The History of our Traditional Camp in New York
The land and property that Camp Schodack inhabits has been under the same continuous family ownership since 1913. Originally a farm, the Krouner family realized that the rocky soil was not ideal for farming and the decision was made to turn the property into a hotel. This decision was in part because Lena Krouner had become well known as one of the finest cooks in the area! Many of the charming, original buildings that still stand today were developed during the early years of the hotel. After operating successfully in this way for many years it was ‘Uncle Lou’ Krouner, an educator and coach, who decided to make the switch to a Summer Camp, taking advantage of the warm New York summers and the wide open spaces that make the Schodack property so beautiful. Uncle Lou and his wife Clara developed a child-centered program of activities for their campers, many of which are still a part of our traditional camp schedule today.
Beautiful Upstate-NY Setting near the Berkshires
Nestled away in upstate New York, near the foothills of the Berkshires and just outside of Albany, Camp Schodack in set on 100 acres of privately owned fields and woodland trails perfect for hiking and adventures. Camp Schodack is as traditional a summer camp setting as they come. Combining a modern approach to wellness as well as personal growth and development, the Krouner family have created an atmosphere that is guided as much by its history as its efforts to continuously improve its program and offerings. With countless activities and sports, spread over the 40 acres of open lawns and playing fields, the camp is large enough to provide for exploration while retaining an element of intimacy ensuring campers are never far from their friends and staff. Our facilities include a 40ft climbing tower, high-ropes adventure course, go-kart track, 2 heated swimming pools, 7 brand new laid tennis courts and many more activities. These are complimented with our newly refurbished cabins alongside a 500 person dining hall.
Best Summer Camp Values in NY
The values of Camp Schodack are perhaps best described by its motto ‘Warmth, Tradition, Spirit’. Those three words are at the heart of everything we do and help us guide our campers’ experience throughout the summer and beyond. We are incredibly proud of our commitment to keeping camp simple, and allowing children a break from some of the stresses of the school-year. We maintain a strict no technology policy over the summer and this is something that our campers, their parents and our staff support completely. It is so gratifying to see how much our campers appreciate the freedom that comes with a break from 20th century technology. Alongside policies such as this we also have a very high camper/staff ratio that has been an integral part of our philosophy since Schodack first opened its doors as a camp in 1957. With a 2:1 ratio (camper/staff) we have an incredible ability to supervise, interact and spend time with our campers at every level, whether it be in the bunks or out at our activities. Alongside our core values, what really shines through at Schodack is the intimacy of our program as we are a small camp with only 280 campers and 150 staff. This allows the whole camp to gather together as one each day, helping our youngest and oldest campers regularly interact and learn from each other. We foster both an environment of close friendships and independence by having campers of all ages have the option to spend time with each other as well as with children of other ages.
Amazing Summer Camp Leadership in NY
Our dedicated and experienced Leadership Team truly sets us apart. This can be seen at the very top with our Owner/Directors, Assistant Directors and Head Staff team who are all veterans of Schodack with hundreds of years of summer camp and youth work experience combined. We are psychologists, educators, coaches and fun-loving camp people! Schodack’s well-respected staffing approach continues through to our Bunk Staff.. We are incredibly proud of the fact that over 90% of our bunk counselors are former campers themselves, a statistic that is totally unique in the summer camp industry. Due to our fantastic Leadership Training Program, we graduate our most dedicate and nurturing campers who then return for several years as staff. Our bunk staff love being able to continue to create the memories, experiences and teachable moments that they loved from their own time as campers at Schodack. This ability to pass on our traditions and values is an important feature of the Schodack experience for our families.
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