Camp Setebaid® Teen Camp:
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 Type I diabetics. 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 21 and 25 years respectively), continuity of place (30 years at Camp Louise), 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 be diabetic. 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 2001 has operated the camp solely on its own, both financially and administratively.

Over the years Camp Setebaid grew from 22, to 50, to 75, and today to 90 campers per session. We have also grown from one session to three, serving over 200 children and teens in 2007.
 
Continuity of philosophy has been maintained by the above mentioned continuity of staff. Since founded in 1978, Camp Setebaid has had only four directors. Our current Camp Director started as a camper in 1986. Most of our staff has also been involved with Camp Setebaid for over 15 years.