Welcome to the Explorer family!

Dear Explorer Families,

When a parent entrusts their child to us, they’re offering something precious—not just time, but hope. Hope that this summer will be the place where your child discovers something new about themselves. Hope that they’ll build friendships that matter. Hope that they’ll feel safe enough to try, fail, succeed, and grow. We don’t take that hope lightly.

At Explorer Camps, we understand that sending your child away requires courage. That’s why I want to start by being honest: your child’s safety, well-being, and happiness are never secondary considerations at our camps—they’re the foundation everything else is built on. Our entire team, from the moment we recruit our counselors to the daily decisions we make, operates with your child’s physical, emotional, and social well-being at the very center. We’ve invested in training, systems, and a culture of care that ensures your child isn’t just supervised—they’re truly known and supported.

More Than Just Activities

But safety alone doesn’t create the magic of summer camp. What makes Explorer Camps truly special is that we recognize each camper comes to us as an individual—with their own dreams, their own pace of growth, and their own version of what they hope to discover this summer. Maybe your child wants to conquer a fear of water. Maybe they want to find their people—the friends who get them. Maybe they want to push themselves physically, creatively, or socially in ways they’ve never tried before. We listen to these hopes, and we create space for them to flourish.

You’re Part of This Journey

Here’s what we’ve learned: the best camp experiences happen when parents and camp directors are genuinely connected. That’s why we’ve built multiple ways to stay involved and informed. You’ll receive regular updates through photos and stories that capture not just what your child did, but who they’re becoming while they’re here. We welcome your questions, your concerns, and your insights about your child—because you know them best, and we want to support them with that same depth of understanding.

This partnership also means we’re here for you. Questions about homesickness (we call it missing home)? A concern about something that happened? A celebration we should know about? We’re always available, whether that’s a quick phone call, a video chat, or a coffee meeting. Explorer Camp isn’t just something that happens to your child for a few weeks—it’s a shared journey that includes your whole family.

A Home Away From Home

The memories your child will create this summer—the unexpected friendships, the quiet moments watching fireflies, the triumphant moment of trying something that scared them, the laughter around the campfire—these become part of who they are. And you’ll be woven into every one of those moments because you’re part of the foundation that made them possible.

We’re genuinely excited to welcome your child into our Explorer family. There’s something extraordinary waiting for them this summer, and we’re honored to be part of their story.

With warmth and anticipation,

Steve Hartley

CEO / Camp Director

Explorer International Kids’ Camps