Vega’s Mission & Values

Vega’s motto is, “The Most Exciting Thing A Girl Will Find At Vega Is Herself.”  To us that means that every camper has the opportunity to discover her strengths, and experience the joy of being herself.

Our mission is to live by the Camp Vega Values and traditions to create a fun, safe and inclusive experience where girls develop friendships and skills, and have the opportunity to be their true selves.

In order to be successful in accomplishing our mission, it is important that everyone at camp live by the Vega Values and understand why they are important to making Vega the special place that it is.

Believe in Yourself
Vega is an incredibly supportive place where girls can try new things in a safe environment. By setting goals and embracing a variety of challenges – from choosing to face a fear of heights on the Ropes course to simply being away from home – campers discover that they are incredibly capable, and that failing at something is usually not the end, but the beginning to being successful. Through their Vega experience, girls learn independence, perseverance, grit, resilience, and ultimately a strong sense of self-belief.

Build Unity
There is nothing quite like “camp spirit.” The cheers, friendships and fun memories make up the vast majority of a Vega summer. And at the root is the bond that we have through traditions and shared experience. There are so many ways Vega campers learn that we are stronger together. Girls get to practice how to be a successful teammate, cabin-mate, camp-mate and friend through the very nature of our program and the residential camp environment itself. For example, daily routines such as cabin clean-up and special events like Olympics (color war) teach campers critical skills like cooperation, collaboration and effective communication. By supporting each other campers are rewarded with  a strong sense of belonging.

Live with Integrity
In order for campers to be safe, have fun and feel included, there are standards that we all must hold ourselves to. Living with others in a community setting is filled with joys and challenges, and at the end of the day we must have respect for each other and for camp traditions, be honest with ourselves and others, and take ownership when we make mistakes. It may be put best by the “Golden Rule” – we must treat each other like we want to be treated. By being accountable for our actions, we role-model and teach self-awareness, authenticity and accountability.

Choose Gratitude
Gratitude is a choice and it takes practice. We believe that happiness leads to success (not the other way around) and the research is mounting that gratitude makes you happier. Gratitude has an important role at camp because we learn to make the most of our short time together and not take anything for granted. From appreciating the beauty of the lake and the smells of pine, to acknowledging how lucky we are to spend our days with friends doing fun and exciting activities, we encourage each other to focus on the positive and expend energy on thinking about all the good in our lives.

Have Empathy
Empathy is a skill that allows us to put ourselves in other peoples’ shoes and connect with how they might be feeling. At Vega, it is of the utmost importance that everyone feels included, loved and accepted. And in the absence of screens, texting and online social media, campers increase their capacity for empathy by communicating face to face. With empathy we learn the power of kindness and is an important reason why the Vega community is a safe and loving one where special friendships can be made.

“My most cherished childhood memories are from my 8 summers at Vega. I learned more skills in those 8 summers than the 64 years so far.” – Sally Spies, Vega Alumna

We strive for our mission every day of the year. It starts by hiring experienced, loving and committed staff, and continues into the summer by helping campers have fun, be safe and feel included. And while our mission never “ends” it culminates at the end of each season with campers leaving the Vega gates happy and healthy, with the support of the Vega family, and having experienced the joy of being their true selves.