Camp Fernwood
Since 1921 Camp Fernwood has remained a place of tradition, commitment and warm idealistic spirit. The Fernwood philosophy is dedicated to the growth of character and nurturing traits such as tolerance, unselfishness, and an appreciation of a simpler life in the out-of-doors.Fernwood is a full season (7 week) experience, providing girls with enough time to experience new challenges, develop activity skills and independence, establish enduring friendships, and feel at home within the beautiful surroundings of camp. Camp Fernwood helps to create the foundations for a lifetime of loyalty, integrity, and respect for self and others.Fernwood is a place that recognizes and consistently rewards healthy behaviors. At Fernwood, girls feel like they are part of the community, and therefore they want to take care of the community. We are an organization that cares and notices all efforts and kindness. For Fernwood girls, the process is often more important than the outcome. For our girls, it is not about “being the best” at anything, but about trying the hardest. We strive to consistently and intentionally give our girls the strongest foundation for a happy and fulfilled life.We are often asked the question, “How does Fernwood continue to thrive as a full summer camp?”It takes a long time to do what we do. Camps of many different kinds and lengths of session are overall healthy summer choices for children. However, our experience has shown us that to see the full benefit – experience the depth of relationships, establish the vital sense of connection, and to become a part of something bigger, a longer period of time or immersion is essential. It is in essence the key to our success.In a world that is increasingly hectic and impersonal, Fernwood isn’t. Fernwood is not just any experience. Fernwood is a series of life changing, reinforcing events that teach girls how to be happy, well adjusted, and confident young women.
Summer Address
48 Camp Fernwood Lane
Poland, ME 04274
+1.207.998.4346
Winter Address
6035 Goshen Road
Newtown Square, PA 19073
+1.610.356.7602
Memories of Camp
Read these stories from our camp community and add yours:
rebecca said...
Sending my twin girls off for 7 weeks of summer camp was not easy, but we knew that camp would help them grown and mature as individuals like no other experience. Fernwood exceeded our and their expectations more than we thought possible. I will never forget the phone call from one of my daughters who is not one to love physical exertion or challenges, and when I picked up the phone she screamed with excitement, "I climbed a mountain!!" She was so proud that she had gone on an all day hike and made it to the top of the mountain - something that she would normally have shunned. Now she considers herself a camper, is way more willing to try new physical activities and has so much confidence socially too. It was an incredible experience and we can't wait for summer 2012!
karen said...
I have 3 daughters, all of whom have each attended Fernwood for 7 years. That means i have trusted them with my children for a total of 11 summers. 7 years go we told our daughters that we were moving from NJ to CA. The first thing (I swear this is the truth) they asked was,"Can we still go to Fernwood?". I have had only one child who needed to go outside the camp for emergency medical treatment and I felt it was handled professionally and responsibly. I was consulted and kept up to date as I was 3,000 miles away. I truly feel that Fernwood has been a life altering experience for all of my daughters. The staff in particular is wonderful. We have had several counselors visit and stay with us in CA. My favorite memory of Fernwood follows. We were not sure on our first visiting day how long it would take us to get to camp so we left the hotel very early and ended up being the second car on line. We discovered that this was a BIG deal as we had arrived only a few minutes after the first and they had been first every year that their daughters had been there. The next year was the same but that was their last year - and they handed their #1 spot to us. Forvthe next 9 years, we were always the first car to arrive, bringing doughnuts for the counselors who stand guard at the gates until it is time to allow us in. On our last summer, our daughter was told by another camper that this year HER parents were going to be first because when her mother attended Fernwood, her parents had always been first. One of our favorite male counselors was as upset by this as our daughter, so they called to warn us. The counselor told us,"I think we will put up a tent in front of the gates. If anyone gets here before you, we will tell them that you were here all night and that you just went to get some coffee.". Of course we thought he was joking, but when we pulled up the the next morning, there was the tent with a big sign with our name on it. Fernwood has not only left our children with priceless memories, but us as well. We have met some of our closest friends at camp and my daughters have already informed me that they intend to send their daughters to Fernwood.