OUR STORY

ESF Summer Camps has been a pioneering leader among summer day camps and a significant influence in the lives of children since its humble beginnings in 1982. Nearly three decades ago, at the respective ages of 15 and 11, brothers and budding entrepreneurs Michael and Bill Rouse organized a two-week summer tennis camp for neighborhood kids in Haverford, PA. Davis Parker, then Headmaster of The Haverford School gave these two young brothers the life-changing opportunity to host their first-ever camp on school grounds in the summer of 1982. The original two-week camp sold-out instantly and was a huge hit with campers and parents alike. Despite their young age, they rolled up their sleeves and approached their first camp with an extraordinary can-do attitude to make the experience a fun and memorable one for all of their campers. Little did they know that their ground-breaking two-week venture would one-day evolve into the country's premier day camp company, ESF Summer Camps!

THE INSPIRATION Their motivation? "The letters we received from parents that told us how our camp had changed their child's lives...how we helped them learn...and how they discovered new experiences and tried things for the very first time," says Michael. The rest, as they say, is history. The positive feedback they received from campers and parents each summer ignited their passion for creating cutting-edge educational summer programs and confirmed their commitment to providing the best possible summer camp experience for children of all ages.

As word of ESF's reputation began to spread and as some of ESF's original camp families relocated, Michael and Bill began receiving inquiries and requests about opening camps at other locations. Some of the most prestigious private independent day schools throughout the Northeast then began reaching out to ESF to run camps at their schools. Today, ESF is proud partners with some of the most impressive independent schools on the East Coast.

So how exactly does ESF measure its success? Says Michael, "Our biggest joy is seeing campers blown away by our programs and wishing the day wasn't over...the smiles on their faces tell us we did a great job." And plenty of other people and publications have recognized ESF for their success, too. ESF has been repeatedly named one of the Best Places to Work by The Philadelphia Business Journal and has received scores of awards and accolades for each of their camps in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Thanks to some extraordinary benchmarking opportunities and experiences with industry leaders like Cirque du Soleil, The Walt Disney Company, the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, GE, and the United States Marine Corps, ESF has successfully created a one-of-a-kind summer camp with a strong commitment to quality programs and leadership development and a sharp focus on exceptional customer service and safety.

PEOPLE & TALENT Michael and Bill hired Debbie Russo, Greg Ackerman and Chris Landosky, their first corps of full-time employees, in the early 90s and to this day, they remain an integral part of ESF's continued success by overseeing curriculum design, creative services, admissions and operations. What started out as a camp that two young brothers ran has since grown into a talented team of highly-qualified full-time staff members and an expertly trained team of seasonal employees committed to one goal: creating the perfect camp experience for people of all ages.

It really is the people that set ESF apart from other camps and companies. Since 1982, Michael and Bill have successfully assembled a dynamic team of dedicated professionals who are at the forefront of their respective fields and who are motivated by the same passion for superior performance and quality service that has characterized ESF since its inception. Just as ESF's campers and their families keep coming back, an overwhelming majority of ESF's staff also returns year after year to continue making a difference in the life of a child.

A COMPANY WHO MAKES A DIFFERENCE And ESF aims to make a difference in the lives of all children - no matter what their background or life experiences. In1998, with the help of some kindhearted donors, ESF unveiled its nonprofit arm, the ESF Dream Camp Foundation, to provide yearlong mentoring services and a full array of summer camps to disadvantaged children living in two of the nation's most violent and impoverished cities - Hartford, CT and Philadelphia, PA.

Inspired by their younger sister, Christine, a successful entrepreneur with cerebral palsy, Michael and Bill have emphasized inclusion in their camps since the very beginning. ESF makes every effort to accommodate campers with special needs and since 2002, ESF has proudly sponsored Christine's nonprofit theater program for children and young adults with physical disabilities, Acting Without Boundaries.

THE BEST IS YET TO COME

ESF has evolved significantly from its first two-week tennis camp in 1982 but Michael and Bill remain deeply connected to their camps. Together with the ESF Team of dedicated and dynamic folks, Michael and Bill work tirelessly throughout the year to ensure that each camp season is  the absolute best!

ESF is constantly moving forward and continues to remain at the forefront of the camp industry. Today, letters, phone calls and e-mails from campers, parents and Team members continue to sing ESF's praises. The Rouse brothers' commitment to remain true to their one-of-a-kind vision has afforded ESF continued, well-deserved success. The high-quality programs, time-honored traditions, dedicated and friendly staff, and safe and loving environment that have typified ESF since its inception will no doubt propel ESF forward so that it can continue creating memories, building life skills and empowering futures of so many children for years to come.  At ESF we want your child to "Grow Up ESF"!