We (Georgia and Mike) never intended to start a private summer camp. It all began with our desire to work for a community non-profit. In 1997 we accepted leadership positions with the financially struggling (former) YMCA of Anne Arundel County. The goal was to utilize our skill and background to help the organization revitalize their youth programs. Unfortunately, a few months after beginning the process of creating a new summer camp and other youth programs the board of the YMCA declared bankruptcy and closed the doors. With the summer getting close many families that had signed up for camp were going to lose monies that had been paid for summer camp and were being forced to make alternative arrangements. While the YMCA of Central Maryland began to create programs in the county they did not want to take on any programs associated with the former YMCA, it took the YMCA of the USA to help Baywatch Camp (the program Mike and Georgia created for the now closed AA County YMCA) stay on track. Called Baywatch, With no professional positions being offered through the YMCA of Central Maryland our positions ended after the first summer. It was through the encouragement of those initial families that attended that first summer and those we stood up for, we began the process of opening and creating a unique summer program that we named BAYSIDE SUMMER ADVENTURE CAMP.
Bayside Summer Camp Founder, Education Director & Teacher, Georgia has her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and undergraduate degrees from SOSU in Theater & Music. Georgia also started a small preschool program (that continues today) called TALS. Georgia has enjoyed teaching, creating, developing & implementing a multitude of programs for children and families for many years. With an extensive summer camp background she is part of the foundation that makes Bayside the place it is. As an educator she has also been fortunate to travel to Reggio Emilia twice for short, study abroad experiences to help better grasp the important work being done there within the community and amongst educators from all around the world. Georgia is seeking to create an Annapolis Learning Collaborative (ALC), a professional community for early childhood educators. If you are looking for a small preschool check out the TALS preschool program pages. Click here if interested!
Founder, Camp Director, Activity Specialist and teacher, Michael (Rafiki), has had the great fortune to fill most of his days with work and play along side children and their families. He worked his way through college at YMCA Camp Letts and was on track to obtain a degree in Business/Accounting. What started as a summer job, became a discovery of a passion for working outdoors and with children. At 15 he began as an Aide at Camp Letts and eventually worked his way up to become a full time Assistant Director for YMCA Camp Letts with the shared responsibility hiring, training and supervising the summer program and it's 80 staff. He then went on to creating and developing overnight camps for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. In 9 years he took the program from operating one small camp program at a local state park to operating six different camps located throughout the state. With no full-time job offer from the state he was forced to move on. The next challenge led to the opening of Bayside Summer Adventure Camp. A short professional position with the YMCA of Anne Arundel County and their unexpected bankruptcy led to the creation of Bayside Summer Adventure Camp. In the "off-season", he helps create wonderful opportunities for students attending the TALS Education Program. He is dedicated- helping children grow, utilizing the outdoors and the “teachable moments” that we encounter every day.
