Junior High Camp

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It is difficult to capture in words the incredible spirit of Junior High Camp (JHC). Campers and staff say that they have more fun than they thought possible every year they attend and that this camp is the place where they are at their best: most adventurous, most excited, most connected to others, most themselves.

Camp is structured around a creative program of workshops and activities. Unlike many other camps, JHC offers campers the freedom to choose how to spend their time and the opportunity to develop and lead activities of their own. At night, there are all-camp performances, amazingly energetic dances, outdoor games, and other celebrations. Some of the most significant moments happen during long talks in cabins and late-night activities.        

Campers discover the importance of spirituality and ritual in Chapel, where they are given space to express their thoughts and feelings aloud. Each night a specific theme—in family, sexuality, nonviolence, gender, or friendship—gets explored in a supportive, sacred space. The mood ranges from joyous to sorrowful and everything in between. We laugh together and help each other through hard times by creating a powerful and loving community. After Chapel, back in the cabins, each person checks in with cabin mates. This process builds trust, and the cabin often becomes a family away from home.

Junior High Camp focuses on community, growth, and total silliness. JHC campers are encouraged to be themselves, to take risks, and to speak from the heart. As young people come to believe in themselves, they see the possibilities for changing the world, and camp becomes a model for connection, peace, and greatness. Space usually goes fast, so sign up right away.

Rowe has never been far from Ben Schnare’s heart ever since he first attended Junior High Camp.  He was so blown away that he has returned almost every summer since. At Hampshire College, he studied clinical psychology, psychoanalysis, philosophy, and blacksmithing, and researched connections between masculinity and aggression. Ben is a fervent baseball and science fiction fan who loves to laugh heartily whenever he has the chance.

Phoebe Westwood is a third-generation Rowie, and is excited to be back at camp after serving two years with AmeriCorps in New York City public schools. Phoebe graduated with a degree in English from Goucher College, where she also studied philosophy and education, and was a proud member of the Hug Club. She has taught, developed and managed youth enrichment programs in Baltimore, San Francisco, and New York, where she currently oversees literacy programs at more than 30 after-school sites. She hails from Western New York, and loves her life in New York City, but felt since her early years that Rowe was her home. She’s excited to return for her 16th summer.