For many North Shore kids, summer camp is more than just a few weeks of cabin wars, morning reveille, and singing “Kumbaya” around the campfire. While these features may certainly be part of their overall camp experience, they’re not the point. The point is their passion—dance, acting, debate, journalism, filmmaking, rowing, lacrosse, kayaking, or baseball—and summer camp is where they go to pursue it. From the Junior Statesmen of America Sumåmer School program, which serves as an early training ground for future civic leaders, to Stagedoor Manor, where actors Robert Downey Jr. and Natalie Portman honed their acting chops, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best enrichment camps across the country and asked North Shore parents, educators, and former campers to share their experiences.

Check out our guide in our newest issue of Sheridan Road  on newsstands now! And see our exclusive video with the author of P.S. I Hate It Here below.