More than a century after Camp Winaukee first welcomed boys to the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, much of what makes a Winaukee summer special remains remarkably unchanged. Boys still jump into the lake every day, compete hard on the fields, live side-by-side with their bunkmates and look forward to the traditions that generations before them experienced in the very same place.
But Winaukee isn’t interested in preserving camp in a time capsule.
Today, Winaukee combines its deep history and traditions with an intentional understanding of what boys – and families – need now. Across two distinct campuses, the Mainland and its own private Island, boys grow into greater independence and leadership as their camp experience grows with them. Athletics and water sports remain at the heart of daily life, but the larger goal extends well beyond becoming a better athlete. Winaukee uses sports, shared experiences and the simple joy of being outdoors together to teach boys how to be great teammates, navigate challenges, take healthy risks and believe in themselves.
At the center of it all is a leadership team deeply invested in the community they’re building. Ashleigh, Matt, Tom and Chandler share a commitment to creating an all-boys environment where campers feel supported enough to be themselves, challenged enough to grow and connected enough to know they belong.
We caught up with the Winaukee team to talk about what has changed, what never will, and what it means to build a camp experience for today’s boys on more than 100 years of tradition.
How would you describe the Winaukee of today compared to the Winaukee of the ’90s and early 2000s? What’s changed – and what has stayed exactly the same?
While the world outside our gates has shifted dramatically since the 1990s, the daily magic of Winaukee is remarkably untouched by time. We have intentionally evolved our program to meet the needs of today’s boys and families while fiercely protecting the traditions that define our brotherhood.
A boy arriving at Winaukee still begins his journey on the Mainland, looking forward to the day he’ll make his way across the water to join the older boys on our private Island. Campers still jump into Lake Winnipesaukee every day, compete fiercely on the fields and celebrate a hard-fought tournament victory by leaping off the barge. Sports instruction and healthy competition remain a huge part of our program. And boys still live together in bunks, learning how to navigate friendships and building the deep relationships that have always defined Winaukee.
Where we have evolved, we’ve done so thoughtfully.
Although the Mainland and Island are distinct campuses, we are one camp. We’ve created more opportunities for our Island campers to spend time as leaders on the Mainland with younger boys and increased the number of times we come together for full-camp meals, campfires and special events. We also host in-person events and meetups throughout the year so returning campers stay connected and new boys begin feeling part of the community before they ever step off the bus.
We also recognize that family schedules have changed, particularly for boys involved in competitive sports. Increased flexibility through half-session and full-summer options allows more families to make camp work alongside other commitments.
Our programming continues to evolve as well. Our strength and conditioning program, for example, has become incredibly popular and gives boys a dedicated space to learn proper body mechanics and develop healthy physical habits.
Our goal isn’t to preserve camp in a time capsule. It’s to keep getting better, meet the needs of boys as they exist today and fiercely protect the culture and community that have always made Winaukee special.
Camp Winaukee has a long, storied history on Lake Winnipesaukee. How does that legacy shape the camper experience today?
You can feel Winaukee’s history the moment you come through the gates. Founded more than a century ago, our home on Lake Winnipesaukee looks out across the same water and mountains that have framed the childhoods of generations of Winaukee boys.
Everywhere you look, there are reminders of the boys who came before – decades-old Color War shields and plaques, banners honoring victories and names etched into rocks.
But what makes that history powerful is that today’s campers don’t simply look at it on a wall; they live it.
When boys compete in Color War, learn to waterski on Lake Winnipesaukee or sit around a campfire with their friends, they’re taking part in many of the same traditions generations experienced before them. Our history creates a thread connecting generations of Winaukee boys through a shared legacy of adventure, friendship and self-discovery.
At the same time, tradition doesn’t mean standing still. We thoughtfully blend the things that have always made Winaukee special with the evolving needs of today’s boys. The result is a community where boys enthusiastically support one another, leave everything they have on the field and still can’t wait to jump into the lake with their best friends at the end of a long, hot day.
In today’s world, where boys face increasing social and academic pressures, what role do you believe camp plays in their development?
Camp is much more than a fun summer escape. It provides a developmental environment that’s increasingly difficult to replicate anywhere else.
Today’s boys are growing up in a fast-moving world where they’re frequently plugged in, constantly evaluated and often under tremendous pressure. Camp gives them something increasingly rare: meaningful time away from technology, independence from home, fun without the pressure and the opportunity to discover they’re capable of more than they realized.
We intentionally want Winaukee to be a place where boys feel comfortable taking healthy risks, trying something new and making mistakes. Growth rarely happens when everything goes perfectly.
Whether a camper is navigating a wave of homesickness, working through frustration with a bunkmate or striking out in the bottom of the ninth, camp gives him room to figure out what comes next. Boys learn to handle disappointment, advocate for themselves, repair relationships and develop their own authentic identities.
The residential camp experience makes that especially powerful because our counselors aren’t simply coaches boys see for an hour and then leave. They live alongside their campers. They share meals, celebrate successes, experience setbacks and are there for all the everyday moments in between.
When a camper struggles, he’s surrounded by mentors who genuinely know him. Over time, boys learn that they can handle hard moments, that they don’t have to handle them alone and that they can come out stronger on the other side.
Those lessons extend far beyond a summer at camp.
Winaukee talks about “playing for the huddle.” What does that mean – and how do sports help build the kind of brotherhood you want boys to experience?
Winaukee is proudly a sports camp, but we’re not defined simply by competition or the scoreboard.
