“She loved Cabin Wars!”

That’s what Kylee’s father, Donald, said was her favorite part of camp last summer.

“It was Super Hero week and Cabin 4’s theme was Wonder Woman,” he said. “They earned points for decorating, and her cabin won.”

For Donald, the highlight of the week is seeing the absolute joy she experiences and how much fun she has.

“This week is about Kylee,” he said.

Kylee will soon be 15 and has been attending Pine Tree Camp since she was eight years old. As soon as camp is over, she is already counting down the days until the following summer. With every passing day, Kylee’s countdown is getting shorter and shorter.

Pine Tree Camp’s application season is in full swing and Dawn Willard-Robinson, director of Pine Tree Camp says campers like Kylee can expect a few enhancements to programming this summer.

“Our campers have been telling us that they would like opportunities to build more skills in specific areas,” said Willard-Robinson. “Based on that feedback, we added a new aspect to our programming that will allow campers to spend more time in areas that are of interest to them and set goals around that activity. For example, if a camper chooses to focus on outdoor camping, they can focus on skills like building a fire, cooking a one-pot meal and building a shelter. In drama, they can act or direct a play. In music, they can learn chords on an instrument and write their own song.”

According to Willard-Robinson, for campers like Kylee, learning new skills and exceeding expectations at Pine Tree Camp has a dramatic impact that gives them the confidence to try new things when they return home.

“People try things at Pine Tree Camp that they may not be willing to try at school,” said Willard-Robinson. “Pine Tree Camp offers a safe place to try new things alongside friends who understand and support each other. Our campers then take that skill they’ve learned or a new love of an activity and translate that into something they can do when they aren’t at camp, like joining the drama club at school or participating in Special Olympics. Pine Tree Camp’s impact is more than just the length of the session. The experience impacts our campers for a lifetime.”