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The Social Network–Summer Camp Style!

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Our guest blog this week is courtesy of Patrick at Camp Starlight…

If most Camp Starlight campers were asked to close their eyes and think about camp, their minds would be flooded with memories of times in the bunk, at campfires with their friends, winning a Wayne County game, or shaking their napkin in the dining hall. If you asked most Camp Starlight campers about their world outside of camp, most would likely at least mention their use of technology such as computers, video games, or cell phones. The fact of the matter is the era that we are living in is a revolving door of technology. Almost everything is done by computer, involves the Internet, or can be done from the tiny keyboard on your cell phone. By joining the Starlight community during the summer, campers and staff are given an opportunity to be a part of a real live social network away from computer screens and cell phones.

Summers at Starlight give campers and staff the break from all of the technology, therefore creating camp’s own social network. Instead of writing on a friend’s Facebook wall for their birthday, we cheer as they are called to raise the flag at line-up and then join them for canteen during rest hour! Conversations over text are replaced with face-to-face interaction throughout the day. And boy’s side chants and jeers as the sports’ scores are reported to a rapt audience instead of being read from a glowing computer or television screen.

By no means is technology an unfavorable benefit to today’s society. However, at Camp Starlight, we create an atmosphere all our own where campers can step back from the sometimes consuming world of technology. They engage with others around them, creating friendships and bonding through old-fashioned conversations and shared experiences. These experiences bring life to the basketball courts, at project tables in arts and crafts, while helping others learn their lines for the upcoming show at the Starlight Playhouse, and many more every day. This social network buzzing through the grounds of Camp Starlight is fun and exciting while it is also a great way our campers develop stronger social skills and interact with other campers and staff. Countless memories are created without any form of technology, and it is a nice break from the busy and often times impersonal world in which we live.

At the end of the day, campers climb into bed without worries of charging gadgets or shutting down their computers. They close their eyes and drift off to sleep with the excitement for what the next amazing day at camp will hold for them!

–Patrick

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Are You One in a Million?

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

According to the American Camp Association (ACA), nearly 1.2 million people take on the adventure of working at camp each summer.  They come from all over the world and all walks of life.  Some of them are former campers while others have never experienced summer camp at all.  Their educations are as diverse as their backgrounds and many of them choose summer camp over a traditional internship because of the unique, well-rounded work experience it provides.   Whether the winter weather already has you thinking about what you’ll be doing this summer or you’re just browsing summer employment opportunities, it’s worth asking yourself, “Am I  one in a million?” :

  • Summer camp staff come from all over the world.  Increasingly, as summer camps recognize their unique position to promote a global community in a fun, relaxed environment, they are recruiting staff from near and far.   The ACA reports that within the last decade “there has been an increase in the use of international staff to expose campers to different cultures.”  If you live outside of the U.S. and you’ve been wanting to travel to the USA, summer camp is a great way to earn some cash while getting to intimately experience life here.  If you’re an American and a trip abroad just isn’t quite in the budget, you need go no further than a residential summer camp to make new friends from all over the world—and pad your bank account while doing it!
  • If you think that being a former camper is a pre-requisite to being a great camp counselor, think again.  Many camp staff members who return to camp year after year never even set foot on a summer camp campus prior to working at one.  Like many of their colleagues, that one step was all it took.  They were won over and continue to return each season.
  • Summer camp employment isn’t just for education majors and coaches.  Increasingly, those with majors in the social sciences, sciences, math, engineering, and even medicine and nursing are finding a summer home at camp as an alternative to the traditional internship.  Summer camp provides many unique experiences that one can gain nowhere else, such as a 24/7 commitment and the opportunity to simultaneously work with children and adults in a close-knit family type community.  Summer camp also develops a diverse range of core skills valued by employers today.  As a camp staff member, one must make split second decisions, be an efficient negotiator, use creativity to sell ideas and concepts, resolve conflict, solve problems, be an effective leader, know how to prioritize, be extremely flexible, accept change, and be awesome when it comes to multi-tasking.  If it sounds like a big order, it is.  But almost all who take on the challenge report that it’s also one of the most fun and rewarding experiences upon which they’ve ever embarked.
  • If you are an education major or a coach, have you thought of summer camp as an opportunity to build experience working with children ages 7-15?  Working at summer camp develops many of the same skills that are often used in the classroom or on the field.  Many educational institutions view summer camp experience as some of the  most valuable on a potential educator’s resume.
  • How many traditional internships pay you AND provide you with room and board?  In addition to a stipend for the summer, almost all residential summer camp positions offer room and board as part of their employment packages.  What this means to you is that, potentially, everything you earn throughout the summer goes straight into your pocket…or your bank account, as the case may be.  Even if you allow yourself a bit to splurge on sightseeing around the local area (many of America’s finest summer camps are located in some of the most beautiful parts of the country), it’s still possible to take home a substantial amount of cash at the end of the summer.  This is particularly appealing when one considers how much rent and food can add up to over a summer.

