What makes Camp Birchwood unique among summer camps for girls in Minnesota. How does the Teen Leadership Program foster personal growth and lifelong skills. Why do campers return year after year to this beloved institution.
The Legacy of Camp Birchwood: Championing Girls Since 1939
Camp Birchwood, nestled in the heart of Minnesota, has been a beacon of empowerment for young girls since 1939. This esteemed institution is far more than a typical summer camp; it’s a transformative experience that has shaped the lives of countless young women for over eight decades.
What sets Camp Birchwood apart from other summer camps? At its core, Camp Birchwood is dedicated to nurturing the whole person. Girls are embraced with love and support as they engage in a myriad of meaningful activities in the great outdoors. The camp’s philosophy centers on igniting self-esteem and fueling confidence through hands-on experiences and genuine connections.
The Birchwood Way: Fostering Growth and Authenticity
The “Birchwood Way” is a unique approach to youth development that encompasses several key principles:
- Embracing the outdoors
- Discovering self-confidence
- Building lasting friendships
- Learning from real role models
- Acquiring essential soft skills
- Celebrating accomplishments
This holistic approach ensures that campers not only have fun but also develop crucial life skills that will serve them well beyond their summer experience.
Unplugging and Reconnecting: The Power of Outdoor Experiences
In an age dominated by screens and digital devices, Camp Birchwood offers a refreshing alternative. How does the camp encourage girls to disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature? By providing a plethora of outdoor activities that engage all the senses:
- Swimming in cool, crystal-clear lakes
- Hiking through lush forests
- Sleeping under starry skies
- Breathing in the scent of pine-filled air
These immersive experiences allow campers to fully appreciate the natural world around them, fostering a sense of wonder and respect for the environment.
Empowering Girls: Building Self-Confidence Through Challenge and Support
A cornerstone of the Camp Birchwood experience is the development of self-confidence. How does the camp achieve this crucial goal? Through a combination of supportive mentorship and encouraging campers to step outside their comfort zones.
Caring counselors play a pivotal role in this process. They teach girls to focus on their individual strengths rather than comparing themselves to others. Every accomplishment, no matter how small, is celebrated, creating a positive feedback loop that helps campers bloom into confident young women.
The Role of Peer Support in Building Confidence
Beyond the guidance of counselors, campers learn to support and encourage one another. This peer-to-peer encouragement creates a powerful environment where girls feel safe to take risks, try new things, and grow both individually and as a group.
Forging Lifelong Friendships: The Camp Birchwood Community
One of the most enduring aspects of the Camp Birchwood experience is the formation of deep, lasting friendships. Why do these bonds tend to be so strong? The shared experiences, challenges, and triumphs create a unique camaraderie that often lasts long after the summer ends.
The camp’s emphasis on kindness, respect, and inclusivity fosters a sense of belonging that many girls carry with them throughout their lives. These friendships serve as a model for healthy relationships, teaching campers the value of genuine connection and mutual support.
Leading by Example: The Impact of Strong Female Role Models
At Camp Birchwood, girls are surrounded by a diverse array of strong, capable women who run every aspect of the camp’s operations. This exposure to female leadership in action is invaluable for young girls as they begin to envision their own futures.
What makes these role models so effective? The camp’s leaders come from various backgrounds, have different personalities, and represent a wide range of life experiences. This diversity shows campers that there are many ways to be a strong, successful woman, encouraging them to embrace their own unique qualities and aspirations.
Beyond Academics: Developing Essential Soft Skills
While traditional education focuses primarily on academic knowledge, Camp Birchwood recognizes the importance of developing crucial soft skills that are essential for success in all areas of life. What are some of these vital skills, and how does the camp foster their development?
- Effective communication
- Conflict resolution
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Empathy and emotional intelligence
- Adaptability and resilience
Through shared living spaces, group activities, and collaborative projects, campers naturally practice these skills in real-world situations. The supportive environment allows for trial and error, helping girls refine these abilities in a safe space.
