Camp Fire Celebrates 100+ Years of Inclusivity
Camp Fire, the national inclusive youth development organization, is celebrating its 113th birthday on March 16, 2023, which also happens to be Absolutely Incredible Kid Day!
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day is a special day when Camp Fire honors the incredible kids in our lives and lets them know just how much they mean to us. Since 1997, this national initiative has reached over 36 million people. On this special day, adults show their support for young people in their lives in many ways, whether it's through notes, letters, emails, social media posts, or texts.
Why is this important?
Growing up is hard. With stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, social media, and pressure to succeed, it's no surprise that many youth are struggling with their mental health. (Earlier this month, the CDC released a shocking report about teen mental health.) Camp Fire understands it's crucial to provide young people with the support, resources, and kindness they need as mental health services are limited. This is why Absolutely Incredible Kid Day uplifts youth, reminding them of their inherent worth and awesome potential!
Each day, young people spend an average of 7.5 hours in front of screens and only 4-7 minutes of outdoor play. Camp Fire connects young people to the outdoors, to others, and to themselves. Their programs (across 1,300 sites nationwide) include small group experiences, after-school programs, and camping, as well as environmental education, child care, and service-learning.
Camp Fire creates safe spaces where young people can have fun and be themselves. They believe that camp is for everyone and has specialty camps for youth affected by the criminal justice system, LGBTQ2S+ camps, camps for young people with disabilities, camps for refugees, gluten-free camps, grief camps and more.
In 1909, Charlotte Gulick held a small summer camp for her daughters, three of their close friends, and a young woman with disabilities. There was no way she could have known that, from this her camp would grow into a movement that would survive two World Wars and three global pandemics. It would see women and other marginalized people win the right to vote; and help shape artists, activists, rock stars and rocket scientists.
The world was a much different place in those founding years, but so many of the values, goals, and outcomes of Camp Fire remain the same: More than 100 years later, we are still creating space for historically excluded young people; building social and emotional skills; facilitating developmental relationships and community building; and connecting young people to themselves, others, and the outdoors.
Founded in 1910, Camp Fire was the first nonsectarian, multiracial organization for girls but today is an inclusive national youth development nonprofit that serves all young people. By creating safe spaces where young people can have fun and be themselves, its 47 affiliates in 24 states provide affirming, year-round, youth-driven experiences—school day programs, afterschool programs, leadership programs, and camps and outdoor education—that enable youth to develop essential skills that have long-term benefits and make a positive social impact on the world.