When we say we “play for the huddle,” we’re talking about playing for one another. We know that when boys care about their teammates and the community around them, they give themselves the best opportunity to succeed – not only in sports, but in everything they do.
Sports provide an immediate common language at Winaukee. A boy can arrive knowing absolutely no one, but the moment he steps onto a field or court, he’s part of a shared goal. We teach campers that true competition is grounded in sportsmanship: respect, integrity and fairness, whether you win or lose.
But the real brotherhood develops beyond the game.
It happens through living together, sharing meals, laughing around campfires, celebrating wins and navigating losses. It’s reinforced by counselors who model what it means to be a great teammate and who help boys discover they often have far more in common than they initially realized.
Our Side-by-Side brotherhood can look like a counselor knowing exactly how to encourage a hesitant camper to join the game, an older boy high-fiving a younger camper in the dining hall or the simple relief a boy feels when he realizes he doesn’t have to put on an act to fit in.
No boy should have to choose between individuality and belonging. At Winaukee, everyone has a place in the huddle.
The Mainland and Island experience is something you don’t find at many camps. How does the Winaukee experience grow along with the boys?
Our two-campus structure is one of the things that makes Winaukee truly unique.
The Mainland is designed entirely around the energy, needs and imagination of boys ages 8 to 12. Then, just across the water, the Island gives our 13- to 15-year-olds their own campus, community and traditions, along with increased opportunities for independence and leadership.
The two campuses are separated by Lake Winnipesaukee, but they’re deeply connected as one Winaukee community.
From the time boys are young, moving from the Mainland to the Island becomes something they look forward to and take tremendous pride in. It’s a visible marker of growing up at camp. And once they’re on the Island, they’re given more opportunities to lead, including returning to the Mainland and serving as role models for younger campers.
Boys don’t simply get older at Winaukee. Their camp experience grows with them.
All of this takes place in a setting that’s difficult to replicate. With more than a mile of playable waterfront, Lake Winnipesaukee is at the heart of daily life, while the White Mountains create endless possibilities for adventure beyond camp. Boys might spend one day sharpening their skills on a field, another hiking in the mountains and another learning something new on the water – and they’re outside, active and engaged throughout it all.
What advice do you have for families considering Winaukee for summer 2027?
Our biggest advice is simple: get to know us.
Choosing a camp is a big decision, and finding the right one ultimately comes down to finding a community that aligns with your family’s values and what you’re hoping your child will gain from the experience.
Reach out. Set up a home visit or Zoom call. Ask questions about our program, philosophy and community – and give us the opportunity to get to know your son, too.
We love talking with prospective families about Winaukee, but we genuinely want to learn about the boys who are considering spending their summers with us: what they love, what they’re looking for and what will help them thrive.
Ultimately, we want Winaukee to feel like more than a place your son goes for the summer. We want it to become a place where he belongs and, over time, a summer home.
If you had to describe Camp Winaukee in three words, what would they be -and why?
We’re going to have to cheat and give you four:
Community. Growth. Sportsmanship. FUN.
Community is at the heart of everything we do. It’s more than relationships between campers and staff; it’s the sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself and the trust and mutual respect that bind us together.
Growth happens when boys feel supported enough to challenge themselves, take healthy risks and learn from both success and failure. Whether it’s mastering a new sport, making a new friend or stepping outside a comfort zone, we know growth doesn’t happen when everything is perfectly curated.
Sportsmanship is a cornerstone of our athletic program and our culture. We teach campers that it goes far beyond winning or losing; it’s about respect, integrity and fairness on and off the field.
And FUN isn’t simply an activity on the schedule. It’s the lens through which we view the entire Winaukee experience. When boys are having fun, they’re more engaged, more willing to try and more open to connecting with the people around them.
It’s being fully unplugged. Getting a little messy. Jumping in the lake. Playing hard. Laughing with your friends.
And experiencing the pure joy of being a kid at camp.
About the contributors:
Matt + Ashleigh Jackowitz
Matt and Ashleigh Jackowitz have served as Directors of Camp Winaukee since 2021, bringing decades of combined camp experience and a shared passion for youth development. Both lifelong camp professionals, they previously worked together as Assistant Directors at Camp Walt Whitman. At Winaukee, Ashleigh focuses on the Mainland social and bunk-life experience, with special attention to first-time camp families, while Matt oversees operations, recruitment and program development. Both are active leaders in the camp industry and share a longtime commitment to Project Morry. Matt and Ashleigh live in Ridgefield, Connecticut, with their sons, Cooper and Henry.
Tom Daniel
Originally from England, Tom Daniel has spent nearly 20 years creating camp experiences that encourage boys to compete, explore, take healthy risks and discover what they’re capable of. A graduate of Cardiff Metropolitan University with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science, Tom began his career as a camp counselor and later served as Assistant Director at Lake of the Woods & Greenwoods Camps. He also worked with camps nationwide through CircuiTree + Bunk1. A lifelong athlete and adventurer, Tom brings his passion for challenge, confidence-building and meaningful connection to the Winaukee community.
Chandler Barnard
Chandler Barnard joined Winaukee in 2016 as Baseball Director and today serves as Assistant Director and Director of the Island Campus, leading Winaukee’s community of boys ages 13 to 15. A former collegiate and professional baseball player, Chandler brings a deep understanding of athletics, competition and teamwork to his role. During the year, he oversees staff recruitment and hiring, helping shape the culture he leads each summer. Chandler is especially passionate about Winaukee’s Mainland-to-Island progression and the opportunities it gives boys for greater independence, responsibility, leadership and growth as they enter their teenage years.