History of Goddard Youth Camp
Goddard Youth Camp was established in 1967 with funding from the Charles B. Goddard Foundation of Ardmore and congressional approval for the special use of national park land. The 44-building camp includes residential cabins, teaching and meeting spaces, and a large dining hall. In 1969, at the urging of the federal government, Goddard Youth Camp became one of 18 programs located within a national park to offer a hands-on environmental education.
Of the original 18 programs established in 1969, the Goddard Youth Camp is the only one still in existence today, serving as a national model for using nature’s classrooms to teach students about the environment. In recognition of its success in this endeavor, Goddard Youth Camp was named by the U.S. Congress as a National Environmental Education Landmark.