Camp Setebaid® at Swatara:
History

Camp Setebaid is one of the oldest and best regarded of the many camping programs across the country for children and teens with diabetes. Founded in 1978, a year after the HDYC, Camp Setebaid has been holding camp every August providing a camping experience, friendship, and emotional sustenance (and even a little education) for hundreds of children with Type 1 diabetes. We pride ourselves on continuity – continuity of philosophy, continuity of staff (many are alums, including our Camp Director and Program Director who have been at camp over 22 years), and especially continuity of campers.

When first envisioned, Diabetes Camp at Camp Louise (as it was called) began with only 22 campers. The main philosophy, which still remains, was to have a camp where everyone just happened to have diabetes. The vision was to have a camp with camp activities, sing camp songs, and do camp things, then add in the diabetes education as a part of the program.

At its inception Camp Setebaid was financially supported by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). In 1998 Setebaid Services inherited the management of Camp Setebaid and since 1999 has operated the camp solely on its own, both financially and administratively.

Over the years Camp Setebaid grew from 22, to 50, to 75, 90, and today to 120 campers per session.

After 30 years of diabetes camping in the same location, Camp Setebaid has moved (and modified its name) to Camp Setebaid at Swatara. It moved to Camp Swatara in Bethel, Pennsylvania in the summer of 2011.
 
Continuity of philosophy has been maintained by the above mentioned continuity of staff. Since founded in 1978, Camp Setebaid has had only five directors. Most of our staff has also been involved with Camp Setebaid for over 15 years.