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3/1/22 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
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Please do not send your kids to this camp. Please look deeper into the legal issues of this camp. Parent communication is lacking. While it sounds very organized with competent staff, in reality the camp is very sloppily run by inexperienced staff. It is not worth your money or time. There are safer options.
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7/27/19 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Camp Sequoia is a unique and wonderful camp community with a plethora of passionate staff. I cannot thank the Sequoia staff enough for their hard work and dedication to helping their campers. All of the staff are at least college age and many of them are teachers or mental health professionals. I would highly recommend Sequoia to any family looking to give their son an opportunity to grow and improve their social skills. The camp allows young men of a wide variety of ages to work on their individual goals while enjoying the perks of the traditional Summer camp experience. However, unlike most traditional camps Sequoia is located on a gorgeous boarding school campus with air conditioned dorms. Brian and the Sequoia leadership do a great job of communicating and working with parents. Not only does Sequoia help campers improve social skills it also gives them an opportunity to engage with similar boys and truly feel like they belong. Thank you Camp Sequoia for all that you do!
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7/16/19 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
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Camp is NOT Qualified to be rated for Special Needs Kids, counselors R trained for 2 weeks, they R NOT Special ED Teachers with Years of Experience as U R led to Believe, just college students, like any other camp.. Older Kids with issues R thrown out of camp,as my grandson was, a big disappointment, very overpriced, not worth the inflated price. ! Explanation was the Boy did not Fit,in other words, they had No clue what to do with a kid with Issues.Application process was self explanatory, nothing was hidden, kids should not be accepted,Money should NOT be gladly taken, unless U R Qualified to Handle these special Needs Kids..Was told.we will Keep your 3 weeks of Money, NP.so what if U paid for 6 weeks, I think Not, U will Definitely Hear from our Lawyer, if the Money is NOT Returned !!
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7/5/18 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
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Brian claimed to be very selective of campers, avoiding aggressive problem prone boys, Pinocchio alert! A male counselor's shoulder was dislocated when he tried to break up a fight. Brian's choice in the female psychiatrist for the 2017 summer was unforgivable for the price of this very expensive camp. A woman can NOT claim understanding of what ADHD boys endure with bullying, 1st error. 2nd was not listening to those boys when they questioned her insensitive claim. My son was furious. You're paying for a really nice facility, a lot of theme park trips, and over paying for incompetent staff.
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"Camp Sequoia Announces 'Aloha Adventure' Trip to Hawaii - NY Metro Parents" - https://www.nymetroparents.com/articl... |
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"Twice-Exceptional Children" - https://community.worldgifted2015.com... |
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7/6/17 |
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3 |
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My son attended this camp for summer of 2015 and 2016. We opted not to send him this year for a couple of reasons. We did not receive any letters from him nor phone or e-mail correspondence. We sent him with self addressed envelopes and he was told by one of the counselor's that he could not have a sheet of paper to write home. For the cost of camp, that's unacceptable. Also, he was hit with shoes, pushed, shoved and verbally bullied by his roommate. He told us when brining this to a leader's attention it was just dismissed. Also, my son came home using profanity and vulgar words and phrases, some of them really sexual harassment. The first year he went there, seemed to be a little better, especially in the correspondence department. I do think that they have great activities and really try to keep the boys busy, but I'm not so sure the benefits outweigh the risks of my son being bullied and coming home with such language.
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5/3/17 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My 9 year old son recently attended one of the camp's school year trips. He had a WONDERFUL time. He got along great with all the boys, even the ones older then him. The highlight of the weekend for him was going caving. In his words, "It was epic." It was especially comforting to know that I was sending my son into a cave with a director who was certified in winderness first aid. All the staff was exceptional. It was obvious by their comments that they had spent time getting to know my son. I would not hesitate to send my son with them again. He and I were both VERY satisfied with the trip.
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SYSTEM: location changed from Narberth, PA to Pennsburg, PA |
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3/17/17 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
Camp Sequoia was an excellent choice for my son! My son is very bright, but struggles socially and with his emotions. While he was reluctant to go to Sequoia and was homesick for the first week (got some comically dramatic letters from him!), he warmed up to the camp and was even a bit "camp-sick" when the summer ended. My son can be abrasive to other kids and adults at times, so I was appreciative that the staff could see through that and make some significant progress. While other entries seem to indicate poor communication with staff, that was not my experience. I got weekly calls from my son's group leader and was able to exchange several emails with the camp's behavioral specialist throughout the summer. I'm sad to hear other families did not have that same experience! Overall, it is a great camp, and my son is excited to return in 2017. This is the first school year where he has been able to make AND KEEP friends, which I attribute Sequoia's work with him on perspective-taking.
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1/6/17 |
3 |
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2 |
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My son attended summer 16. We were led to believe the boys were higher functioning socially which was not true. We were told we would receive weekly communications, we did not. We were told social skills are embedded throughout the day and problems dealt with in the moment. Not true. One boy was asked to leave for actions done to my son and we did not find out about it until our son was home and told us. My son came home believing everything he learned and has worked on regarding social skills was a waste of time since none of it worked and the counselors never addressed issues in real time. When I contacted them after camp I did not receive a reply. My sons therapist also reached out to them and did not receive any answers. Definitely not worth the money. My sons take "it is a warehouse for kids who can't behave and whose parents don't want to deal with them."
