Dear Alumnae,

What a gift it was to spend an amazing weekend with so many of you last August. Isn’t it a wonderful thing to keep the connection with Nyoda going? It is so exciting to me to have a newly formed Alumnae Association working to help support those efforts to connect with each other and camp. I hope many of you can find a way to stay connected with Nyoda, whether sharing a Visiting Day with us or sharing a skill with some campers this summer. I would love to hear from you!

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about our slogan: “Camp Nyoda, A place where girls like who they are.” It’s a bold statement but one we work toward every day for every camper. Nyoda gives girls a safe environment to try new things; it is a place that is inviting, supportive, and accepting to all who join our summer family. That’s what camp is: a summer home to all the girls who come here each year. We have so many deep traditions that are the foundation of our values and are at the heart of Nyoda. Although this aspect of camp life is not likely to change, there are new exciting things always on the horizon.

Last summer, after a hiatus of many years, we brought back hiking/outdoor adventures. The girls loved having another option during activity time. They got to explore the woods, hone their fire building skills and even learn about building a natural shelter. This summer, we are hoping to build on what we started last year and add to it a week of climbing with alumna Noele Stollmack. She will be returning to help us challenge ourselves and push past what we believe our limits to be. We are so grateful that she can be with us for a whole week. This summer, we are also excited to introduce some awesome new jewelry making techniques in the arts and craft department and are hoping that some alumnae will join us to share their expertise in this area.

Are any of you alumnae nature educators or enthusiasts? We would love to develop more nature related education into our program. After all, we have an extremely diverse ecosystem at Nyoda that would be so much fun to explore with the right person.

Probably the biggest change that Nyoda has seen in my directorship is our staff. We now hire 30 staff members! They are an amazing group of young women, dedicated, hard-working, and passionate as ever to keep the Nyoda spirit alive and well. They truly pick up the torch that is passed to them each summer and carry it high and proud so that all the girls who share this special place with us feel its light and love in a deep and lasting way.

We are so looking forward to our 101st summer this year.  What a legacy! And, one we all can be very proud of.