In 2002, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a request from The Erickson Foundation to lease 97 or 2,200 acres within Elk Neck State Park. The Erickson Foundation's construction of a $35 million dollar facility on a half a mile of Chesapeake Bay waterfront launched an unprecedented private/public partnership with both the Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland State Department of Education. This agreement allowed NorthBay to integrate a phenomenal site with innovative education where children connect the outdoors to character choices in their lives. With this mission at the forefront, the dream came to fruition when NorthBay Summer Camp for kids opened its doors in the summer of 2005.