On Sunday, May 22, 2011, Vacamas will hold its Annual Bike Ride fundraiser in North Caldwell, New Jersey. All funds will support our summer camp scholarship program. To learn more and join the Bike Ride, click on the Get Started link above.

Vacamas Programs for Youth was founded in 1924. We make a difference in the lives of over 5,000 at-risk, urban youth every year through residential summer camps, school-based mentoring, drop-out prevention, after-school programming, tutoring and environmental education.

Our programs are all based on a non-competitive philosophy geared towards fostering the individuality of each child. We empower young people and teach them the skills they need to make positive choices by working to improve self-esteem, social skills and behavior. 

The anchor of all our programming is our 230-acre rural learning facility Camp Vacamas in West Milford, New Jersey. The site has a spring-fed lake for swimming, boating and fishing, hiking trails, overnight camping sites, and high and low ropes challenge courses. At Camp Vacamas, we introduce underserved urban youth to learning in a safe but challenging new environment.