By: Amelia Basile, NJSOC Education Volunteer
At Stokes Music Camp, campers from ages 10 to 17 partake in outdoor activities, learn about the environment through NJSOC classes, challenge their musical skills and meet new friends that share a love for music. Whether these campers stay for one week or two, they gain valuable experiences and friendships along the way. One camper staying for the full two weeks said, “Every year I am excited to meet new people and participate in music performances”.
Campers take classes focusing on their instrument of choice to learn new skills and prepare for ensembles. They are introduced to new concepts like music theory and composition lessons by their counselors and teachers. Each camper gets their own private lessons throughout their time at camp as well.
Each day, the campers take a break from their instruments to study the environment around them. Stokes State Forest is a new environment for many of the campers coming from urban hometowns. One camper from Atlantic City mentioned that she has never seen the stars so clearly and her favorite part of the day is looking up at the sky during campfires. Two campers, Karrie and Adella, are second time campers at Stokes! During their first week of camp they said they are “Excited for everything! Especially meeting new people and learning metal smithing”.
Campers learn new skills, such as metal smithing or woodworking, with our Master Educators in various classes. These classes allow students to use their creativity and practice valuable skills. Other classes that students were able to participate in are water ecology, rock climbing, conservation photography, survival, fish ecology, interpretive hike, and herpetology. They have lots of fun while learning about the importance of our environment in the beautiful landscape of Stokes State Forest!
During all meals, students also have the opportunity to become “cruisers”. Cruisers are responsible for taking food back and forth from tables and cleaning their dining area. Cruisers learn valuable skills like respect, responsibility, and patience.
At NJSOC, our facility and staff look forward to the two weeks of Music Camp all year. Our staff and Master Educators get to spend time with a large age range of campers, work with campers from all different backgrounds, and learn about their musical talent. At the end of camp, the SOC staff feel fulfilled knowing the huge impact they made on the youth across New Jersey in just two weeks! Everyone at NJSOC can’t wait for Stokes Music Camp 2026. We hope you will join us next year for a summer of music, nature, and fun!
