FOCUS Summer Programs
FOCUS Study Center, Martha’s Vineyard, 450 Lamberts Cove Rd, Vineyard Haven, MA 2568
About
FOCUS Summer Programs include activities such as a chartered sail, bike ride across the island, beach trips, group activities in the morning, time in town, mini-golf, sailing on a famous topsail schooner, exploring the cliffs of Aquinnah, and water activities. Some sessions include visiting Charleston, fun activities with community building experiences, serving others, discussions about service, faith, and community, instruction in practical tasks, and training in principles of leadership. Certain programs involve spending a week helping staff prepare the facility for the summer, engaging in talks and discussions about how to be a person of faith in the college context, real-world elements of work, Christian studies, and life together in community.
• Ages: 11–18 years old
• Price: $1,350 for Middle School Adventure (A & B); $1,350 for Crossroads (A & B); $1,250 for Upper School Weeks; $1,350 for Kiawah Island Week; $2,450 for Internship; $1,050 for Vineyard Service (A & B); $550 for Pre-College Weekend; $800 for First-Time Leader (I, II, & III); $600 for College Week; Vineyard Staff for undergraduates at no cost; A First-Time Discount of $75 is available for students attending their first FOCUS Summer Program.
FOCUS Summer Programs are part of FOCUS, whose mission is to explore with independent school students a life of faith that is real, adventurous, intellectually sound, and eminently practical. The FOCUS leadership team includes Dan Walker, FOCUS Executive Director. The roots of FOCUS go back to the 1960s, including the first FOCUS house party in June 1961 in the Adirondacks, the first Winter House Party in 1963 at Gray Ledges in New Hampshire, and camps in Pawling, NY from 1965 to 1976. Outreach on Martha’s Vineyard took place in 1970–1971 in a rented house, and in 1971 FOCUS was formally established as the Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools. In 1973, land with two rustic buildings on Lambert’s Cove Road on Martha’s Vineyard was donated to FOCUS and became the FOCUS Study Center.
FOCUS National Ministry hosts 21 National Programs for students, including 18 Summer Programs and three Fall Weekend events, and provides centralized support for area staff and volunteers in their year-round work with students. FOCUS has ten Local Area Ministries and offers 19 National Programs each year. FOCUS staff members often help schools with coaching, visit schools to support students in clubs, plays, or musical events, guide discussions in on-campus small groups such as a Bible study or a fellowship meeting, and may be invited to speak at assemblies, chapels, or in class. Many areas host regular meetings in a family’s home for fun and food, followed by a simple talk or Bible discussion.
The programs include Service and Specialty Programs, and admission to Internship, Vineyard Service, First-Time Leader, and Vineyard Staff programs is by application only. Vineyard Staff is a five-week discipleship program combining work, Christian studies, and community life, and College Week allows undergraduates to help prepare the facility for the summer. A packing list is provided under More Info, along with Vineyard Information, Vineyard Details, Registration Details, Follow-up Forms, Facilities Info, and Contact Us.
Students and supporters describe their experiences with FOCUS in several ways. Caroline from Bryn Mawr School ’22 says that FOCUS taught her that growing in her relationship with Christ should not be a personal struggle, but a journey with friends, mentors, and peers. Sarah Smith, 17, says that FOCUS is a place where she can be herself and that she has had the opportunity to explore more about God and what she believes. Graham and Chloe (Downe) Wells describe the FOCUS experience as including weekly meetings, weekend events, ski trips, and a change of scenery during the summer on Martha’s Vineyard, and say they will continue to support FOCUS to help it fulfill its mission. Marshall Findlay says he supports FOCUS because its staff cares that students would learn about Jesus and walk with Him their entire lives, and he is grateful for staff and volunteers who invested in him from middle school through college. Daphne Anthos says that throughout middle and high school, FOCUS had a major impact on her faith by providing mentors and friends around the country who continue to ask her tough questions, and she gives monthly because she supports the mission of FOCUS and its staff.
Last updated January 28, 2026.
• Ages: 11–18 years old
• Price: $1,350 for Middle School Adventure (A & B); $1,350 for Crossroads (A & B); $1,250 for Upper School Weeks; $1,350 for Kiawah Island Week; $2,450 for Internship; $1,050 for Vineyard Service (A & B); $550 for Pre-College Weekend; $800 for First-Time Leader (I, II, & III); $600 for College Week; Vineyard Staff for undergraduates at no cost; A First-Time Discount of $75 is available for students attending their first FOCUS Summer Program.
FOCUS Summer Programs are part of FOCUS, whose mission is to explore with independent school students a life of faith that is real, adventurous, intellectually sound, and eminently practical. The FOCUS leadership team includes Dan Walker, FOCUS Executive Director. The roots of FOCUS go back to the 1960s, including the first FOCUS house party in June 1961 in the Adirondacks, the first Winter House Party in 1963 at Gray Ledges in New Hampshire, and camps in Pawling, NY from 1965 to 1976. Outreach on Martha’s Vineyard took place in 1970–1971 in a rented house, and in 1971 FOCUS was formally established as the Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools. In 1973, land with two rustic buildings on Lambert’s Cove Road on Martha’s Vineyard was donated to FOCUS and became the FOCUS Study Center.
FOCUS National Ministry hosts 21 National Programs for students, including 18 Summer Programs and three Fall Weekend events, and provides centralized support for area staff and volunteers in their year-round work with students. FOCUS has ten Local Area Ministries and offers 19 National Programs each year. FOCUS staff members often help schools with coaching, visit schools to support students in clubs, plays, or musical events, guide discussions in on-campus small groups such as a Bible study or a fellowship meeting, and may be invited to speak at assemblies, chapels, or in class. Many areas host regular meetings in a family’s home for fun and food, followed by a simple talk or Bible discussion.
The programs include Service and Specialty Programs, and admission to Internship, Vineyard Service, First-Time Leader, and Vineyard Staff programs is by application only. Vineyard Staff is a five-week discipleship program combining work, Christian studies, and community life, and College Week allows undergraduates to help prepare the facility for the summer. A packing list is provided under More Info, along with Vineyard Information, Vineyard Details, Registration Details, Follow-up Forms, Facilities Info, and Contact Us.
Students and supporters describe their experiences with FOCUS in several ways. Caroline from Bryn Mawr School ’22 says that FOCUS taught her that growing in her relationship with Christ should not be a personal struggle, but a journey with friends, mentors, and peers. Sarah Smith, 17, says that FOCUS is a place where she can be herself and that she has had the opportunity to explore more about God and what she believes. Graham and Chloe (Downe) Wells describe the FOCUS experience as including weekly meetings, weekend events, ski trips, and a change of scenery during the summer on Martha’s Vineyard, and say they will continue to support FOCUS to help it fulfill its mission. Marshall Findlay says he supports FOCUS because its staff cares that students would learn about Jesus and walk with Him their entire lives, and he is grateful for staff and volunteers who invested in him from middle school through college. Daphne Anthos says that throughout middle and high school, FOCUS had a major impact on her faith by providing mentors and friends around the country who continue to ask her tough questions, and she gives monthly because she supports the mission of FOCUS and its staff.
Last updated January 28, 2026.
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