Located on Squam Lake in Sandwich, NH, Camp Hale offers youth the opportunity to experience sleepaway camp in the natural beauty of the White Mountains. By taking youth out of their comfort zone and exposing them to new possibilities, they develop leadership skills, independence, and resilience.
Camp Hale serves 225+ boys and girls each summer, ages 6-15 years, with the goal of increasing their sense of well-being, social skills, and awareness of personal potential. Camp Hale encourages environmental leadership through instilling values, educating, and engaging youth in the preservation of our surrounding natural resources. Ultimately, Camp Hale’s purpose is to ensure that these life-changing experiences yield improvements in their other endeavors such as school, work, sports, conflict resolution, and interpersonal relationships.
Providing a multi-cultural experience, where campers meet and interact with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds, is an integral part of Camp Hale. Our cabins comprise diverse groups of youth who eat, sleep, work, play, and travel together. Tolerance, respect for others, and the celebration of differences are integrated into all aspects of camp activities. Counselors and program staff members mentor the youth and teach them team-building, leadership, and the hard, yet rewarding, work that goes into setting and achieving goals.
Check out former Director of Camp Hale (Current Chief Executive Officer of USES) and Camp Hale Alumni, Jerrell Cox, on Boston Neighborhood Network News talking about Camp Hale:
Camp Hale History
1895:Reverend Edward Everett Hale founded Hale House. Started in London, settlement houses placed college-aged men and women in impoverished neighborhoods to live and work alongside the residents and help them access services needed to achieve their potential. They empowered women to learn job skills, welcomed new immigrants, promoted unions, and created institutions that were multiracial, served all religions, and worked with people of all ages.
1900: Camp Hale was founded by Hale House to provide neighborhood children with a safe place to play and access “fresh air” and nature.
1925:The Camp Hale Alumni Association was founded to build community in support of Camp Hale.
1959: Five settlement houses in the South End of Boston voted to combine into one, taking the name of United South End Settlements.
2011: The Rookie Camp was established for families not yet ready for a full-length session.
2012: Camp Hale began welcoming girls, a welcome break from tradition, while maintaining gender-specific programming.
2016: Camp Hale launched a Leaders in Training program for girls.
2017:We reached equal length programming for girls and boys (4 weeks each) and completed our Vision125 strategic planning process.
Meals & Nutrition
We offer quality home cooked meals, combining camp comfort food with healthy ingredients. We use whole grains, fresh produce, and local and organic whenever possible. Food safety and allergens are important to us! We are nut-free and our nurse and food professionals develop allergy-friendly menus to fit the needs of the campers and staff.
