About Youth Development Organization | Camp Fire
Camp Fire is an innovative youth development organization since 1910. We help kids and teens thrive NOW with the life skills they need for success. Apply now.| Camp Fire
Camp Fire is an innovative youth development organization since 1910. We help kids and teens thrive NOW with the life skills they need for success. Apply now.| Camp Fire
Landmark investment will accelerate Camp Fire’s bold strategic vision for character development innovation Kansas City, MO – October 6, 2025 – Innovative youth development organization, Camp Fire National Headquarters, has secured a five-year, $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to amplify its 115-year legacy of character development, strengthening leadership and programming across 44 affiliates […] The post Lilly Endowment Inc. Awards Camp Fire National Headquarters$10 Millio...| Camp Fire
This World Mental Health Day, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the work Camp Fire is doing to support the mental, emotional, and social well-being of young people. Through purposeful and innovative partnerships with organizations like the Alliance for Camp Health, the JED Foundation, and America’s Promise Alliance, our goal is to raise the […] The post Leading the Way in Youth Mental Health: Camp Fire’s Commitment Continues appeared first on Camp Fire.| Camp Fire
Building healthier outcomes for youth through data-driven care models, trusted partnership, and inclusive, nature-based programming FISHERVILLE, KY and KANSAS CITY, MO | May 16, 2025 — The Alliance for Camp Health (ACH) and Camp Fire National Headquarters are proud to announce an expanded strategic partnership to improve youth health and well-being through evidence-based programming in […] The post Alliance for Camp Health and Camp Fire Expand Strategic Partnership to Advance Well-Being...| Camp Fire
Camp Fire, an innovative national youth development organization, and AT&T announced an expanded collaboration from a $750,000 contribution that will continue bridging the digital divide and empowering young people with essential Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills and digital literacy. This milestone collaboration comes as both organizations celebrate significant anniversaries in 2026—AT&T's 150th anniversary and Camp Fire's 116th anniversary.| Camp Fire
To: Camp Fire camp parents/caregivers From: Nikki Roe Cropp, Director, Program Effectiveness Dear current or prospective Camp Fire camp parent/caregiver: Hi! We are so excited you are thinking about or already have enrolled your child in a Camp Fire camp this summer! Safety is likely forefront of your mind as you get ready to send […]| Camp Fire
Afterschool care is an essential service that American caregivers need in order to survive and thrive. This is where Camp Fire shines. It isn’t just a buffer for busy caregivers. It’s a transformative time where kids form relationships and explore their interests in a safe, controlled space.| Camp Fire
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.| Camp Fire
National inclusive youth development organization Camp Fire is proud to announce that it has added four new members to its National Board of Trustees from across the U.S.: Tesia Zientek, Janette Kunkel, Thomas Mason, and Mel Hooper.| Camp Fire
Current research shows that our intelligence isn’t fixed – it can actually change! How? One of the keys to success in both school and life is adopting a growth mindset. Camp Fire believes it is important to help the kids and teens in our lives – and even ourselves! – believe that they have the […]| Camp Fire
Do you believe people can change? Do you think we can grow? Do you consider things like intelligence, talents and skills prizes of a random genetic lottery or qualities anybody can develop with time and tenacity? Camp Fire is built around the belief that we can boost our smarts, develop new skills (or lose them […]| Camp Fire
As we consider our past and look ahead to the future, we’re sharing the stories of five current Camp Fire staff members and leaders who also happen to be alumni. Their experiences with the organization span decades, and their unique perspectives from both sides of the coin give us a fun and insightful glimpse into what makes Camp Fire special.| Camp Fire
Join our newsletter you belong here Our 47 affiliates in 24 states provides affirming, year-round, youth-driven experiences. Invest in the adventure of self-discovery.| Camp Fire
How can we bring young people into a sense of belonging that’s rooted not in pressure or performance—but in joy and celebration? We believe joy is more than a fleeting feeling. It’s a signal that you are safe. That you are seen. That you belong. And that’s where thriving starts. And in June, as we […] The post Joy as Power: How Camp Fire Creates Spaces Where All Youth Can Belong & Thrive appeared first on Camp Fire.| Camp Fire
