We believe in the potential of every boy to be the best of whatever they are. The Agawam environment promotes independence, while also recognizing the value of counselors and peers for companionship, camaraderie, and support. At Agawam, we set high standards for behavior, character, sportsmanship, leadership, and mutual respect. Our program balances recreation with skill and knowledge development, competition with cooperation, and structure with flexibility.

Agawam places central emphasis on creating an environment for discovering and enhancing personal and interpersonal skills. Each week, every camper is assigned a “Katiaki” (kah-TIE-a-key) – a goal to work toward that is related to his character, personality, or skills in relating to others. Determining and assigning these goals is a major responsibility of the camp staff and is addressed with great care. Equal emphasis is placed on reinforcing positive traits and behaviors, as well as addressing areas of relative weakness.

Campers receive frequent feedback and, at the end of the week, the staff gathers to determine if each camper has made a conscientious effort to attain his Katiaki goal. The emphasis is always on the effort, as the goals themselves can often be very challenging. If a camper does work hard on his Katiaki, he is honored publicly in the special candlelight ceremony at the end of our weekly Council Fire.

Katiakis have been a part of Camp Agawam since 1942. Many alumni find it has the most enduring impact of their Agawam experience.