Camp Nor’wester Camper Units
Why Units?
Our unit system creates a supportive 'home base' where campers build close friendships, tackle challenges together, and grow personally under the guidance of dedicated staff, enhancing every aspect of the camp experience.
The Unit System
The Unit System is central to our mission and philosophy at Nor’wester. We believe that a camper is best supported at camp when they have a strong group of peers and counselors surrounding them, helping them learn and grow from the camp experience.
When you’re enrolled as a camper, you will be placed in a unit, according to your age and grade. Two staff, called Unit Leaders, are assigned to your unit for the duration of the session – their main job is to support you and the rest of your unit mates in having the best camp experience you can. They will join you in all activities, lead your overnight trips, eat most meals with you, and support your across your camp experience.
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Unit Leaders are hired for their commitment to their campers, and genuine interest in spending time with young people. There will also be three or more Department staff living in your unit. You’ll see them during the day in their program area – maybe in the Craftshop, Kitchen, at the Archery range or on a Nature hike, depending on their job. They will also spend time with your unit on Overnights, and during Rest Hours and at night. All of these staff are there to support and connect with you, and hopefully teach you new skills throughout the session.
One of the main goals of the Unit System is for you to have a small group of other campers your same age to live and experience camp with – these are your unit mates. On Arrival Day, before you get on the boats to camp, you will group up with your counselors and unit mates to meet together for the first time. When you get to camp, you’ll learn who your tent mates are – you’ll be living in a tent with two or three other campers in your unit. We hope that in the first weeks of camp your unit mates get to know each other and bond during activities. You’ll probably have some closer friends in your unit than others, but you’ll get to know everyone, and having that cohesive group around you during the session will be a big support and make for a lot of fun experiences together. We often see lifelong friends made at camp!
There will be times when something proves to be a challenge for your unit – a session at the Ropes course, or a tough paddle on your canoeing overnight, or maybe a disagreement between a few campers. These situations do happen, but the point of living and working in a group of peers is that you can get through it together. Your Unit Leaders will be there to facilitate discussion or to help you resolve conflict. A summer camp experience can be challenging at time; we don’t assume everything will be easy. We want you to learn and grow from your experiences and interactions with others, building your understanding of people who come from backgrounds that are different than yours, improving your communication skills, and hopefully making friends and great memories along the way.
Being prepared for and open to the possibilities of this kind of group-living experience will really help you have a great time at camp. Who knows, this year might be the year you learn to sail, or throw your first mug on the pottery wheel! These kinds of experiences will be awesome in their own right, but it will be so much better to have a close group of peers around you to celebrate with when you do them!
Unit Assignments
Camper Ages/Grades (approximate)
North Star Units
San Juan Units
14, completing grade 8
Wayfarers
Islanders
Explorers
9-10, completing grades 3-4
Archers
Rangers
11, completing grade 5
Mariners
Pioneers
12, completing grade 6
Vagabonds
Foresters
13, completing grade 7
Voyageurs
Pathfinders
15, completing grade 9
Navigators
Mountaineers
16, completing grade 10
Troubadour
Camp Nor’wester strives to be a welcoming, inclusive and safe space for all people. One of the goals of our Unit System is to put a group of peers together in a living situation that creates a supportive and cohesive dynamic, allowing for both individual and group growth and development. Our founders, Frank and Lucile Henderson, ran San Juan International Camp for Boys and North Star Camp for Girls from 1942-1967, so we have chosen to honor our history by bringing back these two identifiers – San Juan Units and North Star Units. Using these names allows us to increase our inclusions of gender fluidity/expansiveness and to be aware of how campers and staff may identify outside of the structured binary of traditional gender, labels, roles and stereotypes.
Any family with questions about their camper’s unit assignment should contact the camp office directly at the time of enrollment to confirm the best fit for their child.
Nor’westers Camper Perparedness Statement
To ensure a positive and successful experience for each camper, we are committed to being transparent about the support we can provide at Camp Nor’wester. Our program is structured around a Unit System, where campers live, interact, and participate in activities as part of a close-knit consistent group of peers, led by trained staff members. Most of each day is spent in community with others, which can be both rewarding and challenging.
We encourage families to carefully review the expectations outlined below to ensure that Camp Nor’wester is a good fit. For a camper to thrive in our program, they should be comfortable with:
-Following a structured group schedule and adhering to verbal and written directions, as well as safety guidelines from staff.
-Handling unpredicted but necessary schedule changes and adjustments to daily plans.
-Managing frustrations and disagreements constructively.
-Independently meeting their personal care needs, such as toileting, showering, dressing, and eating.
-Living in an active/rustic setting and being able to walk from place to place at camp on uneven terrain and taking part in camp activities, including age-specific overnights and trips.
Our program is designed for campers who can self-manage within the group setting, and unfortunately, we are unable to provide significant one-on-one support in our 4-week program.
As part of the enrollment process, campers and their parents/guardians will complete a "Camper Commitment to Community" form in the spring. This form outlines specific behavioral expectations for camp and is an important step in preparing each camper for a successful experience.
We value open communication and would be glad to connect with families early to discuss any specific support needs or concerns to help determine if Nor’wester is the right fit for your camper.