Celebrating Growth: Recognizing Achievements Big and Small
A key philosophy at Camp Birchwood is the celebration of personal growth and accomplishment. Why is this recognition so important for young girls? It builds self-esteem, reinforces positive behaviors, and encourages campers to continue challenging themselves.
Whether it’s mastering a new skill, overcoming a fear, or completing a challenging wilderness trip, every achievement is acknowledged and celebrated. This practice teaches girls to take pride in their efforts and to appreciate the journey of personal growth, not just the end result.
The Camp Birchwood Activities: A Diverse Array of Experiences
Camp Birchwood offers an impressive range of activities designed to engage campers with varied interests and abilities. What kinds of activities can girls expect to participate in during their stay?
- Water Sports: Canoeing, kayaking, sailing, waterskiing, paddleboarding, and open waterfront activities
- Land Sports: Archery, climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, tennis, and various fitness programs
- Creative Arts: Arts & crafts, ceramics, painting, drama/theatre, and dance
- Outdoor Skills: Campfire cooking, hiking, and wilderness trips
- Personal Growth: Yoga, literary activities, and leadership programs
This diverse offering ensures that every camper can find activities that resonate with their interests while also encouraging them to try new experiences and expand their horizons.
The Teen Leadership Program: Preparing Girls for Future Success
For older campers, the Teen Leadership Program offers a unique opportunity to develop advanced skills and take on greater responsibilities within the camp community. How does this program benefit participants?
- Enhanced leadership and decision-making skills
- Increased self-awareness and confidence
- Practical experience in mentoring and guiding younger campers
- Opportunities to plan and execute camp-wide events
- Preparation for future roles in various fields and industries
This program serves as a bridge between the carefree days of childhood and the responsibilities of adulthood, providing invaluable experiences that shape participants into capable, confident young leaders.
Creating a Home Away From Home: The Camp Birchwood Experience
From the moment campers arrive at Camp Birchwood, they are immersed in a welcoming and supportive environment. How does the camp ensure that girls feel at home so quickly?
The first day is carefully designed to help campers acclimate and form connections. Activity instructors personally welcome each child, facilitating introductions and helping girls find common ground with their peers. This personalized approach, combined with engaging activities, helps break the ice and foster a sense of belonging.
As the days progress, shared experiences and inside jokes create a unique camp culture. These moments of joyful silliness and “you had to be there” experiences bind the community together, creating memories that last a lifetime.
The Magic of Camp Birchwood: More Than Just Fun and Games
While fun is certainly a central component of the Camp Birchwood experience, the true magic lies in the personal growth and development that occurs. Girls become active, soulful participants in their own lives, learning to navigate challenges, celebrate successes, and form meaningful connections with others.
This transformative experience extends far beyond the summer months. The skills, confidence, and friendships gained at Camp Birchwood often have a profound impact on campers’ lives, shaping their future paths and helping them become strong, capable women ready to take on the world.
Camp Birchwood
Championing Girls since 1939
This is not your ordinary summer camp.
Camp Birchwood is more than just a spot on a map. It is a place where girls are embraced with love and support as they engage their whole selves in remarkably fun and meaningful activities in the Great Outdoors. The tremendous kind of “know-how” that girls gain at Birchwood ignites their self-esteem and fuels their confidence.
With kindness and respect as the hallmarks for daily life, Birchwood campers are steeped in a rich sense of community and encouraged to be their truest, most authentic selves. Their voices are heard. Their passions are explored. And the genuine connections that are forged in this brilliant setting remain strong long after summer has passed. Yes, at Camp Birchwood, friends become friends forever.
The Birchwood Way
Spend Time Outdoors
Children are meant to breathe fresh air, walk through tall grasses, and explore the woods.
