Resident Camp

Resident Camp, our Campers say it's the best place in the world.

Camp Jorn YMCA has made a commitment to ensure a positive and safe camping experience for each child who attends our summer program. Our focus on character development helps youth to grow in the areas of our 4 core values - caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Campers choose 3 instructional classes for the week ensuring growth, progression, and competence. Days are rounded out with cabin activities such as tubing, sailing, cabin challenges, sports and much more. Evenings are a time for everyone to come together for all-camp activities such as campfires, skits, group games, etc. Each cabin group may participate in a cook out or overnight on or near Camp Jorn.

Camp Jorn YMCA’s goals are:

1. Campers will develop personal growth and higher sense of self while engaging in challenging activities that promote positive risk taking, independence, and opportunity for success

2. Campers will learn to make & maintain positive relationships with their peers and friends while building a sense of community

3. Campers will learn the YMCA core values to help them become positive well-rounded individuals:

Honesty: Campers will be taught the value of honesty while at camp, to speak and act with sincerity, truthfulness, fairness and integrity.
Respect: Campers will be taught the meaning of respect, to show consideration for self, others and the environment
Caring: Campers will be shown how to care for themselves and others, to provide compassion and understanding and to recognize the goodness in others
Responsibility: Campers will experience responsibility for themselves, their actions, their belongs, and camp property. They will be taught to do what is right, to be accountable for your behavior and obligations, to persevere to completion
Personal Growth: Campers will learn to develop in the four personal competencies - compassion, contribution, commitment and character – in order to discover and to be our best selves

Camp Jorn staff work with parents and campers to determine readiness and eligibility for specific programs. Camp offers different session lengths and a variety of canoe / backpacking trips that are based on physical ability, age and development. Some classes like waterskiing and sailing are optional and require swimming ability. Swimming levels are determined by a skills test on the first day. We recognize that children develop at different rates, and some may need more support than others. Our goal is to work in partnership with parents to ensure physical, emotional, and cognitive development match the ongoing skills progression required for safe participation. Camp will provide safety equipment like lifejackets and program equipment like archery bows that are the appropriate size for each.