About Us
The Company
NKC provides kids of the Ottawa area with an outstanding camp experience.
After outstanding success with National Tennis School summer camps, Geoff and Leeorah Pearce decided to expand their company outside of the tennis community. They started with the idea of a Survivor themed camp. This idea grew to become National Kids Camps that offers several different camps in multiple locations through Ottawa and Quebec!
In partnership with Camp Fortune, they were able to bring a new level of camp experience for children in the Ottawa area. This partnership has given kids of the Ottawa area a chance to explore the outdoors in a comfortable day camp atmosphere.
COMPANY AWARDS
NTS in 1998 was awarded Top Ten businesses of the year by the Ottawa-Carleton Entrepreneurship Center.
OUR ALLIANCES WITHIN THE INDUSTRY
A large part of our success has come from our strong partnerships with our key sponsors (Kundstat Sports and Head) and our partnerships with the Ottawa Carleton Catholic School Board, Camp Fortune and Mont Ste Marie. Due to our partnerships, NKC exposure has increased due to the mass marketing of our programs to thousands of people across the Ottawa-Carleton region.
OUR POSITION WITHIN THE INDUSTRY
NKC is an established widely recognized kids camp company within Ottawa. Our goal is to maintain this position while helping children, working adults, and the general community, establish healthy living.
We help people enjoy an active life by teaching them tennis, sailing, outdoor skills as well as promoting education in a positive and exciting atmosphere.
OUR SERVICES
Summer Programs
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Summer Camps (Go Girl, Survivor, Amazing Race, Sail and Serve)
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Camps at Mont Ste Marie (Survivor and Mountain Bike)
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March Break Camps (Survivor, Tennis, Go Girl)
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Birthday Parties
Our Management
Geoff Pearce, President
Geoff Pearce has been involved in the field of tennis in Canada, and US, for over 25 years. He began playing tennis when he was 10 years old, reaching the national level of competition at the tender age of 12, and becoming one of the top juniors in the country in both singles and doubles throughout his junior career. After receiving a tennis scholarship to the University of Akron, Ohio (NCAA Div. I), Geoff went on to become the Tennis Team Captain and also one of the top players in university history. Mr. Pearce was also a Dean’s List recipient. Geoff started his business at the ripe age of 15. His entrepreneurial spirit and natural marketing/business sense, as well as his ease in internal and external business communications, has helped him develop his business from a one-club management team to a dozen+ clubs in Canada and the US.
Today, Geoff Pearce is a leader in Ottawa both in Tennis and in Business. His support staff of 25 team members: manage the tennis services for a dozen clubs; run most of the tennis programs for the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Carleton Catholic School Board; coordinates one of Canada’s largest school tennis programs (since 1994 over 65,000 children have been taught tennis); and organizes tournaments, fundraisers, and corporate events throughout the city.
Most recently, Geoff helped open the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa – Tennis Centre. Located in Phoenix, it is Arizona’s largest luxury resort. The resort features eight premier hard courts and a full-service, 2000-square-foot pro shop and lounge. As the Head Pro his duties included: setting up new adult/junior lessons and social tennis programs; ordering merchandise; operating the facility; working the desk, and training staff.
Leeorah Pearce, CEO
Leeorah Pearce joined NTS part time in 1994, after a successful career as a High Tech Sr. Account/Business Manager.
Leeorah Pearce has extensive experience in business development, negotiations, accounting, and customer relationships. She single-handedly increased revenue by millions, expanded account base, and maintained customer accounts within the Federal Government and private sector, with customer satisfaction in mind.
Leeorah excels in developing, building, and maintaining relationships. “By delivering a high level of service to my customers, I am able to support current customers, develop new territories, and initiate and penetrate new accounts. I possess effective people skills working well in a team environment, both in leading and in participating.”
Leeorah is insistent that when you join NTS/NKC, you become part of our family, and she works tirelessly to ensure that you feel supported and loved as family should. If you ever need something to make this summer spectacular, she eagerly wants to know!
Our Mission
We strive to facilitate the safest, most dynamic, and most enjoyable camp experiences that can be found anywhere.
Succeeding in our mission is only possible because we hire the best staff on the planet. We strive to create enriching and unique volunteer and employment opportunities where our team feels like a family and everyone is supported in their efforts to make camp an amazing place to be.
No matter who you are, where you come from, or what needs you may have, our camps are places where you can be yourself, make new friends, and learn new things.
Our Values
Safety
Nothing matters more to us than the trust parents and guardians put in us to keep their kids safe. We prioritize the safety of campers and staff above all else.
Respect
We build our teams and programs on respect for each other, the games we play, the facilities we use, the communities we share, and the lands we are privileged to explore.
Inclusion
We strive to protect the dignity and safety of all campers and staff — in particular, those who experience various forms of systemic oppression. Our camps are anti-racist, anti-ableist, and affirming of gender and sexual diversity.
Collaboration
There is no “I” in our team! We work together and understand that we’re at our best when everyone’s gifts are being shared, and we infuse these values into our camps and programming.
Empowerment
We are open and honest, striving to empower our staff to create spectacular camp experiences. We recognize and celebrate creativity, initiative, and growth. We’re committed to helping you become your best self.
Joy
Joy, for campers and staff alike, is the product we constantly strive to create, maintain, and protect. We do our best work when we are having fun!
Our Expectations
Show Up
When it comes to camp, if you’re on time, you’re probably late! Be ready to spring into action when your day is supposed to start; come prepared to contribute!
Take Care of Yourself
We don’t hire “talent”; we hire human beings! Part of taking care of yourself involves letting us know if there is anything you need. Please communicate with each other, too, to share the load when you need a moment.
Show Initiative
We hired you for a reason; we trust you to do a great job! If you see kids who need to be engaged, take the initiative and engage them! If you’re not sure whether something is okay, check with your team and then go do great things!
Communicate
For camp to operate properly and safely, your team of staff needs to be on the same page. You should always know where each other is. We also need you to communicate with management; we can’t help you solve problems that we don’t know exist, and we’re here to help!
Be Present
Life can be distracting and we know that you have lives outside of camp that are often complicated, exciting, or messy; we ask you to try to be present when you’re at work. Kids can tell when you’re not paying attention, and we have a huge responsibility to keep our campers engaged and safe. Personal use of phones is not permitted while at work.
Connect With Your Campers
Each of you will have your own way of connecting with campers. Whether you’re louder, quieter, or somewhere in between, create and maintain those lasting connections that can shape someone’s experience!