At Birchwood, campers ditch the gadgets. Instead of screen time, they swim in cool waters, dig their toes in the dirt, and run until their cheeks are rosy. At night they fall asleep with the scent of pines in the air and the sound of lake waters lapping on shore.
Discover Self-Confidence
Girls need a safe place to grow.
Our caring counselors teach girls to root themselves in their individual strengths rather than compare themselves to others. They shine light on their accomplishments both big and small. and teach girls to shower one another with encouragement . With every success, girls bloom.
Build Lasting Friendships
Camaraderie, understanding, and connection are cornerstones to health and happiness.
Birchwood paves the way to a life-long sense of belonging. In our community, everyone matters. And the genuine connections forged at camp teach girls that they deserve that same level of kindness and respect everywhere they go in life.
Learn From Real Role Models
When girls are surrounded by strong female role models worthy of emulation, they step into their own worth.
At Birchwood, a vibrant team of women run every aspect of our operation so girls see strong ladies taking charge and making it happen! Our leaders come in every shape and size, have a variety of dispositions, and represent many walks of life.
Acquire Essential Soft Skills
Real life asks more out of our girls than academic know-how, success in sports, or hard-core talents.
Girls develop a multitude of “soft skills” as they live and learn together at camp. As a team, you practice listening. You learn to navigate disagreements with kindness. You share your time, your space, your ideas. You see first hand, that collaborating is not only fun, it makes the outcome so much better.
Celebrate Accomplishments
What we feel most proud of in life doesn’t come easy.
When girls choose to challenge themselves at Birchwood, we are there to support and celebrate that brilliance. So whether a young girl just hit a tennis ball over the net for the first time, or a teen just emerged from a week-long trip in the remote wilderness, they are invited to stop. Breathe. And take a minute to say “I did it!”
The Birchwood Story ⟶
Camp Birchwood Activities
Archery
Arts & Crafts
Campfire Cooking
Canoeing
Literary Loft
Climbing
Dance
Drama/theatre
Hiking
Horseback Riding
Kayaking
Mountain Biking
Yoga
Open Waterfront
Ceramics
Painting
Riflery
Sailing
Sports & Fitness
Tennis
Paddle Boarding
Tubing
Waterskiing
Windsurfing
Learn More ⟶
Welcome to your “home away from home”.
At Birchwood, campers get comfortable, fast.
The very first day is filled to the brim with amazing outdoor activities to start everyone off right. Then our activity instructors individually welcome every child to the group and connections start to form. Girls learn each other’s names and find things in common. Smiles spread. Heads nod. Shoulders relax.
Then before you know it, something funny happens, fits of giggles erupt, and that quintessential Birchwood magic starts to happen.
In all those impromptu seconds of joyful silliness – and in all of those zany “you had to be there” kind of moments – Birchwood girls are active, soulful participants in their own lives. They are immersed in a kind of memory-making that simply can’t happen back at home or in school. Nah, this is special. It’s hard to define. It is felt deep in the heart. It feels like coming home.
And that kind of good stuff, day after day, teaches us that one summer of fun is just the beginning.
From here on out, they are part of each other’s story.
Yep, once you’re part of the Birchwood “web” of friendship, you’re tied to people who care about the REAL you, throughout your life.
Happy Campers
“At Camp Birchwood you can be yourself – you don’t have wear makeup or cool clothes. You can blurt out camp songs even if you’re off key and wear pajamas to breakfast. Every year I come home changed. Birchwood has really shaped who I am as a person today.
— Emily O. // Camper
“Camp Birchwood is truly the golden standard when it comes to summer camps. The most unbelievable part was to witness how much my children matured over the two weeks.”
— Therese M. // Parent
Testimonials ⟶
Teen Leadership Program | Youth / Girls Summer Camp
Teen Leadership Program
Camp Birchwood’s Senior Camper Leadership Program is an enriched 4-week or full summer session specifically designed for our most experienced campers.
