Summer at Friends has been offering unique day camps for more than 60 years. Located on a spacious, self-contained 35 acre campus in Roland Park, the camp features 17 exciting programs! This summer’s programs range from Junior Camp (for ages 4 and 5) to Senior Camp (ages 10 – 13) with numerous specialty options including drama, technology, sports, visual and performing arts. Summer at Friends is so much fun for campers… and it is fun for the staff who spend all year planning exciting activities! Enter Summer Programs Coordinator Sue Cusick, Camp Director Steve Cusick, and Associate Director Jack Walderman who can’t wait to share their recipe for summer fun with you!
What can first-time campers expect at Summer at Friends
Sue: Campers can expect kind, caring, and supportive counselors who will lead them through the best 38 days of summer (the camp season)! They can expect to make new friends, be challenged to try new activities, and to laugh and play throughout the day.
Steve: I always consider summer as an opportunity to try something new. All of our programs feature a variety of activities, making it a great way to try new subjects and hobbies. I’ve watched a lot of campers find something new at camp that later becomes one of their favorite hobbies – sometimes even a career! Campers can expect a fun-filled day with a mix of both indoor and outdoor activities. And don’t forget swimming!
Jack: Many of our staff were once in the same boat as first-time campers, myself included! We develop a strong community that welcomes in new and returning members with open arms, and for new arrivals, that’s a huge boon to getting comfortable in an environment that’s different from home and school! Our newest campers should expect a relaxed atmosphere where they can take their time jumping in. Everything is fun, but the pressure is off, and we encourage everyone to take part at their own pace in a camp day that’s sure to have a little bit of something for everyone, whenever they’re ready!
What advice would you have for someone considering attending camp this summer?
Steve: Do it! Camp is an amazing way to break up your school year routine, have fun, and be social, all in a relaxed and safe environment.
Jack: Camp is a great opportunity to grow in a new community. As a prior camper myself, I’ve developed some of my strongest friendships and opportunities through camp and the community within it, even as someone who attended alone my first year. It’s not just the ability to have a wonderful summer, but a great chance to open campers up to fantastic opportunities in their own futures that they otherwise might not get to explore!
Sue: Do what you love – select a camp that offers your favorite subject or hobby (think art or sports). Or, try something new and exciting – select a camp that will allow you to try something you’ve always wanted to try (think drama or robotics).
What is your favorite thing about camp?
Jack: I love seeing how much the campers and staff change over the 8-week summer, especially from group to group. One of the benefits of having so many different groups on campus is the chance to see smaller communities develop at camp, and watching them grow and learn together over the summer months. Each group, with unique activities and participants, creates a one-of-a-kind experience in every corner of campus, and it’s different every year! I’ve seen so many positive changes in campers and staff as they work together to get to know each other each year, and I think that’s a wonderful process to witness.
Steve: Our campers come from all over Baltimore and beyond. Campers get to meet new people, make new friends, and have a great time. At the end of the summer, we get everyone together for our Closing Ceremony, and it’s so much fun to watch all the campers show off what they’ve accomplished!
Sue: Our campers make friends, most of them come back every summer until they are old enough to work at camp. My favorite thing about camps is watching friendships bloom and welcoming back “old friends” summer after summer.
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!
Steve Cusick is the Director of Day Camps at Summer at Friends. He is a lifelong camper, and has spent time as a counselor and assistant director, too!
Jack Walderman is the Associate Director of Camps at Summer at Friends. He is former camper, counselor, and early childhood teacher!
