Scholarships Available for DEC Youth Summer Camp

DEADLINE: February 28, 2026

The Lake Champlain Chapter of Trout Unlimited will again provide scholarships for interested youth 11 to 17 years old to attend DEC’s popular summer camp program.

The camps, located at Camp Colby, Pack Forest, DeBruce, and Rushford provide a great opportunity to learn more about the outdoors and have fun in the summer. Campers enjoy a week of summer fun and conservation education conducted by DEC’s well-qualified counselors. The scholarships pay all costs to attend (approximately $350 per attendee). Parents provide transportation to and from the camps for the one-week sessions which are conducted in July and August.

The scholarships are a memorial to Sam Thuesen and Dennis Aprill, outstanding educators, leaders and anglers who devoted their lives to the North Country. Scholarships use private funds provided by the Lake Champlain Chapter of Trout Unlimited to assist North Country youth.

Prior attendees say:

“ I cried when it ended.”
And “I loved every minute, and made lots of new friends.”

Letters we get back from young men and women who attend tell of a wonderful and enlightening experience. We’re proud to help open new vistas for North Country youth.

To apply:

Youth should email or mail a short, one-page letter explaining why you want to go to summer camp to Vic Putman by February 28, 2026. Please include age, school, and phone number/email address of the parent or guardian.

Email: vicputman@gmail.com
Mail: Vic Putman, 183 Farrell Rd., Willsboro, NY 12996

The scholarships are limited to first-time attendees only and are “first come, first served.”

Apply now! These scholarships are limited and are quickly taken.

For more information for campers and parents, contact Vic Putman at vicputman@gmail.com, go to http//www.dec.ny.gov/education or Google “DEC Summer Camps.”

Event Details

• When: Week-long summer camps are in July and August 2026. Deadline to submit letter of interest is February 28, 2026.
• Location: Youth can attend one of four camp locations:
  • Camp DeBruce in the southern Catskills.
  • Camp Rushford in Allegany County.
  • Camp Pack Forest in the southern Adirondacks.
  • Camp Colby in Franklin County, next to the Adirondack Forest Preserve.
• Cost: Free to attend with scholarship from Lake Champlain Trout Unlimited. Students only need apply by sending a letter of interest to Vic Putman at vicputman@gmail.com.

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