2026 YOUTH SUMMER CAMP IN MASSACHUSETTS!
Founded in 1924, Rowe Camp is a community where campers and staff co-create each camp session. At camp, young people learn how to listen, make new friends, find their voice, try new things, and explore how they fit into the world.
- Self Expression: Campers exploring their identity is a cornerstone of our programming at Rowe. We offer gender neutral cabins and open spaces to discuss topics such as race, class, and gender; helping youth discover their sense of self.
- Camper Autonomy: Campers have the option to attend scheduled programming, or create their own experience. A variety of workshops and activities are offered each day that are informed by the interests of the campers.
- Screen-Free Camp: Our device-free campus allows for deeper connections.
- Connection to Nature: Rowe has over 50 acres of woods on its campus and borders Pelham Lake Park, which the campers visit regularly.
SUMMER CAMP DATES & FEES
YPC1 (Young People’s Camp)
Ages 8-10
June 27th – July 4th, 2026
1 Week | $1350
YPC2 (Young People’s Camp)
Ages 10-12
July 5th – July 18th, 2026
2 Weeks | $2700
Junior High Camp
Ages 13 to 15
August 2nd – August 15th, 2026
2 Week | $2700
Senior High Camp
Ages 15 to 18
July 19th – August 1, 2026
2 Weeks | $2700
Chapel
Campers often return home, citing Chapel as one of the most special parts of being at Rowe. Chapel serves as a space where campers gather together to reflect and share; often centered around deeper topics than explored in the rest of daily programming. While founded by Unitarian Universalists, the camps subscribe to the UU ethos in an ethical practice, as opposed to in any religious way. For our younger cohorts, evening programming alternates between Chapels and All Camp Activities. Campers walk to the Chapel each evening in our older camps, where most are structured in a Quaker Meeting sharing style; where staff introduce a theme, such as family, friendship, or technology, and give campers space to speak into the silence to share their lived experiences. We also host lighthearted Chapels, like Music Chapel where the community gathers to sing and play music, or Play Chapel, where the Chapel is filled with cardboard boxes and art materials for the group to cocreate together. In the older camps, Staff leave space on the camp calendar for campers to brainstorm their own Chapel ideas and bring those to fruition.
Check-in
Check-in is often held as one of the most important traditions at Rowe. Each night in cabins, after a jam-packed day of fun, campers spend time sharing and listening to each other in a time of reflection. Each camper is given the opportunity to talk freely about their day and any emotions that come up, while the cabinmates listen. Check-in is a safe space for our campers to practice both sharing and being a support for one another. Cabins sometimes even make special Check-ins, i.e. Check-in under the stars outside, a Rose-Bud-Thorn sharing prompt, or even a music Check-in where campers share a song that is special to them. Check-in is a cornerstone in our community building at Rowe Camp.
Social Justice Program
Founded over 100 years ago, Rowe has always been a space where minds could expand, and hearts could open. During Rowe Camp’s first summer, Campers came together to send a letter to President Coolidge outlining their protest of furthering war efforts after World War One. Coolidge responded, telling the campers they were, “misinformed,” to which the following camp session came together in resolution: “We are strongly in favor of the outlawry of war, of the peaceable solution of national disputes, [and] the adoption of the machinery of peace.”
Creating a world centered in liberation for all is at the heart of all Rowe Camp programming. From discussion based workshops that tackle topical issues, to helping our youngest campers identify their passions and host marches in solidarity, uplifting youth voices is woven into the foundation of each camp. The older cohorts participate in All Camp programming entitled Race and Class at Camp, while the younger ages engage with these themes more through play, focusing more on identifying power dynamics. Rowe also has a long and proud history of being a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth, being one of the first camps in the country to offer a gender-inclusive cabin option for campers. Our hope is that campers leave their experience here with a sense of deep belonging, empowerment, and the tools to create a better world.
All Camp Activities
Unlike Workshops that happen in smaller cohorts, All Camp Activities are programs larger in scale that all campers are invited to participate in! These are some of your more classic, camp traditions like talent shows, larger games, and dances. These are almost always held in the evenings. If there is a Theme Day, an All Camp Activity will often accompany it, like a giant scavenger hunt for a Pirate Theme Day, or themed sensory maze. Staff make sure to provide a variety of All Camp Activities to meet the variety of camper interests.
Meals and KP
At Rowe, we are lucky to have a talented set of Cooks who run a full kitchen for us over the Summer. Food is served family style, with campers and staff alike sitting together to enjoy every meal. Studies show that eating meals together show positive correlations for youth’s mental and dietary health. We offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, and our responsive kitchen staff works to create Camp magic with Theme Meals scattered throughout the session! These range from silly themes such as: “EDM (Every Dessert Matters)”, with a side of optional EDM music, and “The Tables are Under Repair” where we all ate sitting in our chairs, but with no tables! Campers are split into groups (called KP for Kitchen Party) to help clean up after meals, as well as larger, weekly clean-ups of community spaces. Instilling a sense of stewardship is an important part of each Camp.
