Camp Rivendale
Summer 2013 Dates
Summer 2013 (8 weeks): June 24 - Aug. 16 (ages 6-21)
Wilderness Weeks (6 weeks): June 24 - Aug. 2 (ages 6-21)
Adult program (2 weeks): Aug. 19-30 (ages 22+)
General information in Summer brochure now available. Please see page 44.
Summer Day Camp Program
To register, call the Elsie Stuhr Center at 503/629-6342. Applications are mailed in late March each year and registration begins mid-April. Only walk-in or mail-in registration to the Jenkins Estate is accepted. You must have an application prior to registration. The direct phone number for the camp is 503/591-5319 beginning mid-June.
Description
Camp Rivendale is a summer day camp program providing recreational opportunities to at-risk youth and individuals with disabilities or behavioral challenges.
Campers (ages 6 and up) are encouraged by staff to explore areas of music, dance, drama, visual arts, sports and aquatics. Through this process, our goal is to contribute to the physical, mental and social growth of the camper. Staff and volunteers foster peer relations, which allow campers to share affection, support and companionship. We also strive to develop community support and encourage attitude changes to reflect dignity, self-respect and independence for people with disabilities.
Staff named the camp for the land of Rivendell from the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R. Tolkien. Rivendell was a magical world where everyone was happy and compatible and life was wonderful with no hardships, burdens or sadness. An office worker mistakenly typed "R-i-v-e-n-d-a-l-e" as the camp's name. Somehow it seemed right and the spelling stuck.
Camp Rivendale is part of the 68-acre historic Jenkins Estate, an English-style country estate that is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The facility features a restroom, an enclosed small office area and a covered pavilion. The grounds provide pathways and trails, natural areas, maintained gardens, a fish pond, a foot bridge and lots of open play area.
The camp runs for eight weeks. Campers can attend all eight or just certain weeks. About 65-80 children attend camp. School buses are on-site to take campers on field trips and to off-site excursions. In addition, one day a week, campers are taken to Beaverton Swim Center for swimming lessons and free water play.
Round-trip transportation is provided between camp and Aloha High School, Sunset High School and Beaverton Swim Center. Staff members and volunteers supervise all activities from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Activities begin at 9 a.m.