If you’re looking for the summer job to beat all summer jobs, summer camp may definitely be your cup of tea.  At summer camp, everyday will be a new adventure that takes you both indoors and out from sunrise to sunset.  There are no cubicles, no computers (aside from computers available for staff to use on their free time), and no time clocks.  And…there are beautiful surroundings, a camp full of campers who depend on you, a slew of challenges you never knew you’d face (and enjoy), and a circle of lifetime friends waiting to meet you.  If you’re one in a million, what are you waiting for?  If you are a college or university student, check your college’s upcoming career fair lineups.  Many summer camps travel to universities to recruit this time of year.  It may be possible to meet the first member of your future camp family in person.  If your college days are behind you or there are no summer camps scheduled to visit your university, you can apply directly through most camp webpages or through one of the many camp sites that allow you to simultaneously apply to several camps at once.  Some sites to help you get started:
www.camplaurel.com
www.campstarlight.com
www.weequahic.com
www.laurelsouth.com

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Try Something New at Summer Camp

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

It’s a Tuesday afternoon in July at Camp Weequahic in Northeast Pennsylvania and while some campers are busy with the usual summer camp fare-arts and crafts, soccer, roller hockey, theater, etc–others are learning how to clear a ramp with their boards in the new skate park that made its debut in the summer of 2011 and instantly became one of the most popular programs at the camp.  At Camp Laurel South in Maine, campers are learning the great watersport of Crew on Crescent Lakes.  Camp Laurel is bringing campers together as part of a Rock Band while Camp Starlight is introducing them to world of giving back through its new Community Service program.

Everyone knows about the traditional fun stuff that summer camp offers—but more and more, non traditional activities are gaining popularity with campers. No doubt, summer camp is a world steeped in tradition, but it’s also a world of innovation, offering children a chance to think outside the box and reach beyond the everyday through their imaginations.  At summer camp, children can be rock stars, magicians, skate aficionados, ga-ga pros, robot enthusiasts, rocket makers and aspiring chefs.  The setting of summer camp no doubt contributes to the ability of campers to try new activities.  After all, part of the “spirit” of summer camp, as reported by the American Camp Association, is “play”.  Camp is the perfect place for children to place themselves in new situations without feeling threatened or judged.  Thus, they’re relaxed being on a skateboard for the first time or being the drummer in a band.  Maybe this is why so many campers have reported first trying an activity that eventually became a passion at summer camp.

The fact that summer camps have the resources to offer new, exciting activities to children that their parents may not otherwise be able to let them experience is also worthy of mentioning.  Constructing a skate park, a ga-ga pit, or a recording studio in the backyard can be costly.  But at summer camp, such programs provide many children with the benefit of being able to explore new areas.  So next July give your children the opportunity to try something new on a Tuesday afternoon.

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Choosing the Right Summer Camp Program

Friday, November 11th, 2011

One thing that is essential to a successful summer camp experience is a solid summer camp program.  Sure, summer camp is full of fun activities, but scheduling those activities throughout the summer so that every camper has equal opportunity and experience can be challenging.  Some camps prefer to divide all of the daily activities equally among campers on a rotating schedule, while others place campers completely in the driver’s seat.  Both styles of program options have benefits and, often, the type of camp program that is right for your child comes down to your child’s style and tastes.

For many younger campers, especially first time campers, summer camp is about familiarizing one’s self with the summer camp environment and making new friends.  So they’re happy to have all or most of their daily activities choices scheduled for them.  However, many older campers, and some younger more independent campers, prefer to make all or most of their own decisions about what they do on a daily basis.  Fortunately, there is an array of camps that offer different types of scheduling that cater to campers’ programming needs.

