IXTC is our adventure camp specifically designed for our older campers age 15-17. With new activities like laser tag and dune buggies, and more responsibility like learning to belay climbers up the Rock Block, campers get a completely new experience with IXTC.
IXTC was created in 2004 and is the brainchild of ISTC camp director Mark Major. “I wanted to create something just for our older campers,” Mark said. “The ISTC program is such a great curriculum for kids, but I felt like our teenagers wanted something more, especially the ones who have been with us since they were 8 years old.” So he got to work. He interviewed tons of teenage campers to hear what would take the program to the next level for them. He met with ISTC’s counselors-in-training who just aged out of ISTC’s program to see what activities they would have liked to see during their last year at camp. He interviewed friends and family members who had teenagers to learn about their interests. That’s what sets IXTC apart from other teen adventure camp programs. This wasn’t an adult guessing what teenagers think is cool, Mark went straight to the source and found out firsthand what teenagers wanted to see. And then he built a program full of it!
What Makes IXTS Unique
One major difference with IXTC is that campers get to participate in new activities. They get to play laser tag on our private outdoor course full of trenches, barricades, and obstacles to keep players on their toes. IXTC campers drive dune buggies through the twists and turns of the ISTC woods. One of the highlights of the IX program is getting to play in a dodgeball tournament against the all sports coaches on Monday nights after the rest of the camp is asleep. These activities call for a sense of maturity and responsibility, which is why they are reserved only for our IXTC campers, and that exclusivity only adds to the appeal.
Our older campers are also ready to step up and participate in the leadership activities, which are built into the adventure camp curriculum as well. IXTC campers learn how to belay their teammates up the Rock Block, ISTC’s 35-foot tall climbing tower. IXTC campers learn the procedure for guiding their friends up the rock wall, and they are entrusted with the responsibility to keep them completely safe at all times. Tons of team-building and leadership games and activities are injected into the program as well, providing many opportunities for growth.
IXTC campers also love the freedom they have in the program. There is a lot more co-gender mingling in IXTC. Of course, boys and girls still sleep in separate cabins, but all of the other activities are done together. They eat at the same tables, have structured sessions together, and have free time together. They enjoy an extended, private IXTC dance on Wednesday nights after the big all-camp dance. They have a later curfew at night and get to sleep in later in the mornings. There is definitely a sense of camaraderie and togetherness in IXTC that grows from spending so much time as one big group, and many campers remain good friends throughout the year after summer ends.
But don’t take our word for it, take it from IXTC campers themselves! Here is what they have to say about our adventure camp in their own words:
“IXTC is 100X better than Disney World! The staff is fantastic and so much fun!! In IXTC you get a little bit more freedom and its more team bonding! I can’t wait to go back this summer!!” – Katie
“IXTC gives you the amazing summer that every athlete can only dream about. It lets you play sports that you can only get by going to IXTC and at the same time you get to spend time with all of the amazing friends you make. IX is a strong family made of campers and staff that will never be broken up.” – Megg
