What is Stomping Ground?

Stomping Ground is a 2-week overnight camp nestled just south of the Adirondack Mountains. We believe in giving kids autonomy and space to play, learn, and live out their weirdest, wildest dreams.

Want to know more? Fill out the form below and someone from the year-round team will reach out to answer any questions you may have.

(or scroll down for some fast facts)

Stomping Ground was born out of two ideas.

1. Kids learn best how to make decisions by making them.

We want the future leaders of our world to feel confident, informed, and empowered when they make decisions, but that skill comes with practice.

Campers put their decision-making into practice all day, like when they decide where they’ll spend each options block, what cabin gender group they feel most comfortable in, what to eat and where to sit in the Dining Hall.

We believe that camp provides a safe place for kids to make choices and see the ramifications of them - whether it be negative or positive. They learn how their decisions affect themselves and others.

They learn how to weigh those options and decide for themselves what is best for them in those moments. Maybe one day it’s hanging out in a hammock all day. Maybe another day it’s spending every single hour trying something new. Maybe yet another day, it’s just doing whatever their cabin-mates want to do.

2. Conflict is inevitable. So we plan for it.

With the power to choose comes the opportunity for conflict. Our 12-day sessions provide ample time for relationship building, and just enough time to feel comfortable being yourself around other people. Sometimes, this can lead to conflict.

Maybe in a tired moment, you were too short with a friend who just wanted to talk with you. It’s possible that you ate a snack that you thought was for everybody when your cabin-mate was saving it for himself. It’s even possible that people can have real clashes because they hold entirely different personal values.

We believe conflict is a neutral part of life, and a sign that something needs to change. We employ Restorative Practices, namely the circle system, as a tool to resolve conflicts when they arise at camp. We expect them, because we’re all human.

The Circle system is an approach to conflict that allows all parties to be heard, and ensures that solutions are created with everyone in mind, not just top-down solutions provided by adults.

FAQs

  • Stomping Ground was created with the goal of breaking the siloed communities in which many of us live. We believe that the beauty of humanity is found in what makes us different, and that we have so much to learn from people who aren’t like us. We welcome kids of all races, genders, and all religious, socio-economic, or cultural backgrounds.

    In short, all kinds of kids go to Stomping Ground.

  • Session 1  June 29 - July 11 

    Session 2  July 13 - July 25  (waitlist)

    Artsfest July 27 - August 8 (teens only)

    Session 4  August 10 - August 22

  • 2-week session = $2600

    The “true cost” reflects the full price of a session of camp. At this point in the season, we still have limited availability for our Trust-Based Sliding scale, which allows families to pay what they are able for the program. We ask that families are honest and generous and work out a price at the time of registration.

    Use our payment calculator to discover what monthly payments would look like for you!

  • We consider ourselves experts in camper choice. We work to structure each day to give campers ample opportunities to choose what they’re doing, so every single day will look different.

    Options can include, but are not limited to: soccer, gaga, book club, friendship bracelets, dance team, kayaking, figure drawing, D&D, basketball, creative writing, musical theatre, run club, blind karaoke, hand-molding clay, archery, LARP, watercolor painting, and so. many. more.

    Typical Daily Schedule

    8:30 - Breakfast
    9:30 - Free Choice 1
    10:30 - Free Choice 2
    11:30 - Free Choice 3
    12:30 - Lunch
    1:00 - Village Time
    2:15 - Open Waterfront
    4:15 - Change!
    4:45 - Free Choice 4
    5:45- Dinner
    6:15 - Open Ballfield
    7:30 - All-Camp Games
    8:45 - Village Time

  • At Stomping Ground, we eat 3 meals a day and have 2 snacks throughout the day.

    Our kitchen team works to prepare from-scratch meals (with a few exceptions) for all our campers and staff. We take in to account all dietary needs and we run a tree-nut and peanut free facility.

    Some camp favorites in the past have been Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup, Cookout Day, Pierogi, Breakfast Pizza, Ramen, Chicken Alfredo, Butter Chicken (or cauliflower!) and Chili & Cornbread.

  • Stomping Ground cabin staff are hired after a series of 2 interviews and reference checks. We typically open applications about a month after registrations open, and our year-round staff conduct interviews.

    We hire from a pool of ‘graduated’ CITs as well as from anyone who hears about and is interested in our camp.

    We work hard to find and hire people who reflect our camper base, so that all campers can see themselves in leadership positions. We look for applicants who believe in the mission of Stomping Ground and are ready for long summer of play, learning, and hard work.