Clara Barton Camp (overnight camp)
“This is the first time I have felt like I fit in and not different than everyone else.”
IMPORTANT NOTICE-SUMMER 2025
We are returning to two camps in 2025!Girls, Ages 6-16
Diabetes? It is quietly tucked into an awesome daily schedule where life with diabetes is the norm and the most important thing is to have the time of your life with other girls who are just like you. Diabetes education is an integral part of what we do at The Barton Center. Whether off camp, in cabins, sitting poolside, trailside, or on the soccer field, there are numerous “teachable moments,” some planned, some not.
Days are filled with sports activities, arts and crafts, swimming, talent shows, casino nights, Hike to Heck (a mudhole), campfires, an occasional outdoor overnight, dances with the boys from Camp Joslin, diabetes education game shows, boating, hiking, and so much more. Activities vary from week to week. For 90 years, girls between the ages of 6 and 16 with type 1 diabetes have enjoyed the life-altering experience of Clara Barton Camp, with access to more than 200 acres, in North Oxford, Massachusetts. Most return year after year.
Clara Barton Camp sessions are set amidst a beautiful campus featuring beautiful, modernized log cabins that encircle the Barton pond, a state-of-the art health care and conference center, a high and low ropes challenge course (age appropriate), hiking trails, swimming pool, and the historic Clara Barton Birthplace.
Barton staff to camper ratio, which meets or exceeds typical camp requirements, includes a team of health care professionals consisting of physicians, nurses, dietitians, and mental health professionals. Our well-trained counselors serve as wonderful role models, as most have type 1 diabetes themselves and were Barton campers when they were younger. The deep friendships our campers make with each other last a lifetime.
Camp Joslin (overnight camp)
IMPORTANT NOTICE-SUMMER 2025
We are returning to two camps in 2025!Boys, Ages 6-16
Camp Joslin provides boys and young men with an exciting combination of camping, fun, diabetes education, support, and recreation! The daily schedule is filled with sports activities, arts and crafts, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, Hike to Heck (a mudhole), campfires, an occasional outdoor overnight, dances with the girls from Clara Barton Camp, diabetes education, hiking, occasional field trips, and so much more. Activities vary from week to week. Campers are encouraged to participate in both active and less active sports/programs, so they have a well-rounded experience. Diabetes education is integral to the camp program and includes formal and fun education sessions and active use of “teachable moments” by staff.
Camp Joslin is located on a beautiful wooded setting which includes a 20-acre pond, pavilion, 7 camper cabins (including 3 NEW and 1 renovated), health care center, 2 recreation lodges, hiking trails, athletic fields, and a dining hall.
Camp Joslin is staffed by a 24-hour health care team that includes resident physicians, nurses, and nutritionists. Camp Joslin maintains a staff to camper ratio which meets or exceeds typical camp requirements. Endocrinologists, pediatricians, pediatric nurses, psychologists, dietitians, and a group of dedicated volunteers assist the camp team. Many campers have described their time at Camp Joslin as the most fun they’ve ever had while also learning to live more effectively with diabetes.
Clara Barton Camp & Camp Joslin (overnight camp)
2025 Costs
(programs run Sunday to Saturday)
Resident Camp, Ages 6-16
Two-week program ~ Cost: $3,000 + $50 registration
One-week program ~ Cost: $1,550 + $50 registration
Bridge Weekends* ~ Cost: $100 *only for campers attending consecutive sessions
Click here for camp dates. Please click here for online registration or PDF camper application materials to print and mail.Financial assistance may be available.
PLEASE NOTE: Per our COVID-19 protocols, all campers are highly recommended to be vaccinated, and staff are required to be vaccinated prior to the start of camp. A COVID-19 booster is highly recommended for staff.
Campers may bring one sibling or friend who does not have diabetes with them during any session. The sibling or friend will also pay a $50 registration fee and discounted camp fee of $1,550 for two weeks and $820 for one week. Space is limited for siblings and friends, so please register early. No financial aid is available for siblings or friends without diabetes. Please see our home page for more information about summer 2025.