Who we are
Faith. Friendship. Fun.
Welcome to Summer Youth Conference, the longest running youth program in the New York Episcopal Diocese! For over 50 years, our week-long retreat has given kids the opportunity to find spiritual fellowship and make memories to last a lifetime.
Days at SYC are a balance of reflection and play. By morning, conferees are engaged in group discussions about God’s role in their lives. By afternoon, they are cheering on their teammates in an action packed game of dodgeball!
Kids entering 6th grade through leaving 12th are welcome to join us for an unforgettable week.
We can’t wait to see you this summer!
What We Do
A typical day at SYC looks like…
Breakfast:
We start our morning together at breakfast, enjoying a meal in the dining hall with campers and staff. Breakfast fuels our campers for a full day of excitement.
Morning Program:
During morning program, campers get together and sing classic SYC songs before launching into a discussion about faith, scripture, and how it connects to their lives. In a small group of campers their age, our staff facilitates meaningful conversations about the love of God with conferees.
Interest Groups:
Conferees are able to choose an activity that suits their interests in the early afternoon. We have something for everyone: music, arts and crafts, nature, newspaper, drama, and surprise for adventurous campers!
Lunch:
SYC reconvenes at the dining hall for a group meal where they share stories from their time in interest groups.
Recreation:
Conferees gather with their sports teams to enjoy some friendly competition. Sports played at SYC include: dodgeball, kickball, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball.
Lake:
Kids can choose to swim in the lake, go boating, or relax on the sand. Incarnation Center’s dedicated staff of lifeguards watches over them in addition to SYC’s staff.
Eucharist:
After a return to their cabins, SYC heads down to the beautiful lakeside chapel to worship and break bread together. At Eucharist, campers read the readings, lead the prayers of the people, and drama group acts out the Gospel reading.
Dinner:
At dinner, campers meet at the dining hall to eat and prepare for their night.
Evening Program:
Evening program begins with classic field games in the yard while our staff prepares our evening activity. Evening activities change from year to year, but campers can expect a bonfire, murder mystery, dance, and talent show. Campers may experience, a carnival, game shows, bowling, puzzles, golf, games of chance, and many more surprises!
Compline:
Our day ends in a short relaxing service thanking God for the day we enjoyed together and a restful night back in our cabins.
Our Staff
The staff at Summer Youth Conference is made up of former conferees, Diocesan leaders, and clergy.
Our staff volunteers their time to make this week long program special for each and every conferee.
Our staff goes through Episcopal Diocese Safe Church Training to ensure a safe environment for our campers.
Staff bios coming soon!
Contact us
Do you have any questions about SYC? We would love to hear from you!