about themselves, others and the environment.

Overnight Camp Program,
Ages 8 to 14

The College Settlement Overnight Camp offers three twelve-day sessions and two five-day sessions.

The five-day sessions are ideal for campers who would like to try Camp for first time in a shorter session before moving on to a full 12-day session next year, or campers who have other summer commitments.

Regardless of the length of the session, our days are structured with a variety of activities to thrill and engage each camper. Some activities are firm favorites such as swimming and sports and crafts, and others introduce new experiences such as climbing, fishing, rugby, cooking, kayaking and gardening. Whether 5 or 12 days, campers are kept busy and happy while spending time with new friends. Each camper may attend one overnight session.

Overnight Session Dates for Summer 2020

Session One: Monday, June 22 – Friday, June 26 (5-day session)
Session Two: Monday, June 29 – Friday, July 10
Session Three: Monday, July 13 – Friday, July 24
Session Four: Monday, July 27– Friday, August 7
Session Five: Monday, August 10 – Friday, August 14 (5-day session)*

*Session 5 only: Camper pickup time is at 4pm all other sessions are at 5pm pickup

Each camper may enroll for one overnight session only. The 5 day overnight can be combined with one four-week day camp session.

Summer Camp Open House Dates 2020
CANCELED Saturday, April 18   12 Noon – 3:00 pm
CANCELED Sunday, April 19     12 Noon – 3:00 pm
CANCELEDThursday, June 4, 2020    5:30 – 7:00 pm

The Overnight Camp is divided into Four Villages:

• ’Tween Creeks Village for boys and girls ages 8-9
• Boys Village for boys ages 10-12
• Girls Village, for girls ages 10-12
• Teen Adventure, for boys and girls ages 13-14

During their stay, campers will live in cabins with campers their own age and gender. Campers will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities.   Environmental activities may include creek crawling, fishing, exploring, hiking, plant & animal study and many more.   Sporting activities may include boating, biking, climbing, basketball, soccer, rugby, and softball.  Other activities include arts & crafts, hayrides, dancing, storybook reading, games, ropes course, and others.  At least once while your child is here, they will participate in a “Special Day”. Examples of camp special days are Year-in-a-Day, Super Sunday Carnival, and our most popular Pirate Day.  Campers 8-12 will have the opportunity to participate in a tent camping “overnight” on our property.

A typical daily schedule for campers age 8 – 12 looks like this:

Teen Adventure Program

The Teen Adventure Program is a five- or twelve-day program designed especially for 13 and 14-year-olds who enjoy camping, backpacking, and adventure-based activities. Twenty-four Teen Campers each overnight session will participate in a wide variety of challenges, and no two days will be exactly the same. Teen Adventure Campers reside in their own cabins in Boys Village and Girls Village. This program includes adventure-challenge activities which are based out of both our Horsham and also Spruce Run Mountain Outpost properties. The boys and girls Teen Adventure Groups are not co-ed.

Please note: The 5-day session will be a condensed format of the 12-day program and will not include a visit to the Spruce Run Mountain Outpost or white water rafting, but will focus on our Horsham-based activities.

Spruce Run Outpost Camp (SRO) Teen Adventure Campers will spend five days at Spruce Run Outpost (SRO). This is our 75-acre mountain campus located in the Pocono Mountains near Millville, PA.  The land was purchased by The College Settlement Camps in 1976.  SRO is surrounded on three sides by 6,000 acres of beautiful State Game Lands which can be used by the Camp for program purposes.  The site is heavily timbered, rough and rolling, teeming with deer and other wildlife.   It is ideal for our teens’ environmental education and rustic camping programs. Teen campers are transported the 125 miles to SRO by 10-passenger van. These trips are not co-ed; the girls’ teen and boys’ teen groups are scheduled to stay at SRO at different times.

At SRO, Teen campers will camp in tents or enclosed Adirondack shelters, will help prepare their own meals, and explore their wilderness surroundings.  The program has been developed to take advantage of the natural features of the area and concentrates on nature awareness and outdoor living skills. Teens will participate in one or two-day trips that depart from the Spruce Run Outpost location. The Outpost program is supervised by two Teen Adventure leaders plus one Teen Unit Leader – staff members trained in running the Outpost program.

Our program is designed to allow teens to grow in numerous ways: self- confidence, teamwork, leadership and new outdoor skills. This unique combination fosters an appreciation for the environment, instills a spirit of adventure, and a sense of community through the memorable wilderness and community experiences.  Campers may have the opportunity to participate in a college campus tour, climb our high ropes course, bike and hike through some of Pennsylvania’s most stunning trails and mentor younger campers.

Your teen must realize this can be a physically and emotionally intense program. Expectations for commendable behavior are high as TAP campers are considered role models for younger campers. It takes a certain type of person to accept the challenge and excitement of fulfilling that responsibility.

The Overnight Camp offers children from different ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds the opportunity to live, play and learn together. We do not discriminate as to race, creed, color, national origin, special needs or gender.

Registration

Registration for Summer 2020 is closed.

Licensed Physician Form and up to date immunization history must be completed no more than 4 weeks before the child’s summer session.

Please register for a session with availability and add a waitlist option for any full session you would prefer.  If/when space becomes available we will call you to secure a space for your child. If you need assistance, please call the camp office and ask for Becky or Amber 215-542-7974.

Help Send a Child to Camp

A donation of $250.00 to the Camper Fund helps provide financial assistance for a deserving child. Gifts of any amount are gratefully accepted throughout the year. To donate, you can call our camp office at 215-542-7974, mail a donation check to our camp office, or donate with a credit card through our website by clicking the link on How You Can Help page.

Did you know that it costs Summer Camps at College Settlement over $2,000 per camper for a 12-day session? Continuing our ongoing mission to serve all families, for overnight camp we charge as little as $175 and at most $895 for a 12-day session to overnight camp.  Donations from individuals are crucial to fill the gap. Most of our campers in our 12-day session pay $295 which covers a little over 10% of our actual costs. Gifts of any amount are gratefully accepted throughout the year. To donate, you can mail a donation check to our camp office at College Settlement, Attn: Camper Fund, 600 Witmer Rd, Horsham, PA. 19044, or donate with a credit card through our website by clicking the How You Can Help link above.

Photo Galleries of Summer 2019 are on our Photos page and also our Facebook page

It’s the most fun I’ve ever had!