Kennolyn Camps Comparative Summary

Children’s camps are always looking for ways to discern themselves from their competition, and those that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award are already several steps ahead. Kennolyn Camps has been providing resident and day camp summer programs at its 300-acre Soquel facility for more than 65 years, amassing a level of industry experience that few camps can match. Owned and operated by the Caldwell family, the camp is situated in a wooded area near Santa Cruz and borders Nisene Marks State Park, which provides an additional 10,000 acres of activity space. The resident camp is designed to look like an old western town, and the day camp is located on a hilltop overlooking Monterey Bay. “We’re secluded, but not isolated,” says General Manager Pam Caldwell Nootbaar. “It’s the perfect location.”

Unlike some children’s camps that follow regimented activity schedules, Kennolyn Camps prefers to offer its campers a wide range of options, including hiking and nature walks, tennis and other ball sports, swimming, archery, arts and crafts, horseback riding, trapeze and more. Resident campers can enjoy offsite days and multi-day trips that include backpacking, beach activities and river rafting. “The scope of our activities is incomparable to other camps that only focus on one activity or skill set,” says Ms. Caldwell Nootbaar. “Instead of offering kids familiar activities, we challenge them and facilitate their social growth and development.”

Kennolyn Camps is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), the only nationally recognized accrediting organization for the resident/day camp industry. Every three years, the ACA conducts a rigorous review of Kennolyn’s operations to ensure it meets the organization’s comprehensive standards, which cover everything from the staff-to-camper ratio to the safety of individual camp programs. Ms. Caldwell Nootbaar says Kennolyn’s ACA-accredited status discerns it from other camps that only operate for a few weeks during the summer and don’t possess the same high-quality facilities and staff.

Kennolyn Camps has two registered nurses onsite to handle any medical problems that arise, and all its staff members are all at least 18 years old or have graduated from high school and completed a rigorous three year leadership program. Most counselors have been involved with the company for many years, offering campers both experienced supervision and the positive reinforcement of familiar faces. “We encourage diversity among our staff,” says Ms. Caldwell Nootbaar. “We have staffers from Europe, Africa and Asia, so the children get a chance to meet people who speak other languages and come from other cultures. Our staff members undergo a week-long training session that includes hands-on experience with a small group of kids. We ensure they’re trained and ready before the bulk of the campers arrive. And of course, we conduct ongoing training and professional development throughout the summer.”