A Summer of Service, Leadership, and Friendship
Summer Serve, a partnership between YMCA and United Way of Frederick County, is a summer camp providing local youth ages 12-17 with the opportunity to awaken their inner leader, build their teamwork skills, and meet like-minded peers while creating positive change in their community. Summer Serve is a remarkable tradition of educating our community's youth about life-enriching opportunities to help those in need in Frederick County.
Additional information on Summer Serve, the YMCA of Frederick County, and Financial Assistance can be found at www.frederickymca.org.
2025 Summer Serve Program
This eight-week program, divided into four separate two-week
sessions, is designed to help young people awaken their inner leader, build teamwork skills, and meet like-minded peers while creating positive change in their community. Summer Serve participants learn about different areas of need in Frederick County through hands-on experience while working on service projects at various local nonprofits.
This six-week program, divided into three separate two-week sessions:
Session 1: June 16 - June 27
Session 2: June 30 - July 11
Session 3: July 14 - July 25
Session 4: July 28 - August 8
Summer Serve Leadership Week
Dates: TBD
Leadership week is an optional one-week intensive program directly following the end of Summer Serve that focuses on developing identified leaders from within the Summer Serve program.
Participants spend two days at the YMCA participating in workshops, team-building exercises, and seminars. On the third day, participants will head to YMCA Camp West Mar for an overnight, where they will participate in additional leadership activities and training.
The main goal of Leadership Week is to build on an already strong foundation that participants have so that they may be role models within their circles, thus creating a better youth community.
Past programs during Leadership Week have included: meetings with city mayors, county representatives, and state senators, tours of police stations and fire stations, lunch with local Rotary clubs, college tours, city sustainability educational hikes, and service projects.
Participants load a bus daily and travel to local nonprofits and organizations that support the community. They then physically support those spaces by volunteering and learning about what those organizations do to help their neighbors.
Participants also enjoy guest speakers including community leaders, first responders, government officials, educators, artists, and more. Recreational opportunities are included, such as swimming in the YMCA pool and going to adventure parks like Tree Trekkers.
This program is a great way to get service hours needed for school!
Learn more about Summer Serve here.
Yes! The YMCA of Frederick County offers a variety of ways for your teenager to have a productive and fun summer!
Learn about other opportunities for your teen this summer here.
Have additional questions regarding Summer Serve? Please contact Sara Robertson-Ryan, the YMCA's Executive Director of Camps, at srobertson-ryan@frederickymca.org.