A lot of camps offer a hybrid program; one that schedules some activities while giving campers the opportunity to choose their own activities for one or more activity periods.  These types of programs, such as those offered at Camp Starlight and Camp Laurel, are popular with campers because they offer an element of autonomy alongside structure.  Some campers, however, are either not quite ready for the intensity of a specialized camp or prefer the offerings of a traditional summer camp but like having the freedom to choose their own daily activities.  For these campers, there are summer camps that offer a complete option scheduling program that literally allows campers to choose what they do each day.  Camp Laurel South (with a guided chocie program) and Camp Weequahic (whose motto is Your Sumer…Your Choice)  are two camps that have found success with unique programming structures.

Deciding which is better for your children requires a close evaluation of their needs. Do your children want to enjoy the general environment of summer camp or is there a specific activity on which they’d like to focus?  Do your children have a hard time making decisions?  If so, then a camp program that makes most of their decisions for them, based on their personal interests, might be the best bet.  But if your child is one who likes making independent choices, from what they eat for breakfast in the morning to the clothes they wear to school and how their bedroom is arranged, then a complete choice program might be better.  It’s also important to keep in mind your reason for sending your children to camp.  If it’s to experience new things, then a camp program that primarily rotates a prescribed set of activities amongst campers while giving them two or three choices will likely be a better choice.  However, if you’re children have embraced summer camp as a way to spend more time doing a particular activity that they love or is more inclined to a particular sport or hobby, a complete options based program might be right for them.

Ultimately, deciding which program type is best for your children involves speaking with them and choosing a summer camp with a clear set of expectations about what you and they expect to take away from the experience.

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Summer Camp: Defining Routine and Ritual

Friday, September 30th, 2011

Routines.  Everyone has them.  For some, they encompass everything that takes place from the time we wake in the morning until we go to bed at night.  For others, they come in short bursts throughout the day, such as at mealtimes or bedtime.  However, establishing routines as daily parts of our lives is important, especially for children.  Childcare experts agree that establishing regular routines for children is essential for healthy development.  The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning reports that “Studies have documented that schedules and routines influence children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development.”

It’s no secret that summer camps provide loose routines that allow room for healthy creative development through structured daily programs and schedules that maintain consistent meal, activity, and bedtimes.  Maintaining a routine throughout the summer is also valuable in easing the transition from summer to fall and back into summer again.  However, one special aspect of summer camp that is often overlooked is that it helps children learn to understand the difference between routine and ritual—what makes one necessity and the other tradition.

Barbara H. Fiese, Ph.D., Syracuse University, defines routine as something that “involves a momentary time commitment so that once the act is completed, there is little, if any, afterthought.”  However, she defines ritual as “symbolic communication” that has “continuity in meaning across generations.”  Rituals take place within the home family setting.  However, for children, it’s not always clear how to tell the difference between what is done simply to be done and what is  done because it’s significant to their heritage.  This is where the summer camp ritual takes on a special significance.  Even executives such as Michael Eisner have publicly recalled the important role that summer camp rituals have played in their lives.

Summer camp often draws a distinct line between routine and ritual.  Campers understand, for instance, that cleaning their bunks or cabins everyday is part of a routine.  That following an activities schedule is part of routine.  That hearing TAPS in the evening to signal bedtime is a part of routine.  They, too, understand that campfires, however regular, are rituals.  They are more than just a fire that they gather around to eat s’mores.  Campfires have meaning that goes far beyond the fire itself.  The same can be said about opening night shows, closing, and fireworks.  Campers understand that these are not just routines done merely to achieve a goal.  They’re rituals that make their summer camp the place that it is and them a part of it.

By being able to tell the difference, children are able to accept routine as something that needs to be done and prevent rituals from simply becoming routine by understanding the value in them.  Dr. Fiese says that children will often revisit memories of rituals in order to “recapture some of the positive.” experience.”  This perhaps explains why so many camp rituals remain sacred to campers far passed their camping years.  Some of America’s Finest Summer Camps’ rituals hold special significance for campers and staff members: coves, campfires, flagpole nominations, opening night shows, banquets, competitions, and other activities that bring them together.  For a closer look at each camp’s rituals, visit the Camp Laurel, Camp Laurel South, Camp Weequahic, and Camp Starlight blogs.

