All boys. All boarding. Grades 9-12.
Woodberry Compass Details and Registration
Woodberry Compass
Woodberry Compass runs Saturday, June 14 - Saturday, June 21, 2025
Campers
Campers
Rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders
Camp Description
Full-time Woodberry faculty members—innovative and exciting teachers—will lead participants through experiences that connect them to nature, to their peers, and to the wider world.
Our counselors are exclusively young Woodberry alumni and high-performing seniors known for their deep engagement and leadership ability. These young men of character will guide campers through their time at Compass, showing them what it means to lead with empathy and honor.
Your son will:
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Learn about watershed ecosystems while fly-fishing.
- Work with a team to create solutions to epic design problems.
- Develop his approach to leadership and decide what kind of impact he’d like to have on his community back home.
Woodberry Compass asks middle school boys to dive deep into new challenges on our picturesque 1,200-acre Virginia campus.
Each day, campers take on two main activities, one from the Adventure category and one from the Intellect category. In the morning, they'll either hike the Perimeter Trail, romp in the Rapidan River, or scale our Climbing Tower. After lunch, boys will work in teams as they learn to code and fly drones through obstacle courses, and explore video journalism as they write, film, and edit their own vlog about their camp experience.
In the evening, the whole camp comes together for a Leadership Simulation. Boys immerse themselves in roles that interact—and sometimes conflict—with one another. With help from counselors and camp faculty, they'll learn how to work together to overcome these conflicts and accomplish team goals.
Each day, campers take on two main activities, one from the Adventure category and one from the Intellect category. In the morning, they'll either hike the Perimeter Trail, romp in the Rapidan River, or scale our Climbing Tower. After lunch, boys will work in teams as they learn to code and fly drones through obstacle courses, and explore video journalism as they write, film, and edit their own vlog about their camp experience.
In the evening, the whole camp comes together for a Leadership Simulation. Boys immerse themselves in roles that interact—and sometimes conflict—with one another. With help from counselors and camp faculty, they'll learn how to work together to overcome these conflicts and accomplish team goals.
Sample Daily Schedule
7:30 Wake up
8:00 Breakfast
8:30 Camp meeting
9:00 Intellect course: learn to build bridges and make modifications to successfully adapt to different scenarios.
10:30 Leadership development- low ropes course challenge
12:00 Lunch
12:45 Time together at the outdoor pool
2:30 Adventure course: scale the climbing tower on campus
4:30 Hobby time: examples include playing chess and Magic the Gathering, learning how to tie flies.
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Camp wide game: capture the flag, capture the counselor, amoeba tag
9:45 Showers and time to wind down
10:15 Lights out
What to Bring
List of 4 items.
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Clothing & Toiletries
- Shampoo and soap
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Towel(s)
- Socks and underwear for seven days
- Shorts (including athletic shorts)
- T-shirts
- Sturdy shoes for walking and running
- One pair of long pants for hiking
- Swimsuit
- Closed-toed shoes that can be worn in water
- A light rain jacket
- A baseball hat
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Misc Items
- A beach towel
- Sunglasses
- Reusable water bottle
- Sunblock
- Insect repellant
- Masks
- Bed linens (twin bed)
- Blanket or sleeping bag
- Pillow
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Devices
Students will be able to use iPhones or iPads for the intellect courses. Devices will be collected and stored safely when they are not being used for courses. -
Fir Tree Money
Campers will have access to the Fir Tree in the evenings. Fir Tree snacks are optional and are not included in the Compass fees. If your son would like Fir Tree snacks, please send money with him.
Sending Letters
Camper's Name
Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Compass Program
148 Woodberry Station
Woodberry Forest, VA 22989
Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Compass Program
148 Woodberry Station
Woodberry Forest, VA 22989
Sending Packages
Camper's Name and Team
Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Compass Program
Woodberry Compass Program
898 Woodberry Forest Road
Woodberry Forest VA 22989
Contact
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Janet Lewis
Director
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Mark O'Donnell
An innovative educator and coach passionate about the outdoors. With twenty-seven years of experience, he leads Compass Camp participants in connecting with nature, their peers, and the wider world. Mark's coaching expertise enriches the camp experience, instilling teamwork and leadership skills. A group of handpicked alumni and seniors serve as counselors, guiding campers and exemplifying leadership with empathy and honor. Mark is known for his tendency to intellectually challenge students, creating an environment where every voice feels welcomed and stimulating new ideas. Together, the camp, matched with his personality, has proven to be transformative in the growth of many young men.
Woodberry Forest School is an exceptional private school community for high school boys in grades nine through twelve. It is one of the top boarding schools in the United States and one of the only all-boys, all-boarding schools in the country.
Explore & Resources
Woodberry Forest admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, and national or ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs. The school is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.