17100 Quaker Lane
Sandy Spring, MD 20860
301-774-7663
brian@bymcamps.org
“Camp is a fundamental part of my kids’ childhood. That month is sacred in our house.”
– Catoctin parent
“We love this camp’s rough and tumble can-do attitude in the face of real-world challenges.”
– Teen Adventure parent
“My child had a wonderful time and returned home with so much joy in their heart.”
– Shiloh parent
“My son felt a strong sense of belonging that is sometimes missing in the rest of his life. He grew and gained perspective. This will be a pillar that makes him the adult he becomes.”
– Opequon parent
“My son absolutely loves this experience every summer. When we pick him up, he looks happy, relaxed, and just beaming with confidence from all the amazing adventures he has had.”
– Teen Adventure parent
“Catoctin was a safe, friendly, loving place for our son to have his first big adventure away from home. He can’t wait to go back!”
– Catoctin parent
“I love the way my camper is supported, and encouraged to do great/hard/new things.”
– Catoctin parent
“Both of my children – who share virtually no interests – LOVE Shiloh. This is a testament to how everyone is welcome.”
– Shiloh parent
“Camp provides the environment and community that support children in learning about themselves and about being part of a community that values its members, values nature, and values spirituality. Quaker camps change lives and create lifelong memories and connections”
– Teen Adventure parent
“Shiloh provides a wholesome, empowering experience in nature that emphasizes relational connection and community. This is such a rare gift that it feels like we are still integrating the lessons learned from our time at summer camp.”
– Shiloh parent
“My kids have built a life around BYM camps, their experience has been life altering.”
– Teen Adventure parent
“We loved this camp! First time going!”
– Catoctin parent
“My son came back and he was so happy. He truly felt at home and welcomed, met other kids and just had an amazing time.”
– Shiloh parent
“We are a queer family and it is a great experience for our son to be in an environment that is so welcoming and open. I have also appreciated the opportunities he has at camp to play with gender and to explore what it means to him to be a boy/man.”
– Catoctin parent
“I loved seeing my 14 year-old’s confidence, comfort in his own skin, and increased kindness upon return; also seeing him in a scrum of loving teens at the end of camp, buried in love and kindness instead of snark and social anxiety.”
– Catoctin parent
“I am very grateful for how lovingly the staff took care of my child, who was away from home for the first time as an 11 year old, is generally introverted and shy, but who really wants to connect to others around what she loves — music and nature in particular. It’s not an easy thing to win her over given her anxieties, but Opequon did it 100% and then some.”
– Opequon parent
“As a parent of a first time sleep away camper, I’m so glad this was my child’s first experience of camp. Her goal was to meet new friends from different parts of the country, expand her creativity, and have an experience independent from family, and she definitely did all of those things. Thank you for all the care and respect given to kids’ identities, unique talents and contribution to the collective good.”
– Opequon parent
“Especially in this day and age, I consider Catoctin to be a human-reset camp. When I attended Catoctin it was a special camp but now going away to a place like Catoctin is so important. They do chores, meditate, have opportunities to think about and share big ideas, encouraged to get really silly, it’s not a hyper-activated camp that micromanages 30 activities a day, there is no uniform, and the kids get to experience their own strength and vulnerabilities in a social oasis.”
– Catoctin parent
“As a mixed ethnicity family, I felt welcome and safe when I saw gender, racial, and ethnic diversity during drop off among camp staff and campers. I knew my child would be treated with respect and welcomed.”
– Opequon parent
“Opequon is a place of transformation. This is the place where my son’s heart soars. There he unplugs and connects with others who appreciate the gift of nature and camaraderie of cabin life.”
– Opequon parent
“Every year my kids have a magical time. They come back feeling older and gentler at the same time.”
– Catoctin parent
“Every summer they go to camp, my kids come back happier, more confident, more relaxed, and ready for new challenges and adventures. They look forward to it all year.”
– Teen Adventure parent
“My kids love it, and I believe it is a sustaining and transformative experience for them.”
– Shiloh parent
What are campers saying about BYM Camps?
“I love camp, it’s my home.”
– Shiloh camper
“Being at camp is when I am the most happy and relaxed and I want others to experience that.”
– Catoctin camper
“Thank you so much, you’ve changed my life and camp really helps me be able to be myself. The environment is amazing. Thanks again for making this great space I can share with amazing people.”
– Teen Adventure camper
“It’s an awesome camp with great people who make me feel at home. I already recommended it to a friend because it was one of the best summer camps I’ve ever been to.”
– Opequon camper
“It was so fun. I was active the entire day (except for rest period). When I would get into my cabin I would fall right asleep and that never happens at home. It was a place where I learned new things and met new people. My time there was awesome!”
– Shiloh camper
What are staff saying about BYM Camps?
“Leaving camp I feel like a whole new leader and overall person. I greatly appreciate the roles that I was given, especially as a first-year counselor, and the challenges that came with it as well.”
“I loved the balance of support and space I was given by other staff. It helped me grow and become a better counselor for campers in a way that let me discover things on my own by guiding me towards those discoveries.”
“I loved how close I felt to the community and how supportive the environment was for me to grow into a new version of myself.”
“Working at a BYM camp is the first time I felt like I have been treated as a human being and member of a community rather than a replaceable profit-producing commodity.”
“With regards to gender, camp is probably the place I feel MOST consistently safe and welcome of anywhere in my life.”
“It is the healthiest environment for personal growth I have ever been in.”