MYVATA History
Our roots run deep throughout the Mon Valley and beyond.
Shortly before the First World War, the Girl Scouts of America was formed, and a small town in Pennsylvania, just 20 miles south of Pittsburgh, started its very own chapter.
The Donora Girl Scouts was formed in the 1920s under the direction of Viola Cox and was active until 1963, when the organization was changed to the Camp Fire Girls.
In 1970, it became Camp Fire Boys and Girls. We separated from this national organization in 1994 and reincorporated under our current moniker, Mon Valley Youth and Teen Association, under the direction of our founder, Judy Stepoli.
Now, 30 years later, MVYATA continues to build on our long history of positively impacting our communities and works tirelessly to ensure better lives for the youth and teens we serve through our programs and outreach.
Camp Watakamini History
In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established by President Franklin Roosevelt.
Pennsylvania had the second most camps in the US, with 151 camps! One of those camps, Camp Blue Hole #98, located on Fall Run Road in Middlecreek Township, Somerset County, served as the base camp for logging and other activities. These groups of men, fondly known as “Roosevelt’s Tree Army,” were responsible for planting more than 3 billion trees and constructing trails and shelters in over 800 nationwide parks within the nine years of the CCC’s existence.
The Blue Hole Camp disbanded in 1937, and the Donora Lion’s Club used the camp until 1964.
Afterward, the facilities often hosted local youth groups, including Girl and Boy Scouts of America and Mon Valley Camp Fire Groups, and became what would be known as Camp Watakamini.
1976 brought a drastic change to Camp Watakamini.
Due to the deterioration of the decades-old structures, all buildings except one were sold by the state, dismantled, and the lumber sold at auction. The surviving building, The Forester’s Cabin, is the original log cabin built in 1933 and used by the commanding officer of the CCC. This much-beloved cabin is still used today to support Mon Valley Youth and Teen Association for weekend group camping, staff training, and day visits by resident Camp Watakimini campers.
Since 1980, MVYATA has rented Group Camp 8 in Laurel Hill State Park for our annual resident camp.
Not ones to break tradition, Group Camp 8 is also one of the earliest established and began construction by the CCC in July of 1935. Resident Camp Watakamini has been held for over 75 consecutive years, with only a brief pause for the pandemic in 2020.
MVYATA camp programs have enriched the lives of thousands of children and families in the decades since our organization evolved from a local Girl Scouts chapter to a growing community support organization. Camp Watakamini continues to be a resource to teach children about the wonders of nature, responsibility to self and others, and to create friendships to last a lifetime.
