If you’ve been following PBC on social media, you likely know that for the first time since 1945, PBC will not be running a summer program at our Blairstown Campus.

PBC’s Great Lawn, normally teeming with students and chaperones, has been quieter than at any time in our collective memory due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

This decision to not have a summer season for the first time in 75 years is disappointing for all of us. Earlier this year, the Board of Directors voted to suspend programming from early March through the end of May in an effort to flatten the curve of the virus. Now, it is clear that it would be impossible for us to responsibly provide a safe environment this summer for students, chaperones, and staff while still offering the kind of transformative experiences that Blairstown is known for.

Young people who spend a summer week at Blairstown participating in our educational and adventure-based, experiential programming leave with skills and memories that last a lifetime. We remain committed to welcoming students and chaperones back to our campus as soon as we can safely do so. In the meantime, our staff, who have dedicated their professional lives to serving young people in the outdoors, is now producing content that can be delivered remotely, including several weeks of virtual Summer Bridge programming. While it is not the same as working at our beautiful and historic Blairstown site with young people from under-resourced communities, it still allows us to provide them with the social-emotional support they may so desperately need.

The porches and chairs at Egner Lodge are quiet and empty, awaiting the day when students can safely return.

Although COVID-19 may have caused us to cancel our regular on-site programming for much of 2020, it cannot cancel the incredibly strong community of current and former participants, current and former staff, and PBC donors. We all share a deep love and respect for this remarkable place that has taught us so much about ourselves, the natural world, and the crucial 21st century skills that have helped us be better citizens, family members, workers, and students.

We look forward to when we can once again welcome students and chaperones back to our Blairstown Campus for our regular programming. In the meantime, we are offering the opportunity for small family groups to join us for a physically-distanced week on Campus in one of our well-equipped cabins or lodges. Family Camp is available on a limited first-come, first-served basis. You can find more information here.

The Princeton-Blairstown Center has been here for more than 110 years because we have remained true to our mission. And we expect to be around for another century providing mission-driven programs to some of the most underserved young people in our communities.

January Blog: Looking Back, Looking Forward

We have only just closed the chapter on 2019, and it feels as though 2020 is already picking up speed. The first few weeks of a new year are a time for both reflection and anticipation as we look at how much progress we have made as an organization in the past year, and how we might move from plans to action to accomplish the many goals identified for PBC in the coming year.

In 2019, we experienced several wonderful highlights. Professional achievement included earning an Association of Experiential Education accreditation for the first time, and re-accreditation by the American Camp Association. We also added three new Trustees to our Board who bring diverse strengths, talents, experience, and many other positive attributes to our organization.

This past summer, the rubber really hit the road as 450 students joined us over six action-packed weeks for our award-winning Summer Bridge Program. This six-week-long span included new literacy and STEM lessons based on summer learning loss prevention, in addition to outdoor and environmental education, and good old-fashioned outdoor fun. The participating students’ visits were facilitated through PBC’s new and ongoing partnerships with 13 wonderful community organizations that operate in Trenton, Camden, and Newark, NJ, the majority of whom plan to be back for Summer Bridge in 2020.

Working in the garden with the 2019 LIT cohort.

Concurrently, we were also working diligently to increase our sustainability practices and reduce our overall resource use and impact on our environment. To that end, a geothermal heating and cooling installation was completed as part of the Danielson Lodge renovation (more on that in a moment!); our composting program diverted 200+ pounds of food waste from our dining facility; more than 375 pounds of food were grown in the PBC garden and served in Egner Lodge; and our sustainability committee worked all year to identify and act on additional opportunities to increase sustainable behavior.

Construction continues on the Bass Lake Dam.

In facilities management, in addition to all of the regular maintenance and upkeep that a 264-acre wooded property with nearly 8,000 visitors a year and dozens of historic structures entails, our Facilities team installed a new storage shed for the PBC garden, and oversaw three major capital improvement projects: the repaving of our main driveway, the extensive renovation of Danielson Lodge, and the ongoing reconstruction of the Bass Lake Dam. Jody and his team had quite a year!

While these are reason to celebrate as we enter the 112th year of PBC, it seems of equal import to think of the goals ahead. For 2020, we are looking to meet the following milestones:

A sneak preview of the Danielson Lodge renovations.

Completion of the three-year Bass Lake Dam renovation;
Completion of the Danielson Lodge renovation;
Implementation of a new three-year Strategic Plan;
A strong sixth year of our Summer Bridge Program, engaging both new and existing partner organizations;
Expanded public programming, such as the Homeschool/Afterschool Adventure series;
Executing two successful fundraising events to offset the costs of our free and reduced-price programs;
Continuing work in all departments that positions PBC’s facilities and programs as paragon examples of outdoor, experiential, and environmental education.

That’s our short list! What are you or your organization’s 2020 goals?