Infomation for Parents - Information for Agencies - Dates

Our Decentralized Philosophy

Thanks to the leadership of educators Dr. L.B. Sharp and Lois Goodrich, Trail Blazers is a national model for decentralized camping. We focus on providing individualized, comprehensive learning opportunities for small groups of inner-city children (8 to 9 children with 2 to 3 Group Leaders) in “smallcamps”. With the guidance of Group Leaders, smallcamps design and plan their own daily schedules choosing from a large array of activities like challenge course initiatives, nature crafts, gardening, hiking, reading, swimming, creative writing, stargazing, environmental education and much more.

Noncompetitive Programming
Our program focuses on noncompetitive, educational activities. There are no competitive sports or contests at Trail Blazers – instead, activities emphasize the growth of the “whole” child emotionally, socially, intellectually and physically.

Experiential Education
Trail Blazers teaches through hands-on learning. Children learn by doing, rather than through lecture. For example, children learn about pond ecology by collecting samples from our lake and examining the water creatures they find, then researching those findings in our libraries. By participating in these kinds of multi-phase, hands-on activities, children develop vital academic skills in fun, engaging ways.

Educational Component

We believe that children learn best by doing and experiencing, so education is built into every aspect of the Trail Blazers experience. Children improve their math skills through the daily preparation of meals, rather than through flash cards or worksheets. They budget for food, multiply fractions in recipes to feed the appropriate number of people, and then measure out the ingredients needed, which helps them understand the practical need for math. As a group walks around Trail Blazers, one of its members notices a new bird, and so the group goes to the library and looks it up, and then reports its findings to the rest of the community. Because there is no TV to report the weather conditions, groups learn how to use weather instruments to measure, record and chart data, make predictions, and then report the weather to the community. As children write letters home to family and friends, they improve their ability to describe feelings and experiences through writing. It is through these daily experiences that children learn.

Groups also participate in more structured environmental education and literacy. Each week, groups choose environmental activities such as edible hikes, where they learn to identify various plants and their uses, or the hunt for the “flying onion”, where they learn how animals use their sense of smell to track something. Children engage in independent reading or writing for at least an hour each day, and are expected to complete at least two age-appropriate books during their session. Groups participate in literacy workshops where they learn different forms of poetry, make books, or write and perform plays. Trail Blazers also produces a literary magazine at the end of the session, where each child is expected to submit a selection of writing.

Combating the Achievement Gap
Our summer program provides young people with not only a much needed opportunity for outdoor activity, but also a carefully structured experiential curriculum designed to decrease the Achievement Gap, the loss of cognitive skills over the summer months.

Thanks to our past partnership with the New York City Board of Education’s Break-Aways Program, we have expanded the educational opportunities offered to children at Trail Blazers. We currently hire a certified teacher along with three program support staff members to implement our educational programs. Each day, children are exposed to at least three hours of educational enrichment. We provide extensive literacy and environmental education activities. These components ensure that children who attend Trail Blazers have many outlets for their intellectual curiosity and build the problem-solving, reading and writing skills essential to success in and beyond the classroom.

New York City Board of Education research has shown that young people who participate in Break-Aways summer programs like Trail Blazers score 12.7 points higher on standardized tests that children in the same schools who do not participate.

Fostering Emotional Intelligence
Our program is designed to build self-esteem and interpersonal skills. By living, learning, and playing with small groups in very rugged surroundings, young people develop vital skills such as empathy, cooperation, assertiveness and conflict resolution. These skills are an important part of an individual’s overall Emotional Intelligence.

Vagabond
During a 24 day session in our summer program, each group takes part in a vagabond (a 1 to 5 night backpacking trip). Vagabond is designed to challenge participants physically and emotionally, both individually and as part of a group. Young people have the opportunity to progress through a series of vagabond challenges during their years at Trail Blazers, beginning with overnight camping trips on our 1,000 acre site and culminating in a 5-day trek on the Appalachian Trail for Leadership Training Program Participants.

A Commitment To Forging Effective, Long Lasting Relationships

Since on-going positive reinforcement and support are vital to growth and learning, we make a commitment to work with each child accepted into our program for a minimum of three years. Also, children who attend our summer program are invited to attend a Winter Environmental Education Weekend, allowing us to reinforce the skills and values developed during the summer. Many Trail Blazers’ participants receive additional year-round support through participation in Trail Blazers’ Mentor Program and Leadership Training Program. We develop relationships with the educators and social workers involved in the daily life of the children we serve. Individualized reports are sent to each child’s teachers and/or social worker at the close of the summer and following any year-round events he or she attends.

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Each child has a daily job. These chores include fire building, wood gathering, cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning the lanterns and latrine seat. Each child is also responsible for the cleanliness of his/her own living area, bed, and clothing. Children regularly wash their personal clothing by hand.

Three nutritious meals are served every day. At least one is prepared by the group and eaten in the children's smallcamp. Some unfamiliar foods may be served , which everyone is expected to try. There is no soda or candy at Trail Blazers , although many groups decide to make their own healthy desserts.

Each group plans its own schedule. The children will participate in any of the following activities: high/low ropes course, hiking, fishing, swimming, boating, natural crafts, cooking over open fires, gardening and vagabond (an overnight backpacking trip) . Non-competitive activities and games are played and encouraged at Trail Blazers. There are no organized sports.

Your Responsibilities

• Complete all paperwork before deadlines.


• Attend a participant orientation with your child.


• Attend a parent orientation once your child is accepted.


• Pay the non-refundable registration fee based on the family's income.


• Pack a suitcase for your child.


• Drop your child off at bus pick up site.


• Write to your child at least weekly. Your letters are important part of making camp successful. Children are not permitted to make or receive phone calls.
• Pick up your child at bus drop off site.


• Children must agree to attend Trail Blazers for a FULL session. Parent/guardians SHOULD NOT tell their child that he/she can come home if she/he is homesick or does not like Trail Blazers.

Clothing List
All linens (towels, wash cloths, pillow, blankets, and sheets) are provided. Please pack old clothing for your child. DO NOT BUY ANY NEW CLOTHING FOR YOUR CHILD TO WEAR AT TRAIL BLAZERS ! All items in addition to those on this list will be stored until your child's departure. Please label all of your child's belongings with his/her name.

12 pair of underwear
12 pair of socks (must cover ankles)
3 pair of pajamas (sleepwear)
9 T-shirts
2 long sleeve shirts
4 sweaters or sweatshirts
4-5 pair of shorts
3-4 pair of pants *
2 bathing suits
2 pair of shoes (sneakers or boots)
1 pair of rain boots
1 lightweight jacket
1 raincoat/poncho
1 laundry bag (pillowcase)
toothbrush and toothpaste
soap in a plastic case
Shampoo
comb/brush
Water bottle
Backpack
Flip flops (for shower)
Stationary and stamps
Pre-addressed envelopes
Sanitary supplies for girls

* Jeans are strongly discouraged because they absorb moisture and do not dry quickly.

Do NOT pack :

Candy/Gum/Money/Valuables

Hair dryers
Flashlights
Knives
Jewelry
Magazines

Anything else you do not want to risk losing or getting dirty.

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