How do various staff members at camp support youth and contribute to their well-being and sense of belonging? We talked to CITs, camp cooks, and facilites management staff to learn their roles in camper well-being and belinging.| Camp Fire
May is Mental Health Month, a celebration that Mental Health America founded to send this message to anyone experiencing a mental health condition. Whether it’s seeking help, supporting local initiatives, practicing self-care, or advocating for legislative change—every step we take together creates a healthier, more compassionate society.| Camp Fire
Right now, American kids spend an average of just four to seven minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play — and more than seven hours a day in front of screens. By investing in outdoor access, equity, and connection, we’re not just improving individual well-being — we’re strengthening communities, culture, and systems.| Camp Fire
Nikki Roe Cropp, Director of Youth Safety & Well-being for Camp Fire National Headquarters—writing to talk about a serious and critical trending abuse risk at youth programs and K-12 schools nationwide and how you can help us mitigate this risk before sending your kiddo to camp this summer.| Camp Fire
Meet the Camp Fire Leadership team, including members of our National Board of Trustees, Senior Leadership Team, and National Youth Advisory Cabinet (YAC).| Camp Fire
One of Camp Fire’s five interwoven strategic commitments is addressing and ending cultural appropriation. In 2020, Camp Fire began working with Thrive Paradigm to identify culturally appropriative elements of its programming and recommend changes aligned with Camp Fire’s values of equity and inclusivity. In April through July of last year, Thrive Paradigm helped Camp Fire […]| Camp Fire
This year for Absolutely Incredible Kid Day®, we have a question for every single adult out there: How will you let the young people in your life know how important, unique, quirky, thoughtful, kind, creative, inquisitive, and loved they are? Not for what they do, or how they perform, but for the incredibly cool human beings that they ARE.| Camp Fire
This year for Absolutely Incredible Kid Day®, we have a question for every single adult out there: How will you let the young people in your life know how important, unique, quirky, thoughtful, kind, creative, inquisitive, and loved they are? Not for what they do, or how they perform, but for the incredibly cool human beings that they ARE.| Camp Fire
Change is one of the few constants in life, but knowing that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with—especially for young people.| Camp Fire
We are delighted to announce Shawna Rosenzweig as the new Chief Executive Officer of Camp FireNational Headquarters, effective January 1, 2025. A transformational leader with two decades of youth development experience, Shawna has been a driving force behind Camp Fire’s evolution over the past decade and is uniquely equipped to lead the organization into its next era.| Camp Fire
Discover the importance of rest during the winter season. Learn how nature slows down and conserves energy, and how you can find rest in a busy world.| Camp Fire
Acknowledgment of past mistakes is one thing. Taking active, intentional steps to repair and make amends for past and current harm is a whole other story.Since 2019, Camp Fire has been on a journey to address and end cultural appropriation within our organization. As 2024 comes to a close, we want to provide an update on the progress we’ve made and the work still to be done.| Camp Fire
If you’ve felt lonely lately, you’re not ironically not alone. We’d like to bump a low-cost anti-loneliness tool to the top of the list: Go outside. Preferably with people.| Camp Fire
As Camp Fire’s National YAC we want to say to the LGBTQ2S+ youth of Texas and Florida – young person to young person – you are magic. We stand in solidarity with you and your families and will do everything in our power to stand up for your right to be exactly who you are. […]| Camp Fire
The New Year gives us an excuse to stay up late, dance a little, and eat a lot. It also invites us to imagine what the future could hold. In the face of so many challenges—from the ongoing pandemic to the effects of climate change—having a strong vision for the future is essential. We need […]| Camp Fire
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 […]| Camp Fire
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® is right around the corner (third Thursday in March)! If you find yourself running a little low on creativity, here are some ideas to help get you started writing/telling a kid in your life why they are absolutely incredible...| Camp Fire
Here at Camp Fire, every day is about helping kids thrive. But we wanted to take one day a year to really do it BIG. That’s why we started Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® in 1997. Every year on the third Thursday of March, thousands of adults across the country join Camp Fire in lifting up young people…with the power of words.| Camp Fire
