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Our History

The North Shore Country Day School was founded in 1919 by a group of parents who wanted to provide their children with the quality of education found in eastern boarding schools. The school still serves the parents' original mission: to provide high-quality, coeducational, college preparatory education. Perry Dunlap Smith, chosen as the School's first headmaster, believed that North Shore Country Day School should not be a substitute for the family, but an extension of it, in helping children reach their full potential.

North Shore Provides an academically rigorous environment based on the premise that the most effective and comprehensive learning takes place in small classes with a first-rate faculty. The School has over 500 students in Junior Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade.

Summer Program History

In the late 1940's North Shore Country Day School offered the use of its facilities during the summer months to the McKinney Camp. Mac McCarty, employed by the School, was also the Director of the McKinney Camp. The experience of operating a camp on the School's campus led Mr. McCarty to propose the idea of the School having its own day camp. The School could provide use of its facilities to neighborhood families and offer children a safe and fun summer experience.

Over the decades the day camp grew with introduction of transportation and daily swim lessons. In the late 1980's, the day camp population grew to more than 600 campers. The 90's saw significant growth in the School's summer programs. With an emphasis on offering new programs that featured North Shore faculty members. In 1994 a Language Immersion Program was added. The Language Program offered children ages 4-10 an opportunity to learn Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. Instruction integrated content and communication skills. The Expedition Camp was introduced in 1998 with the goal of teaching middle schoolers boating skills or outdoor living skills.

The North Shore Country Day School's summer programs are located on the school's spacious sixteen-acre campus. The summer programs offer transportation for campers located within a designated travel area. This area includes Evanston to Glencoe, and as far west as Waukegan Road in Glenview. The summer programs use the school's many facilities to ensure all children have a fun, safe and diverse experience.