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Community Service

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

This summer, Camp Starlight, one of America’s Finest Summer Camps, implemented a new community service program.  For this week’s guest blog, we thought we’d share this one from Camp Starlight regarding the success of the new program:

“This summer the upper camp girls participated in a new option period, community service.  The girls who had chosen community service were able to work with Allison Miller in creating a way to give back.  Following visiting day, the campers are allowed to have their candy for 48 hours.  Allison and the girls came up with an idea called Operation Canteen to collect the candy after the deadline.   After distributing fifty four Starlight tin boxes to the boy and girl HC’s the campers were told to gather their left over visiting day candy and place it in the boxes.   Once the committee collected all the boxes, Allison will send them to the troops fighting for us in the Middle East.  We are all very excited to know that we are going to give back to the people who really deserve it!

-Girls of the Operation Canteen Committee

The community service program is now working on an art project for fundraising for the residents of Joplin.”

*This blog was originally posted to the Camp Starlight website on July, 29, 2011.

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Where in the World are America’s Finest Summer Camps? Part I

Saturday, July 30th, 2011

Have you ever wondered where, exactly, are American summer camps?  What are the towns like?  Is there anything worth a look besides the camp?  The answer is YES!  America’s Finest Summer Camps are located in some of the most beautiful and historical areas of the U.S. and the surrounding regions are often overflowing with plenty of worthwhile things to do and see.  The following blog is courtesy of Camps Laurel and Laurel South and provides a glimpse into Mount Vernon and Casco, the homes of the Laurel camps.

“If you know Camp Laurel or Laurel South, you’re familiar with Mount Vernon or Casco. You might think of them as way stations on your way to or from camp – but they’re much more than that.

Elizabeth Arden health spa hereMount Vernon is a gem in the Kennebec River valley. The tiny beach next to the community center; the former church with Victorian stick-work; the 200-year-old gristmill; the brick general store selling everything you could possibly think of (from bait to pesto) – all make it worth more than drive-through on the way somewhere else.

Filled with artists, writers, educators, farmers and retirees, it’s got a quirky, eclectic but very real community feel. It’s also got plenty of history. Elizabeth Arden built a health spa here. Her guests included Eleanor Roosevelt, Judy Garland and Ava Gardner.

Olde Post Office CaféMount Vernon has a “hippie sensibility” – really a spirit of independence and self-reliance – that dates back to the 1700s, Downeast Magazine has written. With only 1,500 residents – along with moose, deer and bald eagles — the town packs a lot into its hilltop meadows, wooded valleys, ponds and lakes.

If you have time for only one thing in Mount Vernon, head to the Olde Post Office Café. It’s the unofficial town center for breakfast or lunch. You won’t regret it.

Casco, in the Sebago Lakes Region, also dates its founding to the 1700s. It too was a mill town. In the 1840s, steamboats on Sebago Lake and the canals carried tourists and freight. The lake – since 1938, part of a state park – helps shape the town’s character, and provides plenty of recreational opportunities.

Sebago Lake, Casco, ME

Point Sebago Resort offers many of the amenities of Laurel South (for those who are not of camp age), while the town itself – about the same size as Mount Vernon – has a variety of good restaurants. One of our favorite stops is Webbs Mills Variety just down the road from camp. It’s meatloaf sandwich is a favorite. And how about Crescent Lake? It is truly one of southern Maine’s most beautiful. There’s really nothing like it.

Blacksmiths WineryYou also can’t leave Casco without a quick stop at Blacksmiths Winery for a sip on the famous Porch or in the Tasting Room.

Casco’s not far from Portland – providing a nice counterpart to city and ocean tourism for anyone heading back and forth from Laurel South.

So, join us at camp this summer for a visit…and get a taste of the local color in Mt Vernon or Casco.”

In Part II, we’ll take a look at some of the unique and special areas of the Catskills and Poconos, the beautiful mountain areas of Northeast Pennsylvania and New York state that surround Camps Starlight and Weequahic.

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A Peek at What’s Happening at AFSC Right Now!

