ABOUT MAINE TEEN CAMP
“Which session should I chose for my camper?”
This is a common question.
When looking at the session dates above, consider the following for your family:
• Cost
• Family calendar
• Sporting or academic commitments
• Campers readiness to be away from home
We know from the ACA’s research into the subject, and many summers of experience, that there is a “dosage” effect of camp – some camp is better than none, more is better than some. The longer a camper stays at camp, the more the benefits pile up – independence, social skill development, decision making, resilience, an affinity for nature and living in the moment, appreciation for diversity…and many more.
We know, however, that not every camper wants the same length of session – every teenager is unique, and we’ve created sessions of differing lengths to accommodate mostly everyone. Some campers need at least two weeks to really fall into the rhythm of camp and make the most of the experience. Others adjust to camp better and sooner when attending for two weeks, especially if it’s a first time away from home. You should know that we do limit the number of campers in two-week sessions. Also, there is an option for a two-week camper to extend their stay once they are in camp. A lot of our two week campers take this option, and the confidence boost from electing to stay away for a whole month is huge.
All this said – most of our campers stay for a full session and the summer is built around these two main sessions that offer a defined beginning, middle, and end. There are also some campers who commit to the full summer experience, wanting to spend the majority of their summer with us.
So, if you have the ability to register your camper for longer than two weeks, do it! This maximizes the benefits from the summer experience. If however, two weeks is all you’ve got, take advantage of it! Your camper will thank you.
Choosing a session can be a challenge, and we offer our guidance to you anytime!
First Session
June 23 – July 16, 2024
$7800
Second Session
July 20 – Aug 10, 2024
$6600
Full Season
June 23 – Aug 10, 2024
$12500
Two Week A*
June 23 – July 06, 2024
$4900
Two Week B*
July 20 – Aug 02, 2024
$4900
*Two Week Sessions have Limited Availability.
ABOUT CAMP
Fees, Dates & Financial Aid
Discounts
(Discounts cannot be combined and cannot exceed 10% off tuition prices.)
Early Enrollment Special Pricing: Early enrollment savings are available through to December only. Please contact us before December 1st to qualify.
Returning Camper Discount: We offer a $100 savings off any tuition price for returning campers. Cannot be used in combination with Early Enrollment Special Pricing.
Lifetime Sibling Discount*: We offer a 10% lifetime sibling discount off any tuition price, good for any sibling of any former MTC camper.
Children of Alumni Discount: If you went to MTC as a camper and now have a teen of your own; or, if you are a former staff, who has a teen of your own, you will receive 20% off any tuition. Cannot be combined with Early Enrollment Special Pricing.
Active Military Discount*: We offer families with one/both parent/s currently serving in the US military a 10% discount on tuition. Proof of eligibility required.
School Teacher / Police Officer / EMS / Fire Fighter Discount*: We offer families with one/both parents currently employed as public school teachers, police officers, Emergency Services, or firefighters 10% discount on tuition. Proof of eligibility is required.
Payments
We encourage and appreciate payments by check, wire transfer and Venmo. Venmo and wire details available upon request. If you must pay by credit, we will accept Visa, Discover, and Mastercard.
Camperships/Scholarships and Financial Aid
Each season, Maine Teen Camp awards over $70,000 in camperships and scholarships.
MTC ‘Legends’ Campership Program
Through the ACA (American Camp Association), donations are made in memory, or honor, of camp ‘legends’ – for example, someone who has held the directorship, worked as staff at MTC, or attended MTC as a camper. This fund is set up by the ACA so that donors may contribute funds in honor of someone important to them, or in memory of someone important to MTC. The web portal asks the donor for information they need for this type of donation. By partnering with the ACA, a charitable 501 (c)(3) organization, a private camp like MTC can offer tax advantages to donors and open our program to more children who might never otherwise experience camp.
The MTC ‘Legends’ Campership Program began with the Robert Briskin Memorial Fund, created after the passing of Bob Briskin (owner/director of MTC 1991-2003) from pancreatic cancer. As a tribute to Bob, the Robert Briskin Memorial Fund was originally established to provide a summer camp experience for campers whose families had experienced and dealt with cancer – families whose battle with the disease hindered their ability to send their camper away to summer camp. Since then, sadly, we have had other MTC ‘legends’ leave us, and so, we found it fitting to expand the program through using the ACA fund and allow others to remember and/or honor loved ones by contributing a donation in their name.
Our goal is to increase the scope and reach of camperships, and to accept contributions from a wider section of the MTC community. We understand that there are a great many worthy causes that should benefit from charitable giving, and we hope that many will include sending a deserving camper for a summer at MTC as one of them.
MTC works in conjunction with Curtain Bluff, a resort hotel in Antigua, West Indies, to provide summer camp experiences for Old Road community children. The “Old Road Fund” helps send children to summer camp, further education, and provide healthcare to deserving families. Maine Teen Camp hires several staff from the resort during the summer season when the resort has lessened patrons.
The mission of Summer Search is to identify low-income high school youth who demonstrate resiliency in overcoming hardship and the desire to help others. Nurturing those qualities over time in students who have often been neglected allows them to become empowered future everyday leaders. Our ambitious mission is accomplished through a program that combines full scholarships to summer experiential education programs with intensive long-term mentoring.
Established in 2021, we are working with Smooth Feather Youth, a local youth serving non-profit which aims to harness individual and collective creativity to drive positive change in the local community. MTC is proud to partner with SmoothFeather, providing two camperships to local youth each summer.
Wildflower has grown out of the experience of one family in dealing with the loss of a parent and the subsequent years of recovery. The mission of the foundation is to provide scholarship assistance for summer camp and enrichment programs to families in which a parent has died. It is our belief that this opportunity can provide a restorative experience both for the children and surviving spouse in recovering from what is a difficult and challenging life crisis.
Maine Summer Camp’s Level Ground project is designed to connect youth from low-income Maine families, with summer camp experiences to which they would otherwise not have access. Campers are identified in the Portland, Maine schools and connected to the Level Ground initiative and camperships are provided by area summer camps, including MTC.
Maine Teen Camp Campership / Financial Assistance
Partial ‘Camperships’ have limited availability each year.
At Maine Teen Camp we know that the summer camp experience is of powerful importance for all teens, and therefore should be available to all teenagers.
Our financial aid program helps campers from families with limited financial means, while also fostering increased socio-economic diversity. We aim to increase diversity across a broad range of measures, for we know that a more diverse camp experience is more meaningful one, creates a more just and resilient community, enriches the experience for all campers, and does some small part to address issues of equity of access.
We encourage camper families, alumni, and friends of the camp community to consider a donation to our campership fund. It is tax-deductible, and every dollar helps send a deserving camper to MTC.
If you would like more information, please contact us to receive a copy of our financial aid application form.
