For more than 55 years Summer at Friends has been the place to be for camp! Today’s programs range from half-day KinderCamp (for four and five year olds) to Creative Technology and Fine Arts Camps (for campers up to age 13)! Summer at Friends is so much fun for campers… and it is fun for the staff who spend all year planning great activities! Enter Summer Programs Coordinator, Sue Cusick, and Camp Director, Janelle Schmidt, who can’t wait to share their recipe for summer fun with you!
Working for a Summer Camp is a unique job, how did you get started?
Janelle: When I was 16, I started working in the after school program at Friends. That spring, the former director asked me if I wanted to work summer camp, I said yes, the rest is history.
Sue: When I graduated from college and moved back to Baltimore, I wanted to work in a school setting. One of my first jobs at Friends School included administrative work for Summer at Friends. I never attended any camp as a child, so I had a lot to learn!
How would you describe Summer at Friends to a family looking for a Summer Camp?
Janelle: Summer at Friends is a fun place to spend the summer. Campers get to enjoy a plethora of activities and experiences, working parents have full day coverage, and the staff truly enjoys being here every day!
Sue: Summer at Friends offers relaxed summer fun for campers, caring and dedicated staff members, and peace of mind for parents.
There are a lot of camps out there, what are some things that make Summer at Friends unique?
Janelle: We have a swimming pool onsite that campers use at least once a day, sometimes twice! Who wouldn’t want to spend the hot summer days in the swimming pool!
Sue: The variety of camp programs we offer, our flexible enrollment scheduling, and the beautiful Friends School campus with facilities designed for camper-aged children.
You’ve both been working at camp for a long time, do you have a favorite camp memory?
Janelle: I spend a lot of time visiting groups at different activities. I really enjoy it when the campers get to share what they’ve been working on. But if I had to pick just one, I had a blast as a tree during my cameo in last year’s Imagination Alive performance.
Sue: Not one favorite memory, but every year my favorite memories are of the Camp Closing Ceremony when we celebrate our campers and staff, and get to share the event with families and friends.
What are you most looking forward to this summer?
Janelle: I am looking forward to meeting new campers and reconnecting with the old ones to see how their year has been!
Sue: Every year, I look forward to welcoming back returning campers and meeting new campers. I also look forward to working with staff members, many of whom were once campers!
To find out more about Summer at Friends or to register visit: www.fscamp.org
Sue Cusick is the Summer Programs Coordinator at Friends, where she has been living and breathing camp since 1982!
Janelle Schmidt is the Director of Day Camps at Summer at Friends. She is former camper, counselor, and Junior Camp director.