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

The start of summer 2011 is at hand and the always amazing staffs of America’s Finest Summer Camps assembled this week at their respective camps, excited to be with old friends as well as new and anxious to begin preparing for the campers.   We thought we’d take a moment to share the success of each staff orientation so far…

Fun is the word over at Camp Laurel in Maine: 

“Staff Orientation is in full swing! All our staff is at camp learning the ins-and-outs of being a camp counselor and having a blast. It’s certainly a talented crew! We’ve had a jam-packed week so far with Leadership Training Sessions, Health and Safety Seminars, Typical Day At Camp, Role Playing, Staff Chaos, Campus Competes, Field Night, CL Drafts, Swim Tests, Driving Tests and so much more. We even brought in Maine’s premier Square Dance Caller, Al Hipkins, for a little Hoe-Down last night. Yeehaw! We still have a lot to do before camper arrival day on Saturday but we can’t wait. Only 5 days till camp!!!”

A hop and a skip away, the Laurel South Staff has been enjoying themselves as well:

“Staff Orientation has been amazing and the weather has been spectacular. With counselors now assigned to cabins, we are focused on learning all about our wonderful campers, learning the Laurel South culture, readying the cabins and program areas and bonding as a cohesive unit. Camp looks great. In fact, the only thing that could make it look better is the faces of 400 campers arriving this Thursday!!! We can’t wait to see you!”

In Pennsylvania, it’s all about friends and family. 

Camp Starlight reports:

“ It goes without saying that some things just happen almost by themselves – the sun comes out, the sky turns blue and the red bunks seem to gleam against the impossibly green grass – but that’s just a small part of summer.  Camp just wouldn’t be the same without the amazing people, both campers and counselors alike, who become our friends and surrogate family for just a few weeks.

Our staff this year comes from 39 states and 13 countries – that’s a lot of air miles clocked up just getting here!  Our staff are some of the best in their field and it is testament to Camp Starlight’s reputation that they want to spend the summer sharing these skills with others.  The passion, the drive and commitment of all our staff is evident and unquestionable”.

And Weequahic summed it all up, saying:

“Wow!  Our staff is really working well together.  They can’t wait to see everyone in a few short days!”

With so much fun, new friendships, and memories already, we can only imagine how awesome it’s going to be when the campers’ arrive in just a couple of short days!

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America’s Finest Summer Camps: More than 200 Combined Successful Summers

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

As part of iconic America, many American summer camps are steeped in rich histories.  America’s Finest Summer Camps are no exception.  We thought we would take a minute to share a brief history of each camp with you.

Camp Laurel
Camp Laurel was founded in 1949 and has been in continuous operation ever since. Its original site was on Lake Awosting, New York. During this period, the camp was under the co‑direction of Mel and Bette Archard and John and Alice Harrison. In the fall of 1965 the camp moved to its present site on Echo Lake in Mt. Vernon, Maine. Camp Laurel opened at its new site on July 1, 1966. In 1974 Ron Scott began working for Camp Laurel on a full‑time basis, and in 1978 Ron and Ann joined Mel and Bette as Directors. In 1979 Ron and Ann purchased Camp Laurel and assumed the roles of Owners and Directors. In 1994, after spending three summers as Co-Director, Keith Klein purchased Camp Laurel and has served as Owner and Director since that time. Jem Sollinger, a long-time camper and counselor, joined Keith as Co-Director in 2002. In 2007, Jem and his wife, Debbie, assumed the directorship of Laurel. Keith maintains an active role as Director and spends his summers on Echo Lake, Maine along with Jem and Debbie.

Camp Starlight
Founded in 1947 by the Schmierer family, 2011 marks Camp Starlight’s 65th year of making tradition, spirit, friendship, adventure, family, and fun.  These are the words used by campers, parents, and staff to define their experiences and memories of Camp Starlight.  Located in Starlight, Pennsylvania, just two and a half hours northwest of New York City, a drive up the mile long road brings you to the 285 acre brother/sister campus with its own private lakes and surrounded by the “endless mountains” of Pennsylvania.

A glimpse at the endless rows of bunk plaques inside the Dining Room will provide any visitor with an instant glimpse of what a special place Camp Starlight has been to campers and staff alike in its 65 years of existence.  David and Allison Miller purchased Camp Starlight in 1999 and are now in their 13th year of serving as its Owners/Directors.

