Camp Focus:

Description:

“A Child’s World”

Gwynn Valley, situated on 320 acres in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Brevard, NC, has has been a summer camp for younger boys and girls since 1935. Mary Gwynn, the camp’s founder, envisioned a special, nurturing environment where children could thrive in a noncompetitive atmosphere that emphasized individual achievement. Throughout the camp’s development, its philosophy and values have remained constant. Today, Gwynn Valley continues to focus on Miss Mary’s commitment to a child-centerd world where each individual is a vital part of the community. Acceptance, simplicity, a non-competitive program , and an appreciation of the natural world are the core values emphasized as we play and work together throughout the summer.

The strength of Gwynn Valley is its nurturing environment where each camper learns and grows under the guidance of a mature and caring staff. Realizing new talents and personal strengths, a child can venture into the world with new self confidence.

In order to provide an atmosphere uniquely appropriate for both the younger child, pre-teens and teenagers, we offer three different programs at Gwynn Valley. Main Camp, for children who have completed kindergarten through 6^th grade, is separated into two living areas, Hillside and Brookside. Our exciting Adventure Programs, Mountainside and Riverside, are designed for campers who are finishing 5^th – 8^th grade. While they do share some facilities, the Adventure Programs are in separate areas from Main camp.

Gwynn Valley’s staff is what makes each summer a success. Our staff is chosen on the basis of individual maturity, a desire to work with children, experience, and skill. Our counselors must have completed their freshman year in college or be at least 19 years old to work at camp. Our overall camper/staff ratio is 3 to 1. Our staff is made up of former Gwynn Valley campers, college students, and professionals and includes and onsite physician and two nurses each sessions. We hire creative, fun, caring, and inspiring individuals who serve as strong role models and mentors for our campers.

An international flavor is added by the presence of counselors from many parts of the world. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Poland, Russia, South Africa, and Japan have been represented at camp. About 30% of our staff are internationals. Our American staff come from approximately 25 states each summer and attend many different universities.

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