Theme Days
Theme Days often become what a camp session is best known for! These range from more whimsical and structured, such as The Raccoons are Running the Show, to more introspective themes, such as A Better World is Possible! Themes invite campers into the programming that spans all the activities offered during the day. Meals, Chapels and All Camp activities may harken back to whatever is being highlighted. In our older camps, we leave space for campers to co-create theme days with staff later in the session; helping their ideas come to life! Designating space for campers to facilitate their own camp experience is central to our philosophy at Rowe.
Workshops / Playshops
Workshops and All-Camp activities make up the majority of the day time at Camp. Some workshops are offered as one-offs, while others are ongoing, multi-day programming. The younger camps call them Playshops, where offerings range from soccer in the Orchard to covering yourself in paint in the art room! The older camps offer more on-going workshops; from creating a camp band, searching for critters in the woods, to even filming parodies of famous films, but this time, starring bugs! These activities are facilitated by staff, however are emergent, meaning they are catered to each camp’s interests and passions. Each Camp session’s programming is unique from the last!
Age Range Note:
Rowe strives to be a place of inclusion and empowerment for all of our campers. The age ranges listed for each camp are what we feel is appropriate for our programming. However, there is some flexibility in the listed age ranges, especially between the YPC sessions.
If you feel that your camper would be most comfortable in a younger session, we are happy to work out accommodations.
Young People’s Camp
YPC 1: June 27th-July 4th, 2026
Ages 8-10
YPC 2: July 5th-July 18th, 2026
Ages 10-12
YPC is all about fun! Every day offers a variety of choices ranging from quiet activities like bracelet making or painting a mural to rowdy and adventurous playshops exploring the woods, playing ultimate frisbee, or blowing bubbles off the front porch. One day we may dress up like goofy animals, and another we may do everything backwards. Together we sing, dance, create, and re-connect to the world around us.
Junior High Camp
August 2nd-August 15th, 2026 | Ages 13-15
At JHC we create an alive and responsive community with one dominant theme: FUN! Mornings offer reoccurring workshops like zine making, creek stomping, searching for critters, and ultimate frisbee. Afternoon activities change daily, we do everything from tie-dying to swimming, from saunas to social discourse. Each day is built with the collective imaginations of the staff and campers. Evenings center around all-camp activities and events. The night ends with a visit to the chapel and a cabin check-in. Chapels and check-ins are an opportunity for sharing our inner thoughts and feelings or for simply finding the quiet place inside of us.
Senior High Camp
July 19th – August 1st, 2026 | Ages 15-18
Each day campers participate in a wide variety of amazing workshops on topics such as identity, spirituality, activism, and connecting with nature. In the evenings, campers join the whole community for talent shows, large scale games, or dances. At the end of each evening we all go to Chapel for a time of sharing readings, songs, and reflections about things that touch them most deeply. It is a time when they can choose to express, or simply feel, in an atmosphere of acceptance and safety. At the heart of all camp activities is the core value of youth empowerment.
WHY ROWE CAMP?
We build an atmosphere of trust, safety, freedom, honesty, and caring that makes it possible for teenagers to take risks: to talk about what they’re really feeling, sing a song in front of fifty people, and express their true selves.
For many, YPC is their first time away from home, which can be both scary and exciting. Enrollment is limited for YPC, so each camper receives close, individual attention. The goals of YPC include creating a sense of community and safety, using the environment as a tool for learning, exploring who each camper is and their relationship to others, using art for expression, and encouraging the magic of childhood, with the hope of developing deep self and spiritual awareness and appreciation.
At our older camps, campers have the freedom to spend time how they wish: going wild in the art room, inventing songs, planning workshops, or laying on the ground staring at the stars. At Rowe, campers learn how to listen, make new friends, find their voice, try new things, and deeply respect their community and the spaces they share. We help teens see and believe in what they have to offer, helping prepare them to make the world a better place.
FINANCIAL AID
The Rowe Center understands that many factors outside of gross income impact an individual’s ability to pay including family dynamics, job stability, housing, number of dependents, immigration status and level of debt.
We want camp to be as accessible as possible. We offer payment plans and scholarships. Please reach out directly if you have concerns about the deposit amount. All requests will be kept strictly confidential.
YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!
Welcome to Rowe, where you are embraced just as you are. Since our inception in 1924, inclusion and acceptance have been foundational to our ethos.
As pioneers among summer camps, we introduced gender-neutral cabin options early on, ensuring that respecting your pronouns is a natural aspect of camp life.
We understand dietary needs vary; whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, or have other preferences, you’re valued here. We offer scholarships and financial aid to support economic and cultural diversity, aiming for a community as diverse as the world itself. Our staff goes to great lengths to ensure everyone feels welcomed, accepted, and can fully engage in the camp experience.
We strive to accommodate a wide range of needs. However, there may be situations where the specific requirements exceed our capabilities. In such cases, we encourage reaching out to discuss potential accommodations. If we’re unable to meet these needs, we gently suggest considering alternative options to ensure the best summer experience.
For any specific questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.