Established in 1907, Alford Lake Camp is one of the oldest residential girls camps in the world. Located on over 400 acres in beautiful mid-coast Maine, campers enjoy traditional tent living, home-cooked family-style meals, and a 3:1 camper to counsellor ratio. Their unique elective programs allow campers to create their own schedule of activities. Alford Lake Camp stands out as an exceptional community that fosters friendship and citizenship, growth and respect, where the girls learn a true “sense of self” through challenges and successes.
Alford Lake Camp offers Global Challenges. These trips are designed for older campers who have experienced the ALC in-camp program and who are looking for additional adventure in travel. Girls are invited to participate in these extended trips by the camp directors. Each trip carries its own flavour of adventure, action, leadership, challenge, community service and self-discovery. ALC’s overall philosophy is carried with each trip in the form of citizenship, environmental ethics, respect for cultural diversity, and the constant attention to the sensitivity to others. Their global challenges include the NOVA trip.
ALC Nova Program is a six-week trip, open to a maximum of 10 participants from Alford Lake, including an ALC leader. The trip begins with a 2 day orientation which will be led by Sea School staff. Next is the 8-day sea kayaking voyage on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia The goal of the Sea Kayak trip is to practice navigation, leadership, and have an introduction to the ocean and weather patterns through paddling in an around tangier. For the next portion of the trip the Nova Scotia Sea School contracts a local surf school, Kannon Beach Surf Shop in Lawrencetown beach, to provide a two day lesson in surfing. After this, the group moves to a remote island called West Ironbound Island to learn wilderness skills. This life changing experience ends with a 21-day sail on the Elizabeth Hall, a 30' traditional wooden sailboat. During this exhilarating journey, the group will be challenged to hone their new skills while relishing in all of Nova Scotia’s natural adventure.
