Located at Brown’s Ferry Park in Tualatin, Oregon, Willowbrook Arts Camp is an award-winning outdoor summer camp for kids ages 3-18, serving the tri-county area and beyond.
Our Approach
We were founded on a commitment to individualized, unstructured, and integrated learning in a multi-age and multicultural setting, with campers of varied abilities. These campers create a community of problem-solving and helping each other with support and acceptance.
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In current practice, this results in a child-driven space that allows each camper to choose their activities during most of the day. We create an environment that is interactive, experiential, and focuses on individuals exploring the internal and external world through art and nature.
A child-driven process becomes collaborative by nature as campers shape the camp experience to their needs and staff adapt to the interests of the moment. This synergistic process allows the camp experience to evolve into a unique experience each day while still having long-standing traditions
This Approach Helps Children:
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Have a positive self-concept
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Develop their identity
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Build empathy towards others
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Help learn to develop relationships with their community
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Create a stronger understanding of their place in the world
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Increase their confidence
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Find outlets for their creative expression
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Be more independent
Our History
In 1982 our founder Althea Pratt-Broome held our first summer camp on the grounds of her historic Tualatin home, the Sweek House. The camp had 20 children and 10 volunteer staff. Based on alternative education and arts programming, Willowbrook thrived. It was so successful that by 1992, Willowbrook needed a new home and the city of Tualatin Parks and Recreation Department offered Brown’s Ferry Park (which was undeveloped at the time).
The gift of Althea’s vision of Willowbrook as a “small seed we plant today for our belief in tomorrow” provided a strong foundation that has been nurtured by numerous staff, board and community members to result in a positive impact on multiple generations. We have seen our alumni go on to work as artists, educators, creators, innovators and so much more. Because we have existed for so long we have a rich community of individuals who have been campers, employees and parents who continue to attribute who they have become to their experience at Willowbrook.
Today, Willowbrook helps children reach their creative potential and is an integral part of our community. We have developed as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing child centered programming. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the tri-county area and beyond.
We are extremely grateful to the City of Tualatin for allowing us to offer camp for 6 weeks each summer in the beautiful Brown’s Ferry Park since 1992. The city has been the home to Willowbrook since its founding. Over the years the park and the neighborhood have developed while still maintaining a place where Willowbrook can welcome children and families each year.
The beautiful trees, pond, and creek with an amphitheater and pathways create the perfect environment for children to benefit from the experience of outdoor education. Our partnership with the City of Tualatin is integral to who we are and we thank each staff member, who helps us succeed in this space and each resident of the city for sharing your park with us.
We continue to expand the ways we serve the community year-round and are enhancing our scholarships for Tigard and Tualatin Schools as one way of giving back.