History
In 1924 a group of teachers, social workers, and businessmen saw that girls in New York City's Lower East Side needed summer respite, and could benefit from exposure to a new environment outside of the city streets. In response, they formed East Side Vacation Camp Association and began providing summer camping opportunities for girls from working poor families and later expanded to serve boys so that they too could benefit from the fresh air, sun, exercise, and community living in a lakeside mountain environment. Seeing that young people from New York City and New Jersey needed the same summer camping experience, East Side Vacation Camp Association expanded its service area in 1948 and again in 1955 when it changed its name to Camp Vacamas and moved from Kingston, NY to its present location in the foothills of the Ramapo Mountains in West Milford, NJ.In the mid 1980's, Camp Vacamas started providing year-round services in New Jersey and New York. schools.
Specialties
Vacamas Programs for Youth is a non-profit organization founded in 1924 by a group of dedicated business people and educators. Vacamas is committed to enabling children of moderate income families to enjoy positive experiences. This includes year-round programs and camp that serve the diverse population of the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut and Pennsylvania metropolitan areas. Over 5,000 youngsters benefit each year from our services. Vacamas Programs for Youth is committed to offering quality experiential learning and fun programs to moderate income families and at-risk youth populations. Our programs are based on a non-competitive philosophy geared toward fostering the individuality of each child. Our goals include empowering young people and teaching them skills they need to make positive choices by working to improve self-esteem, social skills and develop leadership qualities. Vacamas is a multicultural community that serves a diverse population on every level: economic, religious, racial and cultural.