Camp Howe Inc

Camp Howe goes beyond the realm of teaching skills such as kicking a soccer ball, learning a new swim stroke or making a masterpiece in arts and crafts. What we excel at, is having each child learn to accept themselves just as they are – strengths and weakness - and build their confidence and esteem that helps them build on these strengths and weaknesses alike. Learning to genuinely value those around them and appreciate them “just as they are” gives them confidence to break outside their own comfort social zone and engage in meaningful interactions with individuals very different from themselves, both in and outside of camp, to open up a new world for them. We believe that camp is more than summer child care but rather, is a community that helps make the greater world  a better place through
understanding, acceptance and appreciation of the barriers that typically exist.

Our strongest asset is the community that has been established, one that is accepting of differences in others. This forms the basis of all that we do and forms a community that truly embraces and values the differences in each other. In a community of this kind, true life lessons can be experienced, learned, practiced and understood. In this environment youth have the freedom to explore their own personal biases, self concepts and social pressures and the opportunity to make life effecting changes. Parent evaluations indicated that over 70% of the children who attended camp had an increase in the acceptance of differences of others, and over 80% of children increased self-esteem and became more confident and independent.

Camp Howe reaches out to youth who otherwise wouldn’t have a summer experience to learn, grow and enjoy being a child in a safe environment.

Camp Howe has a well established history of successes. Camp Howe is the only camp in the country to have been awarded with the prestigious Eleanor P. Eels Award for Program Excellence from the American Camp Association twice. The first time was for our inclusion of youth with disabilities and last year for our program for teen in the foster care system. In 2020 Camp Howe was one of the first 5 camps in the country to be accredited by the National Inclusion Project for the inclusion of individuals with disabilities.