For almost one hundred years, Rowe has been a place for young people to live, learn, grow and explore.
Since then our camps have been dedicated to creating confident and self directed young people that feel accepted and welcome exactly how they are. Rowe is a place to be silly, let your hair down and have fun as well as safely explore the serious and uncomfortable topics of life. To be at Rowe is to live in community and to walk the line between self expression and civic responsibility. Our camps empower youth to stand up for what they believe, and exercise their voice and vote in the world around them.They also surround campers with a sense of wonder, creativity and play.
You are welcome here!
You are welcome and accepted at Rowe exactly as you are. Since our very first camp in 1924 inclusion and acceptance have been at the cornerstone of what we do. We were one of the first summer camps in the country to offer gender-neutral cabin options and respecting your pronouns is a given part of camp life. Dietary diversity can be stressful. Regardless of whether you are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free or anywhere in between, you are a first class citizen at Rowe. We also have scholarships specifically tailored to support economic and cultural diversity at camp, because we want the camp community to look more and more like the global community. Although we cannot accommodate all needs, our staff bends over backwards to ensure that every child feels welcome and accepted and can fully participate in camp life. Please don’t hesitate to reach out below with any specific questions.
Camp Life
Camp Life
Camp life is centered around fun and empowerment! Campers have a voice in how they want to spend their day – whether it be diving deep into the hard topics of their lives or crafting in the art studio, playing a game of ultimate frisbee or a low key game of Magic the Gathering. Our camps are structured so that as campers get older they have more and more freedom to shape their camp experience. We like to say that we make camp WITH the campers not FOR the campers!
Workshops & Playshops
Want to build a snowman (in the summer)? Play capture the flag? Attend sunrise yoga? Go swimming? Talk about just what the heck happened to the world last year?
‘Shops run multiple times each day and form the backbone of camp. These staff-led signup activities range from silly to serious and low key to high energy. All campers have a choice in how they want to participate and in our older camps, campers can sign up for as many or as few as they want. Campers even get a voice in what types of workshops are offered.
All-Camp Activities
Help! An evil robot has taken over the kitchen, fired all the workers and now insists on serving everyone something called a “jankey burger”. Only a few days ago giant pickles invaded camp! What is going on?
Most days feature at least one all-camp activity. It may be a talent show, dance or fireside sing along, it could take the form of an elaborate theme day or simply an all camp meeting or workshop. Our Junior and Senior High Camps include frank and honest conversations about race, social justice and sexuality.
Chapel
Chapel is one of the most dearly held camp traditions for Junior and Senior High campers. Held nightly in our historic centuries old Preserved Smith Memorial Chapel, the gatherings are not “religious” in the traditional sense. Like everything else we do at Rowe it is sometimes silly, sometimes serious but always meaningful. Favorites include “The Wave” a freeform immersive audio experience, “Purple Bishop Chapel” a spooky exploration of Rowe’s “haunted history” and “Grokking” a time for campers to explore their deep interconnectedness to those around them.
Staff
Rowe is nothing without its amazing talented and dedicated camp staff. Most are former campers with a deep understanding of the camp experience and many return year after year. Our counselors are more than just caretakers, they are guides and trusted mentors. Our counselors check in with campers each night and meet each day as a group to talk about who might need a little extra attention or is at risk of “falling through the cracks”. Our Co-Directors are extremely accessible and frequently reach out to parents over the course of camp as the need arises.
COVID-19 FAQ
The State of Massachusetts is expected to release updated summer camp guidelines on May 29, 2021. Our policies may be updated at that time.
Literally nothing, including summer camp, has been left untouched by the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. Although we hold out hope that a vaccine will be widely available by this summer, The Rowe Center has implemented a number of changes designed to ensure a safe and supportive camp environment for all campers and staff. Please click below to read our full COVID-19 FAQ and coronavirus safety policy.
Camp Dates
(Click on the banners to register)
Camp Fees
Fee Schedule
As with all of our in person programs, our camps operate on a sliding scale based on a family’s self reported gross income.
1 Week Camps
YPC 1
YPC 2
Income <$25,000
Camp Cost $725
Income $25-50,000
Camp Cost $750
Income $50-75,000
Camp Cost $790
Income $75-100,000
Camp Cost $845
Income $100,000+
Camp Cost $905
2 Week Camps
YPC 3*
Income <$25,000
Camp Cost $1,450
Income $25-50,000
Camp Cost $1,500
Income $50-75,000
Camp Cost $1,580
Income $75-100,000
Camp Cost $1,685
Income $100,000+
Camp Cost $1,810
*In the past we have offered the option of a 1 week YPC 3 camp. Unfortunately we will not be able to offer that option this year.
3 Week Camps
Junior High Camp
Senior High Camp
Income <$25,000
Camp Cost $2,180
Income $25-50,000
Camp Cost $2,255
Income $50-75,000
Camp Cost $2,370
Income $75-100,000
Camp Cost $2,525
Income $100,000+
Camp Cost $2,715
Campership Information
The Rowe Center understands that many factors outside of gross income impact an individual’s ability to pay including family dynamics, job stability, housing, number of dependents, immigration status and level of debt. We encourage you to weigh those factors when determining your payment level.
We want camp to be as accessible as possible. We offer payment plans and scholarships. Please reach out directly if you have concerns about the deposit amount. All requests will be kept strictly confidential.
The 2021 deadline to apply for camperships is April 15th. Requests received after this time may still be considered, but are not guaranteed to receive funding.
Camper Forms
Camper Forms
All of our camper registration forms are now live, and can be accessed through the link below:
We hope that this online system will make uploading all of your camper’s information an easy and quick process
Rowe Camp Statement of Purpose
“We believe that every human being has inherent worth and dignity. At camp, we practice this by empowering young people to play, explore, and learn about themselves and others in an environment that is both liberating and nurturing.
Our programming fosters age-appropriate critical thinking and reflection as much as it does curiosity, creativity, and joy. This provides the means to explore essential topics like power and diversity, friendship and intimacy, and technology and society at any developmental level.
Campers are challenged to balance freedom and self-expression with compassion for and responsibility to themselves and others. Campers, as a body, take an active role in decision-making and envisioning the future of camp, and their contributions are what make each session unique.
By doing these things, we aim to empower campers with a strong sense of community and sense of self, to be active voices in their own communities and their lives, and to make the world a better place for all.”
Unanimously approved in 2020 by the youth programing advisory committee, the Rowe Camp statement of purpose serves as the foundation and guiding principles of all decisions related to camp.
Do you love working with young people? Do you want a summer job that really makes a difference? The Rowe Center is looking for the right people to fill a variety of summer positions. We have openings in camp leadership, camp programming, kitchen, buildings & grounds and much more. Click below to see available openings and apply.