2020-2021 People & Impact Report | Camp Fire

We are proud to share Camp Fire’s 2020-2021 People & Impact Report! This is one of our eight organizational core values. The purpose of our annual People & Impact report is to show you what that means in action. Though we’ve remained in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-2021 school year was a […]

CAMPER 2.0: Increasing Camp Accessibility for Historically Excluded Groups of Young People

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 12, 2022 Kansas City, Mo. –  Three years after launching CAMPER: Camp Accessibility, Meaningful Participation, and Equal Representation in 2019, national inclusive youth development organization Camp Fire will continue to expand this critical grant with a new group of overnight camps in seven states. C.A.M.P.E.R. was created to remove barriers and […]

How we moved Camp Fire forward in 2021: Part 2

  As we discussed in Part 1, and as you’re well aware, 2021 was a weird one. Was it its own year, or did 2020 just…keep…going? While the pandemic continues to warp our experience of time, 2021 snaps into focus when we look at the progress we’ve made on the five goals driving our five-year […]

How we moved Camp Fire forward in 2021: Part 1

Can you believe it? We’re staring down the last days of 2021. If you are asking yourself two simultaneous questions—Wait, I thought it was still 2020? and Shouldn’t we be in the 2030s by now?—you are not alone. It’s been a weird one, friends. Weird, hard and…good?  Meditating on shared accomplishments is an important reflection […]

Exploring Innovative Nature Engagement Practices

Camp Fire’s current strategic plan includes the commitment to “promote environmental stewardship and action.” Currently, the level of nature engagement across Camp Fire councils varies widely. Some councils have full outdoor camp facilities and incorporate nature into everything they do; other councils, especially those without dedicated outdoor facilities, often focus more on youth development and […]

Developmental Relationships—are we cultivating them?

Developmental Relationships—connections that help us learn, grow, give back and become our best selves—are fundamental to a thriving life. Research shows that young people who have strong developmental relationships are more engaged at school, have higher social-emotional learning skills and are less likely to participate in high-risk activities. We know that healthy webs of developmental […]

Advancing Equity at Camp

Inclusion has always been a value at Camp Fire, and throughout the past century, we have been learning more and more about what inclusion looks like. A big part of that journey is creating equitable opportunities for all young people at camp. Below are two articles written by Camp Fire National Headquarters staff about our […]

Using “Pulse Checks” to Empower Young People

Want to make sure the young people in your life are heard, supported and empowered? It may be time for a Pulse Check. This Camp Fire tool was developed for our own programs, but you can put its principles to use at the dinner table, on the playing field, or during your next multigenerational vacation.  […]

How Camp Fire Staff Build Youth-Driven Programs

Camp Fire is both for young people and created by young people. This isn’t just aspirational: Our commitment to youth voice is carried out in very practical ways by thousands of Camp Fire staff at the program level.  Here are a few ways that Camp Fire programs are led by young people’s plans, decisions and […]