FAQs

The DARE Summer Program began in 1996 in North Adams and was funded by the Massachusetts Governors Alliance Against Drugs. More than $38,000 each year was distributed by the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office Gerard Downing for camps in Northern Berkshire, Central Berkshire, Southern Berkshire and Pittsfield.

In 2002 the Governor’s Alliance Against Drugs was eliminated from the state budget. That year the DARE Summer Program became the Northern Berkshire Youth R.O.P.E.S. Summer Camp. The camps motto is Respecting Other People Encouraging Self-Esteem.

The camp is free to eligible children. The camp runs Monday through Friday at the Historic Valley Campground at Windsor Lake in North Adams 8 am to 4pm, except Friday when dismissal is at 2 pm.

The staff includes police officers, firefighters, and teachers. The adult staff is called facilitators or team leaders. Campers are divided into teams with two or more facilitators for each team. Each team also has several Mentors, who are students who have previously attended the camp, have shown maturity and a willingness the lead. The team colors blue, red, purple, green, orange, maroon, gold and silver. There approximately 15 campers per team.

The camp has a very busy schedule in which campers will participate in a day and a half of low ropes, followed by an afternoon of team competition in a firefighters muster. The first two days has an emphasis on team building, respecting and encouraging others, and establishing relationships between facilitators, mentors and campers. The next two days the campers will experience the high ropes. The high ropes are eight challenge by choice elements that will bring self-esteem to the camper. The elements are designed to at first appear to be unconquerable. That is part of the challenge as a campers attempts the elements they learn that they can conquer the elements through the skills they have learned over the previous two days, as well as the support and encouragement or their team leaders, mentors, and teammates. Some of the elements include a 250’ Zip-line, a 35’ climbing wall, and a 38’ Leap of Faith. The ROPES Camp encourages campers to try the elements, however we understand some children may not feel comfortable in these situations. The only thing we ask is that campers try. If two steps up the ladder is all the camper a camper can do, then that is as equal as an accomplishment anyone else.