Wow! As we get ramped up for our 2022 Summer season, I put together this playlist of video slideshows. More or less, its a shame when good photos get buried by time. At least this way they are archived and more easily found in the future. When compared to the summer of 2020 which never happened, its a shame not to commemorate the rebound from Covid.

Here is some of the details: 

- 8 sessions instead of 5 weeks
- Capacity cut to 87 campers instead of our max capacity of 175
- More sessions let more kids get a taste of summer camp
- Enrollment was 679 campers which was a true success
- We finally got to put our dining hall to heavy use. 
- A new generation of staff got to enjoy a summer camp season

I hope you enjoy the video slideshows...

Excelsior, 
Bill Waite
Program Director 

Wow! We lost Summer Camp 2020...

Summer Camp 2021 may have been modified, but it was an excellent summer regardless. It took some hustle, but we got through the entire summer without any signs or symptoms of Covid. 

We are moving forward to 2022 with the intent of having a "real" summer camp. We plan to be back to our Sunday to Friday with 5 different sessions. 

At this point, there will not be the traditional 16 page brochure that we always have done. There will be a flyer that will direct all searches back to this website. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to us with a phone call. I love talking to people about summer camp.

Excelsior,
Bill Waite
​Program Director

​In 2019 we started to envision what 2020 was going to look like at Oswegatchie.  Obviously with a year like 2020 how could our future be anything but bright and clear.  On the agenda was special events, tee shirts, and trinkets to commemorate our 75th Anniversary.

As August closed, we said good bye to an old friend in Widrick Lodge and prepared to break ground on a brand-new kitchen and dining hall, a project that was more than a few years in the making. 2020 was poised to be an epic year and our team was beyond excited.
 
Today we are announcing that our 75th Camping Season at Oswegatchie will be cancelled due to the continued health crisis posed by COVID 19.  This is an extraordinarily challenging time; unlike anything we have ever experienced.
 
If you have registered and paid for camp, we will offer several options detailed below. Please continue to stay connected with Oswegatchie on our Facebook page. We hope that if conditions allow, we may be able to release other opportunities at Oswegatchie this summer.  
 
Oswegatchie is preparing to experience significant hardships in addition to those already realized. Second only to everyone’s health and safety, we must continue to fund our overhead so that camp is fully ready to serve children and families in the future. However, we recognize families across the nation are also bracing for their own challenges.

If you had may a Deposit or Payment for 2020, your options are: 

• Kindly donate funds already paid. Please call our office to discuss how you can receive a tax receipt for your generous gift. Thank you!
  
  
• Spend credit in our Online Store. Contact us to set up gift card. 
  
  
• Hold the credit in your account for the 2021 camping season.
  
  
• Or receive a full refund for the amount paid.

 
We are releasing a virtual program called “Camp in a Box”. This experience will connect with those that miss Long Pond, nightly campfires, songs in the dining hall, and as many of the camp experiences possible.  You can subscribe for one, two, or three-monthly boxes, that will contain camp apparel, camp activities, camp kitchen recipes, and invitation only Zoom sessions with some of your favorite camp staff.  Plus, a variety of other surprises

As a donor to Oswegatchie, how can I help?
We are beyond grateful to the members of our community – our alumni, guests, camper families, volunteers, and staff – who have recognized the challenges crises like this can pose to a human services organization regardless of their own hardships that they may be facing. For those that are able and interested, please make a gift here. THANK YOU for your support of children and families during these uncertain times.
 
What won’t change, though, is our commitment to your camper.

Excelsior, 
The Oswegatchie Team

To: Oswegatchie Campers, Parents, & FFA Advisors, 

Re: 2020 Summer Camp Operations

The Oswegatchie Educational Center is working daily to determine the best course of action for our 2020 summer camp season. We are fully aware of the wide range of concerns that parents have in regards to the safety at camp, in large groups, and being away from home. The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event changing how we have operated for the past 20 years.

Our goal is to make an informed decision by May 15th in regards to “if” we can run summer camp. If we do, we will then know what it will look like in regards to size and length. We anticipate the State of New York and the NYS DOH to inform us of what is acceptable and any new requirements to be enforced.

These are not easy times, but we are still at work everyday leveraging every opportunity we have to better prepare Oswegatchie for the future.

In the words of Winston Churchill, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”  Let’s us all move forward with the courage it takes to make good decisions, and live with the decisions of others.
 
Excelsior,
The Oswegatchie Team

Excelsior, 
The Oswegatchie Team

​While Oswegatchie has not had problems or concerns with Measles, the New York State Department of Health has released the following information in response to recent outbreaks. 