This elite program sets itself self apart by engaging our senior campers in leadership training and character-building workshops. As they participate in these facilitated forums, the meaning of camp becomes more profound and individualized. A unique experience is curated. The time they spend as leaders at Birchwood becomes the basis for college essays, job applications, National Honor Society requirements, and community service volunteer hours.
What legacy will your legacy be at Birchwood?
Fostering Leadership Skills
Camp Birchwood’s senior campers are the most popular and most celebrated ladies in camp. Their positive energy ignites every activity and injects enthusiasm into every event. Girls of all ages look up to our senior campers for wholesome, dedicated support and genuine friendship.
On a daily basis, Birchwood’s teens assist in an activity they absolutely love for two hours of the day. In this role, they are “big sisters” who help run the activity and teach the basics.
This invaluable experience of “making a difference” in the life of another is a profoundly formative experience.
Senior Campers also help run large events in camp so they can learn about organization, teamwork, leadership, and goal-setting. This also includes running their very own activity or workshop for two hours on Sundays (with a counselor present for support).
Our teens also attend leadership seminars once a week. These sophisticated meetings focus on developing leadership skills, enriching personal communication, and confidence development. Girls are challenged to think deeply and engage in respectful dialogue with others. This promotes self-reflection and deepens their connection with one another.
Birchwood’s teens also go on “outings” once a week that are led by their adult leaders. These special adventures expose girls to the beauty that surrounds camp and allows them a special time to bond as teens.
After four solid weeks filled with so many soulful experiences, teens leave enriched beyond compare.
It truly is a time in their lives they never forget.
Leadership Titles
Every year offers high school girls a new level of responsibility and privilege. We start them off slow and then build on their skills every summer they return. In the end, they will have become integral members of our community who are truly beloved leaders. No doubt, their time as Seniors Leaders at Birchwood far surpasses the benefits of any typical summer job or high school internship.
Year One – Activity Assistant (AA’s)
Activity Assistants help at one camp activity for two (and no more than two) periods a day. These campers are encouraged to take initiative a little more each day – and to remember how much a big smile and encouraging word matters to everyone around them. A big part of their role is to become supportive “big sisters” who help younger girls feel welcome and accepted throughout the day.
Year Two – Junior Counselor (JC’s)
Junior Counselors are girls who became certified Activity Assistants the summer before and are now seeking new and greater challenges.
JC’s donate two periods of assisting in an activity each day as well and begin to teach beginners. They also help at the sign-up window on a rotating schedule and have the responsibility of decorating for our four-week banquet. In and out of the cabin, these Senior Campers are more knowledgeable about camp and role model their maturity gained in a year’s time.
Year Three – Associate Counselor (AC’s)
An AC takes on many tasks that a JC takes on, but more. These Seniors have the opportunity to assist in more than one activity a day if they want to do so. They help assist the Senior Director in coordinating and planning activities and events for the senior campers, and overall, take a more direct and assertive leadership position in camp. You’re not a counselor yet, but you’re on your way, and as an excellent Associate Counselor, it will show.
Summer holidays in the USA, children’s camps in America, language schools in the USA for children
Language camps in the USA for children and teenagers are an opportunity to significantly improve English, meet peers from other countries and have fun during school holidays.
This section provides information about children’s language centers in the United States, programs and the cost of education in them.
English for children in the USA
Today America is called the Mecca of young talents, attracting those who prefer theory to practice, who want to learn how to work and earn money, self-actualize and bring their own projects to life. The first step on the path to success for schoolchildren and students can be a language camp in the USA – a place where learning English and relaxation are ideally combined.
Language practice and experience of living in another country, meeting peers from all over the world will not only make school holidays unforgettable, but will also come in handy in the future – when doing an internship or studying at any foreign university.
When letting a child go abroad alone, especially if this is the first time, parents are naturally worried, but at the same time they must understand two things.
