We’ve been very lucky to partner with Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond, a leader in thriving research, as we re-envisioned Camp Fire’s definition of thriving. Dr. Darling-Hammond puts “overlooked and underserved” young people at the center of her work, an approach… Read More >

Young people are craving deep, real connections with people who see them as they are. This was the driver for our new mission statement, and also why we were so excited to discover this remarkable new report, “A Call to… Read More >

Like we’ve talked about on the blog before, Camp Fire is actively and intentionally becoming an equity-focused organization. All of our five 18-month goals are directly related to equity. Why? Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but… Read More >

In 2019, Camp Fire held a series of focus groups with a diverse range of councils to dive into what experiences they were providing and what impact their programs were making. With the help of Algorhythm, an expert in youth… Read More >

You know Camp Fire’s mission is to help kids and teens find their sparks right now. But we also know that giving youth the tools to thrive today means they’ll keep on thriving tomorrow. So, we want to take a… Read More >

On a gut-level, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) makes total sense. We know young people need whole-life tools to thrive. But what does the research say? In short, Social-Emotional Learning works. Here’s a run-down of some leading studies tracking social-emotional learning outcomes… Read More >

We’ve spent some time on the blog this year helping connect the dots between Camp Fire’s long legacy of leadership and the movements happening in the wider youth development world. You may remember our post about how Positive Youth Development… Read More >

Written by Haley Jacobs, Graduating Social Work Intern with Camp Fire Heartland in Kansas City, Mo. I will be honest, before starting at Camp Fire, I never thought I would be working with children. I had watched my mother and… Read More >

Reflection isn’t a one-and-done kind of thing. You don’t take a “how-to-reflect lesson” and call it good. Reflection is a skill that grows over time with regular practice until it becomes an unbreakable habit. This critical life skill can be… Read More >