“I have lasting memories of the many experiences I have had at Camp Susan Curtis. Camp helped me develop into a productive member of society.”
"Your program is terrific! Thank you for having my son there.”
“When I come to camp, all the stress, all the tension…everything from the outside world leaves my body. Its just about the woods and being at Camp Susan Curtis.”
"Thank you so much for offering this to kids who might not otherwise be able to have this experience.”
“Camp Susan Curtis gave me a resource deep within myself that I will draw on for the rest of my life.”
"I am grateful for the last five years. Because of your camp, my daughter’s outlook on life has broadened. Thank you so much for giving her the things I couldn’t have given her on my own.”
“ When I was a camper, there were counselors that helped me out, and I looked up to them. Today, I try to be that person for another kid.”
"At camp I found out that my life mattered and that I was important.”
“ I am grateful for the last five years. Because of your camp, my daughter’s outlook on life has broadened. Thank you so much for giving her the things I couldn’t have given her on my own.”
"I love camp at lot! I love playing soccer, hiking, swimming and fishing!”
Educational Outcomes
We have tracked outcomes of the Susan L. Curtis Foundation Leadership Education Program (1) and report the following positive results: 8 out of 10 long-term student-campers enroll in college (vs. 6 out of 10 statewide) (2); in 2008, almost half of our Counselors were former Susan Curtis student-campers (17 of 45 Counselors); as of 2007, of campers entering the CIT program since 2005, all are on track to graduate from high school; many CIT's in the study are the first in their immediate family ever to graduate high school.
In addition, we have used the Stanley Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory to measure our success at building self-esteem, an integral component of our mission. In 2003, 30 leadership participants were administered pre and post self-esteem inventories designed to measure self-evaluative attitudes in the following areas: 1. Social/Peer Interactions; 2. Academic; 3. Family Life; 4. Personal Areas of Experience.
After participating in the LIT or CIT curriculum, the average inventory score improved 11 points from 56.8 to 68.1 (100 pt. scale). Of equal importance is the fact that the inventory measures areas outside of the Camp Susan Curtis program, suggesting that growth, successes and experiences at Camp are transferable to everyday life.
Our Environmental & Experiential Education Center (EEEC) provides Leadership and Environmental instruction to Maine schools with a high percentage of low-income students. At one participating school where educational components were designed to build social, leadership and teamwork skills, students were surveyed semi-annually. Longley Principal Tom Hood reported the following long-term results and enhancements to the schools educational atmosphere as a result of the collaboration and programming:
2001 2006
The number of students not being bullied physically: 51% 69%
Number of students not being teased or bullied emotionally: 42% 65%
Number of students not being bullied due to color or race: 58% 77%
Number of students who enjoy school and learning: 78% 92%
Number of students reporting they have good friends: 81% 96%
Anecdotal evidence helps illustrate our ability to continue to achieve our outcome goals. The following is excerpted from an article entitled It's all about respect and having fun in the Franklin Journal (3): Fifth and sixth grade students attended a special program "Reflection on Respect" at Camp Susan Curtis. "Through games, initiatives and challenges, the students learned new skills in responsibility, cooperation, listening, decision making and problem solving with the end goal being respect for all..." One sixth grader summed up his experience: "When we first got there people weren't working as a team," ..."But by the time we were done everybody was working together and having fun! It was a great experience and I notice that now even back in school we work better together. It's nice to get along with people."
Education is a proven path out of the cycle of poverty: "Research has documented a strong correlation between education and income levels"...and The U.S. Census Bureau has quantified the benefits of post-secondary education: college graduates earn $1,000,000 more over the course of a lifetime than those with only a high school diploma. (2002). The Mitchell Institute 2007 update to the Barriers to Higher Education report outlines 'Eight Ways to Make a Difference'. Susan Curtis Foundation programs are already tailored to lowering barriers, and we measure outcomes related to educational attainment. Below are some of the ways in which we help lower barriers to higher education. 
- Continue to broaden the notion of college - our Scott F. Hutchinson Scholarship, Max Kagan Scholarship and Footprints to the Future Scholarship, for former Susan Curtis student-campers attending community colleges or universities, help broaden the notion of college.
- Expose students to college, starting at a young age - our annual Camp to Campus Program Leadership Tour brings teens in our leadership program to college campuses each year. In 2008, we toured the University of Southern Maine, and in 2009, we will visit the University of Maine Orono.
- Start career exploration early - our Counselor/Career Training Program for teens in our leadership group offers vocational experiences under the guidance of a qualified mentor in several fields. Students may choose from Health Care, Environmental Education, Culinary Arts, Adventure Therapy, Lifeguarding among other fields.
- Ensure that all students have rigorous educational experiences - our school-based Environmental & Experiential Education Center (EEEC) programs are tailored not only to each school's goals, but to address selected Maine Learning Results.
- Enlist Maine colleges (faculty, staff, and students) - we recruit college students as volunteer instructors at the EEEC. We are recruiting Unity College Service Learning Project students and Interns to instruct our leadership participants how to facilitate Environmental education programs.
- Get businesses involved - KeyBank and Unum volunteers will work with teens participating in our Financial Literacy program.
- Start financial planning and saving for college early - our Financial Literacy program will address financial aid for college.
- Make sure all families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - our Financial Literacy program will include information on the FAFSA.
(1) Based on an internal audit of student-campers who have been with us four years and entered our CIT (Career/Counselor-in-Training) program in 2002-2005.
(2) "Indicators of Higher Education Attainment in Maine", Nat'l Ct. for Higher Education Mgt Systems, Aug 2007.
(3) October 28, 2005.