About Our Camp

A summer camp for teens & young women with Turner Syndrome

The National Turner Syndrome Camp (NTS Camp) is a one-week overnight residential camp for teens and young women with Turner Syndrome. Our unique camp provides a safe, comfortable environment for our campers, ages 12-20, to have fun, form life-long friendships, gain confidence, and realize their potential. 

Each year, our camp takes place on a college campus in California, providing our campers with a college dorm experience. Since 1994, NTS Camp has been providing teens and young women with Turner Syndrome the opportunity to connect with their peers, learn valuable skills, discover a support network of professionals and nurturing role models, and create enduring memories.

Our campers discover the arts, try new experiences, and gain lifelong friends and positive role models in a safe and supportive environment.

Camp Life

A Week To Remember

Our one-week sleepaway camp provides campers with the opportunity to form friendships, try new things, and experience dorm life. Our counselors are camp alumnae and we have registered nurses (RNs) on-site.

A typical day:

  • 7:00am: Wake Up

  • 8:00am: Breakfast

  • 9:00am: Theatre

  • 10:30am: Crafts

  • Noon: Lunch

  • 1:45pm: Museum trip

  • 5:30pm: Dinner

  • 6:30pm: Mocktail and DJ dance party

  • 9:00pm: Meds

  • 9:30pm: Group chat with counselors

  • 10:00pm: Dorm time and bed

Programs & Activities

Each camp has a mix of new and returning campers. Our programming features slightly different activities and excursions each year to keep the camp fun for both new and returning campers.

Each year includes:

  • Beach days and campus pool time

  • Performing arts workshops

  • Horseback riding at Potrero Ranch

  • Excursions to live theater in Hollywood

  • Counselor-led group chats

  • Presentations by medical experts

  • Arts and crafts

For information on the upcoming camp’s program, visit our enrollment page.

Health & Nutrition

The health and safety of our campers is our top priority. We work closely with each camper’s parents or guardians before arrival at camp to understand the camper’s medical seeds. Our RNs with endocrinology expertise provide routine medical care. They supervise and/or administer growth hormone and all other medication, as prescribed by each camper’s physicians and their parents.

We eat most meals on campus at Pepperdine with occasional meals catered. Past highlights include taco night and our annual pizza party! Please let us know about any dietary restrictions. Water is always available to ensure the girls stay hydrated. Don’t forget your water bottle!

Our Leadership Team

  • Beverly Daley, PhD, LCSW

    PRESIDENT

    Beverly has a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Southern California and is on the Interdisciplinary Team, Intensive Care Unit at UCLA Health. She founded National Turner Syndrome Camp (NTSC) in 1994, inspired by her work with teens at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

  • Peggy Polinsky, MSW, PhD

    SECRETARY

    Peggy has over thirty years of experience in social science research and evaluation, including projects in family strengthening, program model implementation and fidelity, and quality of life. She has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and since her retirement, has contributed much of her time as secretary and evaluator for The National Turner Syndrome Camp, Inc. She presented findings on the 2016 camp evaluation at the IX International Turner Syndrome Conference in Cancun, Mexico. Peggy has a PhD from the University of Southern California and a Masters in Science from Columbia University, both in social work.

  • Jackie Rodriguez, MBA

    TREASURER

    Jackie is an experienced financial and business operations leader with over 20 years of extensive experience in higher education, providing strategic leadership in human resources, financial and budgetary management, and oversight for administrative/business operations. Jackie is a parent of a current NTSC camper. She currently serves as the Senior Director, Finance and Business Operations for the Chancellor, Provost, & Health, Well-Being, & Safety organizations at the University of California, Riverside. She earned her MBA at Cal State Long Beach, in Long Beach, California and her bachelor’s degree in English Literature at UC Riverside, in Riverside California.

  • Cecile Falk, Ph.D.

    DIRECTOR

    Cecile is a clinical psychologist with over forty years of experience. She specializes in working with children and families. In addition to her private practice, she was a supervisor of Marriage Family Therapist trainees and she consults with early childhood and daycare facilities. Cecile is currently The Chair of The Board of Directors for a local Graduate School offering a doctoral degree in child psychotherapy and child psychology.

  • Joanne McLaughlin

    DIRECTOR

    A certified horticulturist, Joanne served on a previous board of directors, receiving a certificate of outstanding service from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Joanne is passionate about serving on the National Turner Syndrome Camp board of directors and plans to concentrate on increasing fundraising and grants for scholarships. As a mother to three children, Joanne’s middle daughter is a current NTSC camper. Originally from Perth, Australia, Joanne has lived with her family nestled in the foothills of Altadena, California, for 23 years.

  • Jessica Nevin, Ph.D.

    DIRECTOR

    Jessica is a research supervisor with the State of California. She has been a counselor at Camp since 2005 and is delighted to be part of camp in another capacity. She brings significant knowledge of the TS community, having served as Chapter Leader for the Bay Area chapter from 2004 - 2007 and attended several national conferences, in addition to her involvement with Camp. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Jessica now lives in Sacramento, California.

  • Christina Parisi, MPA

    DIRECTOR

    Christina was a NTSC counselor and art teacher for over 15 years. She works for the federal government in Washington, DC. She holds a Master of Public Administration in International Affairs from New York University and a BA in Political Science from the University of Maryland. She loves to travel, especially to Pepperdine for camp!

  • Andrea Trujillo, M.Ed.

    DIRECTOR

    Andee is a special education teacher in Washington DC. She attended camp as a teenager and as a counselor since 2001, has been an inspiration to younger girls with TS. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and a Master of Educational Administration from Concordia University, Irvine.

  • Rama Weizmann, LCSW

    DIRECTOR

    Rama, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, has worked with children and their families for over forty years. She has taught at the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Rama is now retired and devotes her considerable expertise to several worthy causes, including the National Turner Syndrome Camp.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Pepperdine University in Malibu, California

  • We have many campers from California, but also from all regions across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and beyond!

  • Between 40-55.

  • Campers who fly to camp will be picked up at the gate by a counselor. There is also an option to drop your camper off directly at camp.

  • The camp director will be available by email and, in emergencies, by phone.

  • Possibly! Please contact Beverlyd4tscamp@outlook.com to see if there is still space available.

  • Your camper can bring her phone and other electronic devices to camp for use during travel. Once at camp, the counselors collect and carefully label all devices that are able to connect to cell service or wifi. This to ensure that your daughter is able to fully immerse herself in camp and focus on making connections with her fellow campers. If a parent or guardian needs to connect with their child during an emergency, please contact the camp directors.

  • We will post regularly on Facebook and Instagram. If you need to reach your camper during an emergency, please let us know.