Haverford College Busy in Summer

The Spring semester ended in May, and most students and faculty are gone for the summer—but the dorm rooms at Haverford College remain far from empty. They're not being used for storage, either. They are, in fact, full of students. 

Haverford College opens its campus every summer to several camps that use its grounds for education and exercise. It's a tradition that goes back decades.

One camp in particular, the Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs, has been at Haverford for over 30 years. The camp was started by former South African tennis pro Julian Krinsky in 1978, and has since spread to several other area campuses, including Villanova, Bryn Mawr and Penn. Initially begun as a tennis camp, the program has since shifted its focus toward education. 

"At the end of the day, everything we do is education," said Tina Krinsky, wife of Julian and director of communications for the Krinsky Camps. "We're pretty proud of what we do."

Over the past 30 years, the program has swelled to include golf, culinary arts, fashion design and several other subjects in business and arts. The number of students has blossomed to well over 4,000. It is no surprise how the camp is able to foster a curriculum that students find interesting, as the staff looks to the students for feedback.

"The kids are the ones who tell us what they want," Krinsky said, adding that the fitness program at Haverford is in its first year because it is what students requested. 

Though all of the students range in age from seven to 17, that is where the similarities end. Krinsky plays host to an significant number of international students, representing nations from Finland to Mexico. Krinsky said that there is a recruitment aspect to the camps, but admits that most of the students end up at camp because of their friends. 

"Most of it is word of mouth," she said. "They'll say 'You gotta go to Krinsky.'"

The diversity of the camp is occasionally overshadowed by its tennis roots. The camp won acclaim as one of the best tennis programs in the United States, and people still identify Krinsky with that in mind. 

"When we tell people what we offer, we always get 'Oh, you do something other than tennis?'" Krinsky said. "We're like, 'Why can't we get this to stick?'"

Students that attend the camp look forward to their daily schedule, as they are able to pick out "majors," which tend to be a career-oriented; and "minors" (subjects which simply may interest them). Krinksy camps are learning-based, but the faculty and staff offer campers social experiences they may not ordinarily get inside the classroom. 

"Our rule is five-and-a-half hours of learning a day, and then we give them the best time at night," Krinsky said.

Zach Fox, a former student and current intern at Krinsky (the company offers many internships), enjoyed the program layout.

"I've been to camps before where you're always 'doing,'" he said. "Here there's structure, but at the same time it's nonchalant."

Krinsky remains adamant that education is the most important function of the camps, but realizes that not everyone has the same idea of what they will get out of the program. 

"I just want the kids to have a good experience because everyone comes in with different expectations," she said. 

Even though the Krinsky camps have multiple subjects, thousands of students and an incredible schedule, they are only a slice of the activity that goes on at Haverford College over the summer months.