August 12 is International Youth Day: a time to recognize the strength, creativity, and leadership of young people around the world.  We believe young people are powerful. Not someday in the future. Not when they “grow up.” Right now.   Youth not only matter for who they are, but many are

How do various staff members at camp support youth and contribute to their well-being and sense of belonging? Led by this question in the Summer of 2024, Informed Change conducted listening sessions and interviews with Camp Fire support staff from three participating overnight camps. These camps are part of the

With High-Quality Afterschool Programming  School’s back in session, which means a return to the hustle, bustle—and stress—of juggling everyone’s schedules.  Elementary school is out at 2:55.  Middle school’s final bell rings at 3:20.  Parent/Caregiver A’s workday ends at 5:00.  Parent/Caregiver B’s (if there is a Parent/Caregiver B in the home)

Camp Fire Collaborates with AT&T on Free Online Learning  School is back, baby! You’d think an organization with Camp in its name would get moody come September, but we love the smell of fresh school supplies almost as much as just-toasted S’mores.   Camp Fire affiliates all over the country promote

Even if young people can’t yet vote, they can still make a big difference this election season. And the perks of getting involved are huge! For all of us.  It’s not just learning about the issues or politics overall—by getting involved in elections young people get the opportunity to build

With People! Have you had one of those days (or weeks or years) when you look around and think, “Where is everybody?” Maybe you moved to a new place or went through a hard time or got sick. Maybe your social circles changed — or you did. Maybe you don’t

Youth voice at Camp Fire  Living out your values is never easy. One of our core Camp Fire values is, “We honor the power of young people.” To us, honoring power means sharing power through significant youth participation and decision-making.   But what does this look like in practice? We’re working

Every third Thursday in March, Camp Fire celebrates Absolutely Incredible Kid Day®, a holiday dedicated to encouraging the amazing young people in our lives. Since we founded it in 1997*, millions of people have marked #KidDay with messages to their favorite younger folks, telling them why they matter.   It’s our

We are grieving with our community, and across the U.S., the tragic death and loss of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old nonbinary student who was assaulted and beaten by fellow students at Owasso High School after weeks of bullying; Nex died the next day on February 8th. This should never have happened.  In