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12/28/16 |
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Our son attended summer camp in 2014. He is a kind, gentle person who loves science and nature. He was excited and enthusiastic about spending 6 weeks at the camp. Sadly, his experience at Camp Sequoia was so negative that he still feels traumatized. Many of the boys were aggressive and displayed behaviors that were intimidating. The environment was not consistent with the expectations that were conveyed to us. The leadership may have been well intended but clearly ineffective in managing the boys and maintaining a safe environment for all. Our son felt threatened by some fellow campers and even bullied by some counselors. Most disappointing is that the administration did not advise us truthfully of the issues. Our son's request to contact his parents was ignored and we never received most of the letters he wrote. Our son was disrespected and so were we. I couldn't be more disgusted with the experience.
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10/20/16 |
5 |
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My son finished his 4th summer at Sequoia. The camp was well run under Ryan and continues to be well run under Brian. As for the previous poster's comments regarding Ryan-they are both unkind and factually inaccurate. Had Ryan actually done anything wrong the camp would not be operating and Ryan would not have a successful practice. My son attends his social skills programs during the school year along with some other boys from Sequoia. My only constructive criticism about Sequoia is that I would like to see healthier food options. The dining hall also serves the families who live at the school so I don't know if this is a realistic option but it would be nice. Overall an excellent experience for my son for the past 4 summers.
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10/7/16 |
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"Ex Pennsburg camp director gets probation for not reporting alleged sex abuse" - http://www.thereporteronline.com/arti...
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1/17/16 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
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We sent our son to Camp Sequoia '15. We were led to believe the boys attending were behaviorally higher functioning. Unacceptable inappropriate behavior was listed in each letter home. Our son was repeatedly hit/shoved/pushed by a boy outweighing him by 100 pounds. This was discussed and verified with counselors, during camp- yet continued as the other boy was not asked to leave. CS may fit for boys new to social skill modeling but if your son is well into a program, he may behave 'down' not 'up'. Additionally, my son's food intake was completely ignored as well - he gained 15# and openly admitted to eating as much as he wanted of what he wanted. We did not see the value associated with the cost and will not be sending our son back.
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9/3/15 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
This is a great , Super, camp for your son with ADHD. I can say this as I have been a teacher for over 25 years and when I was invited to Camp Sequoia to teach STEM. This was the highlight of my years of teaching. Great, Safe, Learning camp. None better. Thanks to Camp Sequoia.
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8/19/15 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
It's astonishing to me how many people give negative reviews of the camp. Having come to Camp Sequoia for 5 summers, ever since it started, I have never been able to find a better place. Just about every negative review that you see/hear about Sequoia either comes from an overprotective parent only hearing their child's side of the story, or a "my way or the highway" child who can't bear to not get their way. In both cases, the child in question is annoyed that they can't have their phones or video games, that they can't use the Internet, or even that they just can't get their way all of the time. When scenarios such as these arise, that child will look for the worst possible things that they can say about the Camp. Either they will exaggerate bad situations to seem terrible, or they will stress the point that they were unhappy, leaving out that they were used to having their way, and had no respect for authority. In all of my time at Camp, I have yet to see an exception to this. -Nick
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6/1/15 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Our 12 year-old attended Sequoia for the first time in 2014 (after having a bad experience at another camp). He couldn't wait to go back this summer. The camp offers the perfect balance of activities for him (as he is not the most outdoorsy kid) and the staff willingly accommodated his individual needs. I would recommend Sequoia for any boy who struggles with ADHD or social skills. The camp understands these kids. I understand that there were some concerns about the camp leadership/management in the past but some changes were made last year and we had absolutely no concerns.
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6/18/14 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
I am excited to send my son to the new STEM academy in 2014.
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4/6/14 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My son has been attending Camp Sequoia for 3 years and will be attending this year. The first year he was hesitant in going, but now each year can’t wait to return to camp. He has the opportunity to travel with us during the summer but instead wants to go to Camp Sequoia. He has made significant improvement in his perspective taking, flexibility and conversation skills. He has made many friends and has become close to camp staff and administrators. I have always felt my son is in a safe environment surrounded by caring staff. We are confident our son will be successful in life and this Camp will be a big part of it. Overall, our son benefited greatly from this camp.
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3/15/14 |
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5 |
5 |
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Under new directorship in 2014, with a focus on Social Learning still in place with a 2:5 staffing ratio, I am excited to send my son back for another incredible summer.
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12/27/13 |
1 |
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12/2/13 |
1 |
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Please google the Director of this camp if you are considering sending a child to this facility. My child came home reporting many concerning events. I believe the program is well intended but poorly organized around the campers safety. Children stay in a dorm room with another camper - 2 per room. More than 1 safety event occured and had questionable follow up. The sad part is my camper made great friends and learned many new things. However, the risk associated with the structure and leadership is not worth the risk.
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SYSTEM: 2 positive duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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SYSTEM: 2 positive duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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SYSTEM: 2 positive duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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7/15/12 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
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My son attended last summer reluctantly and begged to go back this summer. He said it is where he finally belonged and knew what it was like to be popular. The life lessons learned here cannot be duplicated in any other way. My son has friends from last summer that he kept in contact with all year. Such a relief to not worry about what is going to be happening. This is from a child who stays in his room 90% of his time at home to be outside doing activities and socializing is amazing!
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1/16/12 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My son went to Camp Sequoia it's first summer in operation. The camp was great. My son had a wonderful time.
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2/26/11 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
It is my pleasure to write a recommendation for Ryan and Camp Sequoia. Having attended the day camp Ryan founded for two summers I can attest to the quality of staff and program that will found at Camp Sequoia in their first summer. It helps that Camp Sequoia will be located in such a prestigious facility as well! My son is very excited about the upcoming summer at Sequoia.
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