Facilities + Food

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The Governor’s Academy

 

6 Points Sci-Tech Academy has been operating since our original opening in 2014 on the campus of The Governor’s Academy, the country’s oldest continuously-operating boarding school, located in Byfield, Massachusetts, about 45 minutes north of Boston. It’s so historic that its first school seal was designed by Paul Revere! The Governor’s Academy’s commitment to education, ideal location, and superb facilities make it the perfect place to operate a science and technology summer camp for children. Accompanying many acres of wetlands and woods, the campus’s buildings are all within a few minute’s walk of each other, creating an environment that is both safe and accessible for children of all ages.

Facilities at Governor’s:

  • Modern dorms with bathrooms on each hall
  • Well-equipped science laboratories
  • State-of-the-art computer and media labs
  • A brand new, air-conditioned dining hall
  • The Frost Building and the French Student Center – large indoor programming spaces for services, song sessions, and other activities
  • Two indoor gyms and numerous outdoor playing fields
  • An indoor hockey rink, perfect for large programs during the summer
  • 500-seat performing arts center with a digital music studio
  • Numerous hiking trails and wetlands
  • Certified Green dining facility 

The campus is located about 4 miles from the ocean at Plum Island and 5 miles from the historic town of Newburyport, right outside of Boston’s technology corridor.

Dorm Life

Campers and staff live in dorms and are grouped into “halls” based on age and gender. While halls are identified as either “boys” or “girls” halls, we also work with families of gender non-conforming campers to find the right housing for them at camp! Transgender and non-binary campers and staff members are housed in the space that affirms their gender identity and/or where they feel most comfortable.  Counselors live on each hall to supervise, mentor and engage their campers throughout the day, both when in the dorm and at hall activities like meals and evening programs.

All campers are assigned to rooms of two or three, depending on the room configuration for each dorm and campers’ requests. There are a small number of HUGE rooms that are four-person rooms.

Campers clean their personal living space with the help of their counselors each morning. Professional cleaning crews will regularly clean public areas (such as bathrooms and hallways) throughout the week. Laundry service is provided once in the middle of each session and again during intersessions for campers staying multiple sessions.

Food + Nutrition

The food service is provided by the professional year-round dining services department at The Governor’s Academy. We work closely with the dining services director to build menus that are nutritious, age-appropriate, and delicious! There are always vegetarian and allergy-friendly meal options. All meals are served buffet-style. Counselors eat at tables with campers to help build a sense of community and camaraderie over meals and to help make sure that campers are getting the food they need to energize their days!

Sample Menus

Breakfast

French toast, Veggie sausage patties, Pancakes, Turkey sausage

Available each day:
Scrambled and hard-boiled eggs, Yogurt and fruit bar, Fresh bagels, Cold cereals and Muffin selection

Lunch

Cheese Ravioli, Chicken Fingers, Ginger soy tofu, Falafel

Available each day:
Grilled chicken breast, Hamburger and hot dog, Pasta bar, Salad Bar, Deli Sandwich Bar, and Pizza

Dinner

Beef fajitas, Herb-roasted chicken, Stuffed shells, Baked Pacific cod

Available each day:
Pasta bar, Salad Bar, and Deli Sandwich Bar

ALLERGIES & SPECIAL DIETS

We strive to accommodate all allergies and special diets so that all campers can participate in our program. The professional dining services team has experience dealing with:

  • vegetarian and vegan diets
  • gluten allergy/wheat intolerance
  • lactose intolerance
  • peanut/tree nut allergies
  • fish allergies

We are able to accommodate most dietary needs – if your camper’s needs are not listed here, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Kashrut (Kosher Policy)
Meals are served kosher-style. This means that we never serve pork or shellfish, or any products containing ingredients derived from them. We also never serve dairy and meat together in the same pre-prepared item (e.g., a cheeseburger or chicken parmesan). For campers that only eat kosher meat, a vegetarian alternative is available at all meals.

 

Outside Food

Campers are not allowed to bring outside food and beverages with them to camp. In our experience, these items usually result in:

  • Snacks being used as a meal substitute, resulting in a lack of nutrition needed for a busy, active day at camp.
  • Food and crumbs in the dorm and common areas leading to problems with cleanliness, bugs, and insects.
  • Sugary snacks and caffeinated beverages affecting camper sleep schedules.

In addition to the three daily meals, campers are also given morning and afternoon snacks. Fresh fruit is also always available in the dining hall throughout the day. We take our campers’ health very seriously and actively work to ensure that they are well fed!