First, a vacation in America is a unique opportunity to unleash the potential of a young person, strengthen social, leadership and organizational skills, let him grow up, and, of course, make his dream come true. Secondly, the host country based on the best universities and colleges in the USA guarantees the emotional and physical well-being of every schoolchild and student.
Language camps in the USA open their doors for foreign children during school holidays – autumn, winter, spring. But the most popular among children who go to study English in America are summer language courses in the United States. Excellent weather and a large period of time in which you can make a trip make them the undisputed leaders among similar programs.
Language camps in the USA – training programs
Summer education in America can take place both in a large city and practically in the “bosom of nature” – it all depends on the chosen educational institution. As a rule, based on the location and available infrastructure, summer English schools in the USA develop their own unique programs.
For example, children and teenagers on the California Summer program will get to know the main attractions of the “golden” state: Hollywood and Santa Barbara, the Grand Canyon and the San Diego Zoo, children can surf on the beaches of Malibu and do some shopping in Beverly Hills. And the school at the Manhattan Pace University, located in the very center of New York, will reveal the secret of the big city and make accessible the areas known to everyone from books and films: Manhatton, Little Italy, Chinatown. What are only the names of the nearby streets of Wall Street and Broadway.
When it comes to language practice, every children’s summer camp in America has a mandatory curriculum. About 20 hours a week, experienced teachers work with the children. Most often, classes are held in small groups. With such a schedule, students have enough free time for communication, which allows them to adapt in an English-speaking environment in a short time.
Depending on the age of students, English for children in the US is taught either in a playful way (for younger children) or in a more academic way (for teenagers).
But in any case, much attention in schools and camps is paid to grammar, vocabulary, the correct construction of phrases and the consolidation of material in the process of various events. Among them are role-playing games, quizzes, as well as discos, sports, excursions, meetings with interesting people. There is no doubt that summer holidays in the USA will be one of the most important and profitable investments in the future of your child.
Children’s camps in America – the cost of education
The cost of “English-speaking” holidays is quite affordable for people even with average incomes. On average, the price for a week of stay in a camp for children and teenagers in America costs from 1.3 to 2 thousand dollars. The total price is formed from such components as:
- accommodation;
- food;
- services of qualified teachers;
- excursions and tours to neighboring cities or along the coast.
- Round-trip airfare, medical insurance and visa fees are paid separately.
Accommodation for students and schoolchildren during training is organized on campuses or boarding houses, in comfortable single, double, triple rooms. Every children’s camp in America provides students with good nutrition. It can be both breakfasts and dinners, as well as full board with a large selection of hot and cold dishes. Some schools even take into account the peculiarities of diet or vegetarianism.
Since summer camps in America are organized on the basis of major colleges and universities, they all have excellent infrastructure. Students can visit swimming pools, use tennis courts and football fields, libraries, computer clubs and much more.
Summer vacation in the USA is a unique and most effective personal growth training for a young person, laying a solid foundation for a successful life and career. After returning from America, the guys become truly different people – independent and self-sufficient, mature and liberated, able to work in a team, more broadly and confidently looking at the world.
Youth programs in the USA – prices, cheap
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It would seem that one of the parents will decide to send their child alone to the other side of the world – wouldn’t it be better to attach them to the camp at home.
But summer holidays spent in the USA have many advantages:
- active and fruitful study of the English language, complete immersion in the English-speaking environment, which makes it possible to quickly adapt to it;
- personal growth of young people, the development of independence and responsibility, the ability to work in a team;
- an extensive excursion program that allows you to get acquainted with the many sights of America;
- summer education in the USA guarantees the emotional and physical safety of your children.
The best colleges and universities in the USA accept teenagers for summer studies, which, during the holidays, give teenagers all the possibilities of their infrastructure – libraries and swimming pools, beaches and sports grounds, discos and computer clubs. And the best teachers work with them, who will make your children’s leisure time excitingly interesting.
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$1665
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Summer camp on the East Coast in this prestigious university city with the opportunity to visit New York for a day or weekend.
