Founded in 1948 by USC student Otis Healy, Troy Camp is an integral part of the USC community. As one of the university’s oldest and largest philanthropy organizations, we are committed to providing long-term mentorship for the youth of South Los Angeles.
Throughout the school year, we build relationships with local youth through the following programs: SMASH and SP, elementary school tutoring and extracurricular programming; Leaders in Training, a mentorship program for middle school students; and TC Leads, a high school mentorship program.
In the summer we host a week-long camp in the San Bernardino Mountains for 200 elementary school students and throughout the year we hold monthly events for returning campers at various places around Los Angeles. We're non-denominational, a nonprofit, and all of our programs are free for students.
In 1948, USC student Otis Healy founded Troy Camp, a 10-day summer camp for underprivileged boys in South Los Angeles. More than six decades have passed since that first camp, which ran with just 15 counselors and 45 campers.
Camp traditions are passed down from generation to generation, each adding a little of their own unique spirit to the story of Troy Camp. We've expanded our reach and added many new programs over the years, and today we're the largest student-run philanthropy on campus, committed to working with elementary, middle, and high school students year-round.