Any parent with kids in the tween and teen years knows how tricky it can be to keep them meaningfully engaged over the long stretch of summer. With three teenagers myself, I’ve wrestled with finding the sweet spot between giving them the downtime they crave and encouraging experiences that leave them feeling capable, confident and fulfilled.
That’s where teen camp programs step in. “CIT (counselor-in-training) and Junior Counselor programs offer teens a bridge from being campers to becoming mentors,” says Heather Mitchell, founding director of Monkey Business Camp. “Youth leaders move from participating in camp to helping create it. That shift builds confidence, empathy, responsibility, and real-world leadership skills.”
When Jeni Goedken, a Campbell mom of two, sent her son to Skylake Yosemite Camp as a counselor-in-training, he came back with skills that will benefit him in the long run: There was a backpacking trip that “required planning, teamwork and sticking to a schedule even when things got tough (like hot weather and swarms of bugs). It also gave him the confidence to do hard things. Life is hard, and it will only get more complex for our kids. Being scared or tired and doing the scary or hard thing anyway is a lesson that I feel comes best from experience without Mom and Dad by their side.”
A Wide Range of Offerings
Bay Area camps are also tailoring programs specifically for tweens and teen campers, giving them opportunities to build advanced skills, experience a taste of college life or develop independence away from home. From specialty tracks in STEM, arts and outdoor leadership, these programs meet teens where they are developmentally. Many emphasize collaborative projects and real-world problem solving, helping teens discover interests they may want to pursue beyond summer.
These are some Bay Area camps that offer programs designed specifically to keep tweens and teens engaged in the summer months:
San Francisco/Marin
German International School of Silicon Valley Summer Camp
German-speaking high school students assist children ages 3-10 with hands-on classroom projects and outdoor camp experiences while strengthening their knowledge of German and earning high school volunteer hours.
San Francisco. gissv.org/gissv-home-english/locations/sf-summer-camp/counselor-in-training-program-sf
Slide Ranch
Tweens/teens aged 12-17 can step into a leadership role as a counselor-in-training at this summer camp with weekly themes, such as Pollinatorpalooza and Farm to Belly. A pre-camp training session is held to give new CITs the confidence to guide young campers and gain experience in environmental stewardship.
Muir Beach. slideranch.org/cits
Green Teen Machine Camp
Rising 6th through 9th graders can participate in this Tree Frog Treks camp, where they venture out to explore the various coastal ecosystems in the Bay Area. Tree Frog Treks also offers a counselor-in-training program for rising 10th through 13th graders to hone leadership skills and support campers’ outdoor learning.
San Francisco. treefrogtreks.com/teencamp
East Bay
Call of the Wild Camps
Teens and college students can apply for internships at these camps that focus on our connections with nature. Interns help facilitate outdoor activities for campers with nature and wilderness themes, including circle time with story time and singing, literary show-and-tell, skits, nature journaling and more. College course credit is available.
Oakland, Berkeley, Cupertino and Los Gatos. inspirebehavior.com/nature-camp-counselor-teen-college-internships
Monkey Business Camp
If your tween or teen loves being outdoors and mentoring younger campers, they should explore a youth leader role as either a CIT or junior counselor with Monkey Business Camp. Held in Tilden Park since 1998, this camp often sees campers return in leadership roles, and more than 80% of its paid staff began as youth leaders.
Berkeley. monkeybusinesscamp.com/summer-camp
Ohlone for Kids and Teens
Whether you want to learn calligraphy, baking or robotics, Ohlone College is the place to be for teens. Classes for kids up to grade 12 help teen learners get better prepared for the upcoming school year or develop skills in areas they’ve never studied before.
Fremont. ohlone.edu/ohloneforkids/summer
UC Berkeley Summer Springboard
This two-week pre-college program welcomes teens to learn about medicine, engineering, business, media and more through faculty and industry speakers and hands-on projects. Teens live in university dorms and venture beyond the campus to explore San Francisco and Silicon Valley on field trips.
Berkeley. summerspringboard.com/lp/uc-berkeley-campus
Peninsula
Camp SOAR
This camp, with an outdoor-adventure focus, offers a counselor-in-training program for ages 13-17 and paid recreation leader positions for ages 15 and up. At Twin Pines Park, leaders guide campers in outdoor games, crafts, water play and silly songs.
Belmont. belmont.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/youth-teens/camp-soar
Hope Musical Theatre Camp
High-energy teens can dive into the role of counselor-in-training at this theater camp that ends each week with an all-star performance. CITs help campers practice lines, build sets and lead drama games.
Palo Alto. hopemusicaltheatre.com/summer-camp-counselors-in-training
Redwood City Leaders-in-Training Program
If your teen (aged 13-15) is looking to help out in a traditional camp experience with sports, crafts and field trips, this program supports various summer camps throughout Redwood City.
Redwood City. redwoodcity.org/departments/parks-recreation-and-community-services/teens/leadership-in-training-l-i-t
Silicon Valley
Camp GrowFit Sports
Counselors-in-training (ages 13-16) help support campers in honing their basketball, soccer, volleyball and other sports skills, while working on teamwork and friendship skills.
San Jose, Redwood City, San Ramon, Walnut Creek and Berkeley. growfit.camp/sports-camps/counselor-in-training/
Club SciKidz
Teens 13-15 can explore a STEM-focused summer camp featuring 3D design and printing, AI and coding, LEGO and Vex robotics and digital art. Through hands-on projects, campers build creativity and problem-solving skills.
Santa Clara, Mountain View, San Jose, Campbell and Saratoga.
siliconvalley.clubscikidz.com/age-groups/ages-13-15
San Jose Museum of Art Teen Camp
Campers ages 12-14 can delve into a different art form each week, from needle felting to printmaking. Campers learn how art exhibits come to life through presentations by SJMA team members, then put on their own art camp exhibition at the end of the week.
San Jose. sjmusart.org/kids-summer-art-camp
Kate Loweth is a Bay Area parent of three teens.
