HDYO’s North American HD Young Person Camp 2026

We are incredibly excited to host our 7th North American HD Young Person Camp!

Camp offers young people the chance to meet others impacted by HD to learn about HD through educational workshops, share experiences and also have plenty of fun participating in the many on-site activities like swimming, rock climbing, hiking, archery and much more.

General Details

• Dates: August 10-14, 2026
• Location: Camp St. Charlest, Maryland, US

• Who is Eligible

  • Young people impacted by HD
  • 16-25 years old
  • Living in Canada, Puerto Rico, or the US

Disclaimers

• HDYO reserves the right to make application decisions based on group dynamics and funding limitations.

• HDYO camp will be held in English.

Find Out More

Under 18 Information

18 & Older Information

Frequently Asked Questions:

How will I/my child get to camp in Maryland, USA? If you are selected to attend camp, HDYO will pay for your travel. The flight costs are covered by HDYO, but any additional costs (baggage, food, transportation to the airport, etc) will not be covered by HDYO. If you are within driving distance, we will work with you and your family to arrange travel.

Who is running the camp? There will be an experienced staff team from HDYO and HD professionals from around North America, and a trained and trusted group of young adult volunteers from the HD community in North America to form the volunteer support team. All camp activities are supervised by certified staff that are employees of Camp St Charles.

What to expect each day? Camp will be a combination of small group activities with 1 HD professional and volunteers with lived experiences. Those sessions will include topics like coping, grief and loss, speaking about HD, etc depending on the group dynamics. Throughout the day, there will also be time for fun camp activities.

Insurance: All campers are REQUIRED to have medical insurance. You should check your policy for travel coverage. The camp is fully insured and there will be extra event coverage organized by HDYO as well. All families will be required to sign a release alleviating HDYO of responsibility in the case of an accident or injury.

Medical Treatment:
Qualified first aiders and trained medical professionals will be on-site as part of the staff & volunteer team. The camp team will need to know of any medical conditions that may impact the camper’s ability to participate.

What experience do the staff have with supporting young people and camps? HDYO’s team will be overseeing the camp, with support from HD professionals from the region. HDYO has organized 10 HD camps for young people in North America, Europe, South America and Australia & New Zealand, since we founded in 2012. That has given us vast experience in developing camp projects to be the best they can be for young people impacted by HD. We will have a team for camp as well as HD professionals such as social workers and genetic counsellors from the region. We will also have a trained and trusted volunteer team of young adults from the HD community in North America who will be with the young participants at all times.

What will each day look like? The days will start with breakfast as a group. After that, depending on the day, there will be a mix of recreational activities, educational sessions and some sharing sessions. A full agenda will be provided to each family prior to the start of camp.

What support is available to my child before and after camp? A member from the HDYO team will be scheduling at least one call prior to camp to discuss the family’s situations, get a sense of any concerns and begin to build a relationship with the young person. We will also work with the associations to ensure that any available support in their region is identified. They will be holding calls with the family post-camp as well. During camp, the campers will learn about the various sources of support post-camp.

I reviewed the camp website and notice the camp has a religious background. Will there be a religious aspect to camp? There will not be a religious component for the HD Camp. Although Camp St Charles does have a religious focus during its own summer program, they understand that this is a camp focused on support for young people impacted by HD and the camp does not require outside groups to engage in any faith-based activities.

Have a question/query about the camp that isn’t answered above? Contact HDYO at marisa@hdyo.org