Summer@SEM

There are camps for girls… Then there’s SEM’s.

Among the oldest girls’ schools in the U.S., SEM has designed a culture of independence, achievement, scholarship, creativity, and leadership only for girls. Our camp councilors are those girls. Engaged and engaging they are role models for younger girls.

Discover the Power of a SEM Experience at Summer at SEM sleepaway camp for girls ages 11-14. July 7-20, spend one week or two in our beautiful student houses nestled around a private courtyard next to our school. It’s the ideal setting for fun and to practice safe independence.

On our unique urban campus students/campers live in historic homes centered around a private courtyard that connects to the school building. To board at SEM is not boring. Both our camp and school programs utilize all our beautiful city has to offer: theater, professional sporting events, gorgeous parks, museums and restaurants.

Campers select their courses from a rich and varied menu of activities that includes traditional camp experiences like arts and crafts but also day trips to Niagara Falls and Lake Erie beaches, evenings at Shakespeare in the Park (second in size only to New York City’s Shakespeare in the Park), morning sailing on Lake Erie with the Buffalo Yacht Club or Learn-to-Row with the Buffalo Scholastic Rowing Association. There’s squash with members of SEM’s school team, Fashion Lab with its grand finale fashion show, baking and cooking, and game coding and robotics with our two NAO robots. Of course there is lots of singing and dancing!

While many schools and camps for girls were founded in a specific faith, our school was founded over a century-and-a-half ago to be mission-driven and independent. At the core is our Academic and Social Honor Code. The code emphasizes character development and scholarship. It requires respecting the intellectual and artistic property of others, treating ourselves and other members of our community respect and communicating honestly with one another, valuing our differences and positively representing our school.

The power of SEM is the expectation that our students and campers will be intellectually curious, meet challenges with preparation and optimism, and question and revisit the answers until they are satisfied. All of this is accomplished with the support of extraordinarily accomplished faculty and staff committed to girls.