Like the ads say—life comes at you fast. That’s another way of saying when you get to be a teenager at Adirondack Camp, it means you are growing up faster than ever. Old concepts -- like fun, skills, privileges, responsibilities, choice – take on newer, more nuanced, richer dimensions.
At Adirondack, the older you became, the more choices you have. Seniors campers at our teen adventure camp, ages 13-16 enjoy a status and set of responsibilities that single them out as role models – exemplars – for younger campers. Among their privileges, Senior campers enjoy priority scheduling for their preferred activities; and they are able to opt out of swimming, subject to demonstrating advanced proficiency. Seniors are also eligible for Camper Council, big brother/sister roles with younger campers, later bedtimes, prime real estate, age appropriate evening programs and special "Teen Only" trips and wilderness adventures.
Our oldest campers, age 16, are Seniors who are called “Rangers”, after a fabled group of the oldest, toughest, most resourceful campers of Adirondack of old (at least fifty years old!).
Rangers have even more choices. They can choose to remain in the regular activity program or, if they want, they can concentrate in one or two activities and design with a counselor-advisor their own special challenge to meet and overcome for each of the selected activities. In addition to Senior privileges, Rangers can also choose to participate in some of the effort that goes into running a great Camp. They can choose, for example, to help coach a particular activity, plan for and run a Special Day or organize a Camp-wide community service project.
Finally, Adirondack Camp Rangers may sign up for special certification programs at our teen adventure camp that will qualify them to teach a particular activity or rescue someone in trouble. These “cert programs” usually require a minimum number of participants and are first come first served up to a maximum number, usually six to ten per program. They also carry a small additional tuition surcharge.
The Ranger Cert Programs can change from year to year; and if there is a particular program some number of Rangers would like to add, we will do our best to accommodate. Past programs have included:
