Steve & Kate's Camp
Citizens of the World Charter School West Valley, 601 Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94110
About
Steve & Kate's Camp is a summer camp program where campers choose their own activities and plan their own days. Throughout the day, campers spend their time designing, building, creating, playing, eating, and clowning on their own schedule. Meals and snacks are included, and all camp hours from 8am–6pm are part of an all-inclusive rate with no additional surprise fees.
• Ages: 4–13 years old
• Schedule: Long camp hours, 8am–6pm, included in the camp fee
Way back in 1980 in Mill Valley, California, Steve and Kate started the camp as a response to traditional camps where kids participated in activities based on age rather than interests and parents paid non-refundable fees. The camp’s summer program is for children entering PreK through 7th grade, and it generally accepts children aged 4 to 13 years old, with the requirement that all campers are fully toilet trained, able to speak up for their needs, and able to get through the camp day without a nap. Camp is for kids ages 4–12 for both summer and holiday camps, with some states having slightly higher age requirements, and if a camper turns 14 while attending summer camp, they may finish out the summer.
Parents can buy any number of day passes, attend camp any time, and get automatic full refunds for any unused purchased Day Passes at summer’s end, with no processing fees on refunds. Parents can also buy any number of days to use whenever and wherever they’d like throughout the summer, or buy a Summer Pass for unlimited use, and if a Summer Pass is underused, the difference compared to the daily rate is automatically refunded. Drop-off and pick-up can occur whenever parents want during camp hours, and all-inclusive rates cover all camp hours from 8am–6pm, snacks and lunch, and any activities that interest the child.
The camp’s mission states that campers choose their own activities and plan their own days, and that this approach has been in place since 1980. The mission also states that when kids are empowered to make their own choices and be their own bosses, they discover new reserves of confidence, resiliency, and creativity, and that the camp’s work is about showing them what can be done while celebrating the individual and enabling campers to express themselves freely as staff cheer them on. Steve & Kate’s Camp was created as a response to traditional camps where kids were grouped by age instead of interests and parents paid non-refundable fees.
Steve & Kate no longer work with the organization, but their vision is carried out through the VPs, Kevin and Mike, who together have 55 years of Steve & Kate’s work experience, including 47 years alongside the founders. Mike started as a counselor at Steve & Kate’s in 1998 and has been with the camp ever since, and he keeps the vision alive for new generations of campers, including his own children. Kevin is a former Steve & Kate’s camper who became an operations specialist for the camp. Steve & Kate’s Camp has more than 70 locations according to the About page, and another source notes that the camp has more than 90 locations.
The camp also offers mentorship programs for children aged 14 and 15, with availability that may vary by location. All campers must be fully toilet trained, able to speak up for their needs, and able to get through the camp day without a nap.
Testimonials describe the camp in various ways. Andrew Stanton, Director of WALL-E, Finding Nemo, and Finding Dory, says that children at Steve & Kate's “blossom and discover a freedom of identity” and that “kids find their thumbprint at Steve & Kate's.” Apple’s Hot News states, “If kids ruled the world, it might look something like Steve and Kate’s Camp.” Variety magazine notes that Steve and Kate’s Camp did not set out to cater to the children of people at Pixar and Industrial Light & Magic, but that “given their philosophy, it’s no surprise so many attend.” The Washington Post describes Steve and Kate’s Camp as “a blend of that traditional camp experience combined with a modern, tech-savvy touch” with a “laid-back aura true to its California roots” and “Silicon Valley-inspired innovative approaches to everything from programming to payment.” The Chicago Tribune states, “Working parents’ worries dissipate as they contemplate Steve & Kate’s model.”
Last updated April 30, 2026.
• Ages: 4–13 years old
• Schedule: Long camp hours, 8am–6pm, included in the camp fee
Way back in 1980 in Mill Valley, California, Steve and Kate started the camp as a response to traditional camps where kids participated in activities based on age rather than interests and parents paid non-refundable fees. The camp’s summer program is for children entering PreK through 7th grade, and it generally accepts children aged 4 to 13 years old, with the requirement that all campers are fully toilet trained, able to speak up for their needs, and able to get through the camp day without a nap. Camp is for kids ages 4–12 for both summer and holiday camps, with some states having slightly higher age requirements, and if a camper turns 14 while attending summer camp, they may finish out the summer.
Parents can buy any number of day passes, attend camp any time, and get automatic full refunds for any unused purchased Day Passes at summer’s end, with no processing fees on refunds. Parents can also buy any number of days to use whenever and wherever they’d like throughout the summer, or buy a Summer Pass for unlimited use, and if a Summer Pass is underused, the difference compared to the daily rate is automatically refunded. Drop-off and pick-up can occur whenever parents want during camp hours, and all-inclusive rates cover all camp hours from 8am–6pm, snacks and lunch, and any activities that interest the child.
The camp’s mission states that campers choose their own activities and plan their own days, and that this approach has been in place since 1980. The mission also states that when kids are empowered to make their own choices and be their own bosses, they discover new reserves of confidence, resiliency, and creativity, and that the camp’s work is about showing them what can be done while celebrating the individual and enabling campers to express themselves freely as staff cheer them on. Steve & Kate’s Camp was created as a response to traditional camps where kids were grouped by age instead of interests and parents paid non-refundable fees.
Steve & Kate no longer work with the organization, but their vision is carried out through the VPs, Kevin and Mike, who together have 55 years of Steve & Kate’s work experience, including 47 years alongside the founders. Mike started as a counselor at Steve & Kate’s in 1998 and has been with the camp ever since, and he keeps the vision alive for new generations of campers, including his own children. Kevin is a former Steve & Kate’s camper who became an operations specialist for the camp. Steve & Kate’s Camp has more than 70 locations according to the About page, and another source notes that the camp has more than 90 locations.
The camp also offers mentorship programs for children aged 14 and 15, with availability that may vary by location. All campers must be fully toilet trained, able to speak up for their needs, and able to get through the camp day without a nap.
Testimonials describe the camp in various ways. Andrew Stanton, Director of WALL-E, Finding Nemo, and Finding Dory, says that children at Steve & Kate's “blossom and discover a freedom of identity” and that “kids find their thumbprint at Steve & Kate's.” Apple’s Hot News states, “If kids ruled the world, it might look something like Steve and Kate’s Camp.” Variety magazine notes that Steve and Kate’s Camp did not set out to cater to the children of people at Pixar and Industrial Light & Magic, but that “given their philosophy, it’s no surprise so many attend.” The Washington Post describes Steve and Kate’s Camp as “a blend of that traditional camp experience combined with a modern, tech-savvy touch” with a “laid-back aura true to its California roots” and “Silicon Valley-inspired innovative approaches to everything from programming to payment.” The Chicago Tribune states, “Working parents’ worries dissipate as they contemplate Steve & Kate’s model.”
Last updated April 30, 2026.