In New York, all oversight of summer camps is accomplished by the NYS DOH. For more information about summer camps and all things health related, you can visit https://www.health.ny.gov/ 

Excelsior, 
Bill Waite
Program Director

​Update Post - Summer 2019 : Oswegatchie had no measles reported onsite. 

​Shea Booster, Western Region VP will attend the first week of FFA Summer Camp at Oswegatchie. Week 1 is June 30th - July 5th. 

To learn about Shea Booster and each his fellow national officers, look for the officer pages at FFA. This is the direct link to the National Officer Team.

We look forward to seeing all of you this summer at Oswegatchie.

Excelsior, 
Bill Waite
​Program Director

To: High School Agricultural Educators
 
Re: The Most Excellent FFA Camp in the Northeast!
 
The Oswegatchie FFA Summer Camp has been putting together a Tool Box that teachers can use to get more students to Oswegatchie this summer. Much of our success depends on the excitement of teachers and the enrollment of campers. We are here to support you and everything you do. The NY FFA not only has a legacy of great students, but we also have a great place in the Adirondacks!
 
Remember…                                                              
 
… We are the only FFA Camp in New York and New England!
 
… We are excellent for younger students and its a great way to get them excited about the FFA.
 
… Oswegatchie is a great introduction to your agricultural program and the FFA.
 
… Non-FFA students from your school can have the FFA price when they go to camp.
 
… Recruit outside your ag classes.
 
… Oswegatchie is a great way to get students in your classes. If they want to be in the FFA, they need to be enrolled in your ag classes.
 
… Oswegatchie is an excellent gateway to the larger FFA leadership spectrum.
 
… We do a great job of blending leadership training, environmental education, and outdoor recreation.
 
Inside the Tool Box
 
Summer Camp Video (online and hard copy)
Our 20 minute long video is made to show campers the inside scoop and behind the scenes operations of the camp. Its available online and digitally.
 
Xpedition Outdoors TV Show (online and hard copy)
PBS made a show starring Oswegatchie!
 
Our Summer Camp Website
To learn how our summer camp is a great option for your students and you, look at www.oswegatchiecamp.com . Besides a ton of pictures, we have anything a camper, parent, or teacher would need to get to camp and understand what we do. FAQ, blog, etc!
 
Our Teacher’s Page
This page has 3 tutorials and a warm fuzzy “why” FFA Advisors bring kids to camp.  If you are new to the Oswegatchie Nation, I suggest checking this out.
 
Our Main Website
To learn about everything that we do at Oswegatchie, go to www.oswegatchie.org.
 
Facebook
We have a ridiculous amount of content on our page @ https://www.facebook.com/Oswegatchie/
 
Youtube has over 100 Oswegatchie videos…
 
Brochures
Our physical brochure is a great way to share the possibilities of Oswegatchie with your students. 16 pages of camp content help get them interested. I can send you brochures at anytime. Email me at wwaite@oswegatchie.org and I will send you a care package ASAP.
 
Digital Brochure
Our summer camp brochure is available digitally as a PDF.
 
Full Color Flyers
Use our printed flyers to promote outside your Ag classes. Email me and I can drop them in the mail to you.

Flyer PDFs
These PDFs are easily printed and used to cover the large groups. These are different then our nice print flyers. http://www.oswegatchiecamp.com/in-school-flyers.html
 
In closing, I would enjoy talking to any teacher about getting kids to camp. If you are new to teaching, Oswegatchie can be an intimidating step. Trust me, It will make the rest of your teaching experience better.
 
Excelsior,
Bill Waite
Program Director

We just found this video made by Camp Tecumseh in Indiana. It was so good I immediately wished we had made it.

The nice thing about the camping industry is that enlightened summer camp professionals know that there are enough campers out there for us all to be successful. In turn, if one of creates something this good. Its ok to share as long as you give credit back. So thanks Tecumseh!

Getting to the Point: Summer camp employment is not for everyone. You need to have patience, endurance, imagination, and be ready to help other people. Watch this video and if it doesn't move you to want to work at a camp, then do not apply. 

Lets say you want to work at a camp, Camps are special for both our campers and staff. Be prepared for what could be a fundamentally life changing experience. Additionally, its the perfect place to test yourself, take the lessons learned, and apply them to other opportunities.

If you are interested in applying at Oswegatchie for a summer job, following the link below. Let it be known that applications are due in early February. If you do miss the deadline, a phone call can determine if any opportunities still exist.