Camp O-AT-KA

About Us

Camp O-AT-KA has a long and rich history. Thousands of boys have enjoyed Camp O-AT-KA and we carry on the spirit and traditions of over a century of campers.

History

Our camp was founded in 1906 by Rev. Ernest Joseph Dennen, an Episcopal minister from Lynn, Massachusetts.

After a successful first season at a rented site, he purchased an old farmstead in East Sebago, an ideal spot for bringing the boys of his parish up from the city to reward the boys for their efforts in a character-building program he called the Order of Sir Galahad.

Twenty boys attended camp the first summer and slept in canvas tents. In 1907, the Bungalow was constructed and by 1930 the Great Hall, Commons, and the rest of the camp were built.

Today, O-AT-KA serves over 100 campers at one time and has over sixty buildings, two playing fields, tennis courts, a workout building, a covered basketball court, a climbing wall, rifle and archery ranges, and a seven-studio arts center on a vast and beautiful beachfront location on beautiful Lake Sebago.

The founding principles and mission of O-AT-KA to “build boys instead of mend men” still remains true today. Lifelong friendships are established and camp is a perfect place for boys to grow into self-assured young men.

Diversity & Inclusivity

Camp O-AT-KA is committed to a diverse and inclusive experience for all. Camp O-AT-KA believes that the differences among us, including race, ethnicity, gender, religion, political thought, sexual orientation, family composition, or individual talents and interests, are instrumental to making us a strong and vibrant educational community. Camp O-AT-KA aims to explore, respect, and celebrate diversity. Camp O-AT-KA adheres to a policy of anti-racism and anti-discrimination, and is committed to continuing to educate our leadership, staff, and campers on how to achieve equality and inclusivity at camp and beyond.

Testimonials

George had a fabulous summer at OATKA, he has not stopped talking about OATKA since we left, and has already lined up his activity choices for next summer. We thank you and the staff at OATKA for helping make his first time away from home so wonderful, successful and memorable. We hope to be able to provide him with many more summers of the whole camp experience. Thank you.

Aimee and Mark

Parents

The memories that our son has of camp, plus the skills he has learned, will be with him for life, and the independence that he gains every summer by taking care of himself for a few weeks helps him all year as he manages his school and extracurricular activities.

3rd year parent

Foxboro MA

“O-AT-KA is somewhere I feel safe.” The staff helped me to take away my home-sickness when I first arrived. The counselors and staff taught me a lot ad have given me strength to do things I never thought I could do. I have learned skills in baseball and built confidence to go in the water. I now have strong swimming skills.

Matt Santiago, 12

Bronx, NY

“O-AT-KA feels like a nice big community and everyone is very welcoming.” The staff and counselors are nice and patient. I Love the setting, the lake and the mountains. O-AT-KA offers many activities and enables you to try new things. I like the large size of camp. You can move around and have a sense of freedom.

Eric, 15

Belmont, MA

“O-AT-KA feels like a second home.” I started at seven and have been a camper for ten years! Everyone is welcoming and cares about each other. The Galahad Program teaches morals and values you can use throughout your life. It is a positive influence on camp life.

Bryan, 16

North Andover, MA

Camp O-AT-KA means the world to me. My Father is in the Air Force so we always move to new places. Camp has been my 2nd home and I always feel welcome here. Go Green!

Chris, 13

Doha, Qatar

“Camp means so much to me. It has introduced me to new activities and new friends. I have changed so much. This is my first year but O-AT-KA is already my home away from home. I’ve had a great experience.”

Gavin, 12

Port Washington, New York

“What I like most about O-AT-KA is the people here. They help me to have a nice summer. I’ve been to other camps and this one is really something special."

Miguel, 13

Vigo, Spain

“My favorite part of O-AT-KA is getting away from the hectic daily life and being unplugged. I hope to be at camp in years to come!”

Charlie, 12

New York City

“O-AT-KA is a great summer camp. It means many things to me and the most important thing is the friendship between the campers. O-AT-KA means friendship and teamwork to me."

Samson, 13

Shanghai, China

“I like the independent part of Camp. Sleep-away camps help to develop skills in young kids like not having electronics or parents to help you. We learn to rely on working with people we don’t know. I like that.”

Hugo, 10

Lexington, MA

Leadership

The most important consideration in choosing a camp is its safe environment and qualified staff. At O-AT-KA we understand this and have worked hard to build a strong leadership staff. With decades of camp expertise, our leadership staff strives to provide a caring, supportive and safe environment for every camper. The boys at Camp O-AT-KA are supported and nurtured, as well as challenged and held to a high standard. Accomplishing both of these together is a skill we have refined over decades of guiding boys on their path to being men. Camp O-AT-KA enjoys a healthy diversity in the backgrounds of our staff. Just like the boys that spend their summers here, our staff come from all over the nation, as well as foreign countries.

Heather Plati

Executive Director

Annie Bowe

Assistant Director

Stu Tuthill

Chief Financial Officer

Karina Carlsson

Program Director

Chris Kohl

Summer Director & Senior Unit Head

Austin Joyce

Middle Unit Head

Cole MacLeod

Junior Unit Head

Roy Heller

Chaplain

Ken Berndt

Facilities Manager

Board of Directors

Camp O-AT-KA is led by a dedicated group of volunteer Board of Directors that utilize their passion for camp, professional expertise, and personal experiences to govern this non-profit 503c organization.

Chris Bond - President, Treasurer

John Chapman - Vice President

Lisa Gorman - Secretary

Dana Allara

Mary Anderson

Matt Crowley

Nina Frusztajer

Matt Glendinning

Scott Hoffman

Duane Lowenstein

Ben Nickerson

Michael Shaub

John S. Hall II – Emeritus

O-AT-KA: An Enduring Legacy

This is a pictorial and historical adventure of Camp O-AT-KA from its beginnings in 1906 until the unprecedented summer of 2020. While we did not hold camp that summer, we didn’t want your bookshelves to have an empty space where the Oak Leaves would be!

This book is a labor of love by many and contains over 60 pages of photos, alumni stories, camp timelines, and a personal look into the founders of O-AT-KA, their vision and why the mission of Camp O-AT-KA is still going strong today.

This keepsake is a must for alumni, families and friends that hold a special place in their hearts for O-AT-KA. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did creating it. The cost is $25 to cover price of the book and shipping. We appreciate your support in helping make this piece a part of camp history. Contact us to arrange getting your copy.

Facility Rentals

Camp O-AT-KA has rental potential in our shoulder seasons before and after camp is in session. We also have cottages available on Green Ridge, a short walk through the woods from the main camp property.

We are an ideal location for destination weddings with the ability to accommodate wedding parties and all their guests. Our full kitchen and beautiful Commons provide a wonderful dining experience. The Great Hall is perfect for the reception with expansive views of Sebago Lake.