Creating opportunity and community since 2007
Camp Harbor View creates safe spaces where kids can experience fun, make friends, and grow as leaders. It all started with our summer camp in the Harbor Islands, but we’ve grown into a great deal more.
The idea for Camp Harbor View sprung from conversations in early 2007 between then Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Boston businessman Jack Connors, Jr.
Mayor Menino was seeking supportive, structured ways to engage middle school kids during summer months when school was out. Jack recalled a place he’d visited as a child — the flat, grassy parade grounds of a former military base, now owned by the City of Boston, that had sat unused for years. Jack took Mayor Menino to visit, and the two men envisioned a new Boston institution — a free summer camp for Boston youth in this stunning spot.
The camp, located on Long Island in Boston Harbor, was built in just 109 days, and welcomed campers for the first season on July 2, 2007. Over the years, Camp Harbor View has partnered with other local organizations to provide the best experience possible for young people, including an operations partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston from 2007-2017. This collaboration proved instrumental in establishing camp operations and youth development programs.
Today, with a full-time team of program staff, clinicians, and social workers, Camp Harbor View has expanded to offer year-round leadership development programs. During the school year, our Leadership Academy and Youth & Family Services are based in our South End center — offering services that invest in the wellbeing of young people and families over the long term. And every summer, camp traditions continue on Long Island.
