Everywhere we go, people want to know, who we are, so we tell them...
This site is dedicated to those who once called Clara Barton Camp or Camp Joslin their summer home.
Our volunteer-run site aims to keep the spirit of the camp alive while sharing information across generations. Please note that this site is independent of The Barton Center; it serves as a space for alumni to reconnect, share memories, and stay updated on current happenings at camp.
Revisit familiar faces, relive old stories, and discover new ways to support the places that shaped so many of our lives.
A LETTER TO THE BARTON COMMUNITY FROM SAVANNAH JOHNSON
At Alumni Weekend last fall, I came across a Night Watch journal entry I had written in 2010: “I’m scared for when the year comes when I won’t be able to work at camp anymore… because I need this place and all the love, laughter, and magic that comes with it. The spirit and essence of it runs through my veins, and I am so proud to call myself a Barton girl.” Sixteen years later, those words still ring true.
Barton is not just a place I came from. It is a place that lives within me. It has influenced how I lead, how I build, and how I show up in the world. It’s where I learned to advocate for my needs, to take up space in my body and in my life as someone living with type 1 diabetes, and to understand that belonging is not just a feeling, it is a force multiplier.
I’ve carried the impact of Barton into classrooms across the world as a middle and high school teacher, into more than 50 countries through travel and youth leadership programs, and into boardrooms and investment committees where I’ve worked in private equity and impact investing to deploy capital in service of young people’s futures. Across each of these chapters, I’ve worked to build environments where kids play, learn, grow, and self-actualize—because when they do, they step into a deeper sense of self, purpose, and possibility. And now, I have the profound privilege of returning to my roots to serve as Executive Director of The Barton Center for Diabetes Education, Inc., stewarding both Clara Barton Camp and Camp Joslin, to ensure every child feels the same belonging, confidence, and possibility that have shaped my life.
Barton stands at a pivotal moment in its almost 100-year history. As childhood continues to evolve in a fast-moving, digitally connected world, intentional spaces for presence, play, and real connection have never been more important. What Barton offers has never been more relevant. At camp, kids unplug and step into a community where they are seen, known, and accepted. They build deep, lasting friendships rooted in shared experience, understanding, and joy. They don’t have to explain themselves—they can just be. And they build the kinds of skills that matter most for long-term flourishing: resilience, empathy, self-advocacy, independence, and leadership.
To meet this moment, and to ensure Barton thrives for the next 100 years, we must be bold. Future-proofing Barton requires us to both preserve the magic and evolve the model: expanding year-round programming, increasing access through innovation and partnerships, building pathways into health and youth development careers, strengthening long-term financial sustainability, and positioning Barton as a national model for health-integrated youth development.
This is the work ahead. And it is work that cannot be done without our community. The next chapter will be written by all of us. Whether through enrolling, giving, volunteering, or simply staying connected, there is a place for you in shaping Barton’s future. I hope you will join me in carrying this work forward, so that every child who comes through Barton and Joslin’s gates feels the magic that has defined this community for generations.
I have never been more proud to call myself a Barton girl. And I am deeply honored to help lead this community and organization into its next chapter.
With peace, love, and insulin,
Savannah Johnson
Executive Director
