Full Day Camp near Portland, Maine
Roots Summer Camp is designed to feel grounded, joyful, and unrushed - the way summer should. Families may choose one week or multiple weeks, with each week intentionally designed to stand on its own while offering consistency and care across June and July.
Our days are spent primarily outdoors, where children build relationships with one another and with the place itself. The campus, nearby woods, and outdoor spaces act as co-teachers as children observe, wonder, create, and build. Each week follows a predictable, comforting rhythm that allows children to settle in quickly, feel safe, and engage deeply — whether it’s their first week at Roots or their fifth.
Throughout the summer, weeks alternate between Arts & Theater studios and STEM studios using LEGO Education, offering children different ways to explore and express their thinking. Arts weeks invite storytelling, movement, sound, and visual art inspired by the natural world, while STEM weeks focus on hands-on science and engineering challenges rooted in real environmental conditions like wind, water, gravity, and terrain.
While the focus shifts week to week, place remains the common thread. Children encounter familiar spaces through new lenses, as artists, performers, engineers, and designers ensuring that each week feels complete, engaging, and accessible, while longer-term campers experience growing depth and confidence over time.
Registration opens at 7am on January 5th.
Wanderers: 4.5yo (rising Kindergartner) to 6.5yo
Wayfinders: 7yo to 11yo (includes weekly off campus adventure)
Schedule:
Monday - Friday | 8:45am to 3pm
Weekly Investment:
$450
Roots Studio: Creative Exploration & Leadership (Ages 10–14)
Session 1 - Design for Place (place based engineering)
Week of June 15 + June 22
Session 2 - Story, Voice & Expression (arts + narrative)
Week of June 29 + July 6
Session 3 - Community, Creativity & Responsibility (Creative Practice + Community Engagement
Week of July 13 + July 20
A two-week summer studio for older learners who are ready to go deeper — creatively, intellectually, and socially.
Roots Studio is designed for small groups of 6–8 learners, creating space for meaningful relationships, thoughtful work, and real growth. Each session blends hands-on STEM and creative studios with intentional leadership development, rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and care for community. Days unfold both on campus and through off-campus excursions, extending learning into the wider world.
Leadership at Roots is practiced, not prescribed. Learners are supported in taking on age-appropriate responsibility through mentorship, reflection, and contribution, while remaining centered in their own projects and interests. This is not a staffing or volunteer role — educators provide close guidance, clear boundaries, and consistent feedback.
Every two-week session stands on its own and concludes with a share or presentation. Learners leave with tangible artifacts of their work, a deeper sense of confidence, and the experience of being trusted, challenged, and supported.
Ideal for learners ready for a summer that feels meaningful, creative, and connected.
Investment: $485/week ($970/session)
(includes all excursions, project materials, and guests)
2026 Summer Camp Registration opens at 7am on Monday, January 5th!