Camp Laurel South
Laurel camping was founded in 1949 and Camp Laurel operated its first summer in 1950 under the direction of the Archard and Harrison families.  In 1974, Ron and Ann Scott joined Ann’s parents, Mel and Bette Archard, as Directors.  In 1979 Ron and Ann purchased Laurel and assumed the roles of Owners and Directors.  In 1994, Keith Klein purchased Camp Laurel from the Scotts.  Keith owns Laurel today along with his partners, Jem and Debbie Sollinger. The Scotts purchased the former Dr. Johnson’s Camps in 1992 at its site on Crescent Lake in Casco, Maine, and renamed it Laurel South.  Laurel South operated its first summer in 1993 under the leadership of Roger and Dagni Christian.  In the fall 0f 1998, Roger and Dagni, along with Keith, took ownership of Laurel South and continue their partnership to this day.

While Laurel South is known as a first-rate facility, Roger, Dagni and Keith have always maintained that it is the people who make Laurel South the special place it is today.  Every camper and counselor has left an impression on our camp and contributed to the rich tradition we enjoy.  As we speak with Laurel South alumni, we often hear stories of Spirit Days, Council Fires, Carnival, S- Day’s, Ohana, Socials…the list goes on and on.  The overriding theme that ties each of these stories together is memories. Memories of friendships and fun which last long after the summers spent at camp.

Camp Weequahic
Weequahic was founded in 1953 by Art and Mollie Lustig and operated under the directorship of the same family for more than five decades. The ideal with which camp was started – to provide the best in camping –still holds true today, almost 60 years after our first campers spent their summer with us in Lakewood, Pennsylvania.

Weequahic is far more than the facilities and scenic beauty of over 100 acres located in Wayne County, although these are certainly part of what has made Weequahic so special. It’s the people and their relationships that make Weequahic what it is. Our campers learn new activities every year, but what draws them back is our warm, caring environment… an environment in which friendships are encouraged and where self-sufficiency and tolerance in learning to live with others is taught.

The current Directors, Cole and Kate Kelly, work tirelessly to insure that the Weequahic motto, which has been maintained for almost 60 years, continues to be:
“Where Caring is a Tradition.”

So there you have it.  If you’ve been doing your math, then by now you’ve figured out that, combined, we have 200 years of experience in the camping!  For America’s Finest Summer Camps, history is our past, present, and future.

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Giving Back: The Spirit of Camp Community

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

American author Mitch Albom has noted, “The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”  Community is a big part of camping and is a core value often emphasized through community service, peer mentoring within camp, and special programs created to help older campers maneuver through their teen years.   For many campers, the spirit of community that they learn to embrace at summer camp becomes a passion that remains with them throughout life.  A large percentage of professionals in the camping industry began their camping careers as campers whose passion for camp and community has lead them to lend their time and resources to organizations dedicated to providing opportunities for everyone to be able to attend camp.

SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Provide and Edge) is one such organization.  Since 1991, SCOPE has sent more than 15,000 children from low income families to summer camp through the generous donations of individuals, corporations, and foundations that share a mutual belief in the long reaching effects of summer camp.

David Miller, Owner/Director of Camp Starlight in Northeastern Pennsylvania, is one such individual.  Miller will emcee the annual SCOPE benefit event, which raises money to send underprivileged children to camp, on April 6t.   Over 200 attendees are expected at this year’s event.  Miller says that he and his wife Allison have always believed that it’s very important to give back to the camp community.  Miller attended camp as a child.  It was there that his dream of someday owning a summer camp was formed.  It became a reality in 1999 with his purchase of Starlight, which is the summer home to 260 girls and 260 boys each summer, and has been featured in Forbes Magazine as one of the premiere summer camps in the nation.

He first became involved with SCOPE seven years ago as a member of the dinner committee.   He says that he believes, “that a summer camp experience is very important to children from all socio-economical households.  Giving underprivileged children the opportunity to leave the inner city for a portion of the summer helps in their social, physical and emotional development.”  Each year, SCOPE sends 1600+ children to summer camp through corporate sponsorship, blind donations, individual contributions, and fundraising events such such as the one Miller will host.

If you’re interested in providing summer camp opportunities for underprivileged children, would like to learn more about SCOPE, or would simply like to donate, please visit http://scope-ny.org/

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