Surprise Lake Camp

★★★★★Ori Elimelech

A phenomenal environment with so much to do for everyone. Lovely atmosphere and activities, accompanied by top notch staff! Never a complaint here.

★★Mr. Feedback

Camps are all about experiences. As such, my daughter came back from camp very confused about her sexual orientation at age 11. She inquired whether or not she might be gay or a "they." This is due to the accepting nature of the camp and many counselors being of nonconforming sexual identity. In particular, Perseus inadvertently opened the doors for self-assessment. "They," Perseus, connected with my daughter, and it took 6 months for my child to be comfortable in her own skin. Overall, the quality of the camp and the engagement of the kids were not great. There appears to have been a lot of downtime and boredom. My son reported that one of his bunk mates was bullying and there wasn't much he can do about it. Both of my kids felt they were not engaged enough. They reported that unless you are part of a "clique," it's pretty missable there. They both felt the food was below par and lost weight during their stay. Some kids report loving the camp, but I can't speak for their background, family dynamics, social skills, or socioeconomic status that allows them to flourish in this environment. All I can say is that my kids are very engaged in their home environment of NYC. Through inadvertent fault of my own, they don't deal well with boredom. The one positive is that phones are not allowed, but a weekly call with mom and dad would be wonderful, as e-letters are delivered with a delay of several days.

★★★★★T F

This was my son’s first summer in SLC. He loved it. The first words out of his mouth as he got into the car on way home “ l want to go back next summer” thanks for making his summer so amazing. Great staff. Very responsive. Amazing time

★Ella

I sincerely hope the administration has learned not to exploit and emotionally and verbally abuse 16 year olds working for pennies per hour. Summer 2014 was traumatic thanks to Sheryl, Lori, Carolyn, and their friends. I was too naive to understand what was happening to me at the time but I’ve known for a long time that it wasn’t right and it affected me for years after. SLC was my second home and my family and I felt like that was destroyed by my experience on staff. It’s late for me to speak up over a decade later but I hope the message is taken seriously. I have connected with other alumni who felt the same way and shared similar experiences. I am sharing this message any way I can because I fear that this type of abuse has gone on for decades and is still happening. The photos are from that last summer when I was on 16 year old staff. I remember that evening feeling safe and comfortable with my friends until Sheryl Kirschenbaum walked in. Her presence always caused a deep discomfort from the many times she isolated me in her office and screamed in my face when I was only 16 and trying my best at my first ever job. The administration did not embody the values they claimed to represent.

★★★★★Agnieszka Piotrowicz

This is one of the most amazing camps for the kids (8-15) on Earth! Two of my three kids were enjoying their Summers year by year and each time they didn't want to come back, waiting with excitement for another edition:) The variety of activities (all kinds of sports, crafts, acting, trips, camping, and a lot more), the best international staff, the weather, and togetherness can describe only a part of this incredible experience. For the Polish kids, it's also a great opportunity to learn and practice English, they come back with self-confidence, and improved communiaction skills in this language. Highly recommend Surprise Lake Camp!