August 9, 2024

Rep. Tony Scott Tours YMCA Camp Tepee in Monroe

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Monroe, CT. – Hundreds of kids keep their minds and bodies active during the summer months each year at Lakewood-Trumbull YMCA Camp Tepee in Monroe. The camp was established in 1958 and is a 47 acres site.

State Representative Tony Scott (R-112) recently toured the camp with Lakewood-Trumbull Y Executive Director Andrew Bramlett and Senior Program Director Kathleen Riley.

Children ages 3 to 15 can participate in a wide range of activities including zip-line, swimming lessons, a climbing wall, arts and crafts, fishing, archery, ropes course, STEAM, nature exploration, outdoor education, survival skills, and special events. The Y works with children of all abilities and can accommodate those with social, behavioral, or medical needs.

“We are in a suburban-rural area, but there really isn’t anything else like Camp Tepee’s beautifully wooded area around here. The Y plays an important part in keeping kids mentally and physically engaged during the summer months,” said Rep. Scott. “They are so popular that member registration opens in January and by the end of the first day they already had waitlists for some weeks of camp.”

Most of the children attending camp are from Monroe and Trumbull. The YMCA offers scholarships and financial assistance. They also participate in Care4Kids, which was expanded by legislation support by Rep. Scott during the 2024 General Assembly session. SB 5 expands the state’s Care 4 Kids program, a critical resource for low- and moderate-income families struggling with childcare costs.

“It’s important for me to visit places like Camp Tepee so I can learn more about the needs of the Y and other organizations providing such great programming in our community. Kathleen and Andrew shared with me that they could expand their offerings if they had an additional thunderstorm location. If they could get a pavilion put up on the property, so many more kids could benefit. I’d like to see if there’s a grant or other state funding that could help out with this need,” said Scott.

Lakewood-Trumbull YMCA was awarded a grant two years ago through the state Department of Education’s Summer Enrichment Program to expand. They added paddle boats, a new high ropes course and a bouldering wall with the Expansion Grant.

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