Campus & Dorm Life at TDI
Nestled on a hill in the heart of the beautiful Green Mountains, the campus of Northern Vermont University -Johnson (formerly Johnson State College) offers a spectacular natural environment along with modern educational facilities. TDI utilizes their classrooms, science labs, lecture halls, computer labs, dorms, and the cafeteria on campus, as well as the surrounding natural environment.
Participants are also able to use the Library and Learning Center, the college pool at the Shape Facility, and the various green areas and sports fields around campus. Northern Vermont University’s campus is beautiful, small, and manageable, with up-to-date facilities—an ideal setting for TDI. The campus provides all of the spaces, resources, and technology we need to accommodate the diverse set of activities campers can participate in, and its compact layout makes it inviting and navigable for young and old students alike.
TDI Summer Camp participants have the option of staying overnight in the college dorms or commuting each day from home. Typically, about 85% of our participants sleep in the dorms each night, while about 15% commute to and from their homes. Both types of campers will find a safe and fun environment with a scenic, picturesque backdrop.
The Green Mountains provide an awe-inspiring setting for the TDI Summer Camp
A variety of healthy meal options will satisfy the pickiest of eaters
Meals on Campus
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are served in the NVU Johnson cafeteria. Campers love to use this time to build friendships, both old and new, while sharing their favorite parts of the day. Staff members will join tables to connect with the campers so that they feel welcomed, respected, and heard during the week.
The cafeteria provides a variety of healthy and delicious options for each meal, including a salad bar, brick-oven pizza, baked goods, fruits, vegetables, and the fan-favorite taco bar.
They also provide plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options to accommodate any camper with dietary restrictions. Staff members help encourage and guide campers toward healthy meal choices. In addition, mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks are provided between strands.
Staying Overnight
Resident campers attending TDI have the opportunity to live in the Northern Vermont University-Johnson dorms for the week(s) of camp. Each floor has two Dorm Supervisors and 2 -4 teaching staff as well. Dorm supervisors are responsible for all resident campers, particularly the ones on their floors, from dinnertime until breakfast the next morning.
Each dorm floor has a central bathroom with shower stalls, sinks and bathroom facilities. Dorm rooms are typically doubles or triples, and campers are encouraged to request a favorite roommate if they’d like to share with a particular friend. The staff generally have as much fun as the campers and enjoy the energy and fun that comes from living in a dorm setting! Dorm staff also lead a variety of evening activities such as swimming in the campus pool, playing together in the computer lab, competing in some friendly board games or Magic: the Gathering, and much more. These activities are followed by a healthy evening snack and some free time before bed. This provides a valuable opportunity for campers to wind down from an exciting and fun-packed day and get a restful night of sleep in preparation for the next.
For many campers, it is their first time at an overnight camp away from their families; each and every time, it has been a successful experience for them, and an opportunity for personal growth. We work hard to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for overnight campers, and ensure all of their needs are met.
Campers will have plenty of down-time to relax, have fun, and form connections with other like-minded peers
Talent show acts often feature one of the campers’ favorite pastimes- putting staff members in humiliating situations
All-Camp Activities
In addition to the variety of evening activity options available to campers, we lead several all-camp activities throughout the week, from TDI classics like the campfire sing-along to new favorites like the Fourth of July D.I.Y Water Park. These activities are consistently highlights of the week for participants. They help build the special sense of community that enriches the TDI experience and supports the development of friendships between campers.
In particular, the TDI Talent Show, which takes place each week on Friday evening, provides an opportunity for kids to share their passions and talents with others in a supportive, judgement-free, non-competitive environment. Acts range from musical performances, to comedy skits, to reciting digits of Pi, and everything in-between. It is the perfect way to cap off a fantastic week, and campers often call it their favorite part of camp.
Talent can come in many forms, from the conventional to the wacky, and all forms are encouraged at the TDI Talent Show!
All of our TDI traditions and activities create unforgettable experiences for our campers, and provide them with opportunities to form connections, be themselves, and have fun. Check out the clip below from a past year’s Campfire Sing-Along, featuring a very, very poorly-executed cover of an 80’s classic that (for some unfathomable reason) became the unofficial anthem for TDI 2016!