Summer Stars Camp for the Performing Arts Opens Registration for Summer 2024

Summer Stars Camp for the Performing Arts has officially opened registration for Summer 2024, marking its 25th year of teaching success through the performing arts. Since 2000, Summer Stars has brought together thousands of economically disadvantaged kids ages 12-17 from across the United States and a talented staff of teaching artists, professional performers, counselors, and guest artists. This year’s camp will run August 4-12, 2024 in the Berkshires of Massachusetts at the campus of Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH). Fully donor supported, Summer Stars is entirely free for all campers. 

Interested campers and parents can find the application at the camp website, www.summerstars.org.

“We’re incredibly proud to reach this 25-year milestone. It’s been an honor to see our kids work together and flourish both at camp and beyond, in school and in their careers,” says Donna Milani Luther, Founding Director of The Summer Stars Foundation. “With that in mind, this year our camp theme is ‘Reason for Hope’. We are inspired by Amanda Gorman’s new poetry collection, Call Us What We Carry, which explores the themes of love and hope. In addition, the passion, creativity, and commitment I see in today's young people gives all of us reason to hope for the future.”

Each year, Summer Stars Camp for the Performing Arts provides a full overnight-camp arts program that transforms the lives of campers by giving them the opportunity to discover themselves and their unique potential. A 2023 survey of campers found that at the start of camp only 39% of campers felt that they enjoyed trying things outside of their comfort zone. After the 9-day program, that percentage rose to 74%. Campers also shared that year after year the Summer Stars community makes them feel seen and supported. 

“We have succeeded in offering completely free attendance for our campers for 25 years, thanks to the generous support of our donors, past and present, including the Sonic Boom Foundation, The Anderson Foundation, Northfield Mount Hermon School and our newest donor, TD Bank, through the TD Charitable Foundation,” says Milani Luther. “When roughly 30 percent of all nonprofit organizations in the U.S. close within 10 years of operations, we are proud to have stood the test of time and look forward to another 25 years of having significant and positive impact on the lives of our campers.”

Over the past 25 years, Summer Stars has also surprised its campers with special guest artists to further inspire such as Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler, 50 Cent, American Idol, DMC, Joey Bada$$, Blue Man Group, and many more. Registration will be open through May 31, 2024. For more information and to register, please visit www.summerstars.org.