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 hard to authentically integrate youth voice through all layers of our organization. It takes forethought and extra energy to upend the adult-led status quo, but it’s worth it if it builds a Camp Fire truly for and by young people.  

It’s a matter of equity 

Youth Voice isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a justice issue. 

“A huge part of it for me is the equity piece,” said Ben Matthews, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access Manager. “Young people are also a marginalized and oppressed group of people, because of their age and adults’ assumption that they don’t know how to make decisions for themselves.”  

This bias is called adultism, and it’s pervasive in our culture. Ben explained that a major red flag for an adultism attitude is responding to questions from young people with “Because I said so,” “Because I’m the adult,” or “Because that’s just the way we do things.”  

“It’s so much easier to shut down the conversation, rather than to reflect on, ‘Wait a second, why do we do that?’” Ben said.  

Being open to questions doesn’t mean a rule has to change. But treating young people as valuable members of a community means listening to their concerns, brainstorming solutions, and letting them share responsibility for taking action. After all, being a kid or teenager now is completely different from being a kid or teenager 20, 10 or even five years ago. Every generation has unique experiences, challenges and needs. Growing up is hard. 

“Technology, language, the way relationships work—all of that has changed so much,” said Ben. “There’s really no way an adult or anyone more than a couple years older can have any idea what [young people] need right now,” said Ben.  

Challenging adultism by championing youth voice ensures young people get the Camp Fire they need, not the one adults want them to have. 

What is youth voice? 

Inspired by the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality’s work on youth voice, Nikki Roe Cropp, Senior Director, Program Effectiveness, explained that when youth voice is fully integrated into an organization, young people share leadership with adults. On the way to that holistic collaboration, organizations often start with seeking youth input and giving young people more choices. The goal is to build on those valuable beginnings to arrive at true power-sharing.  

• Input: Creating opportunities for youth feedback on activities, programming aspects, and more. 
• Choice: Creating opportunities for young people to make relevant, meaningful and authentic decisions.  
• Shared Leadership: Creating opportunities for all youth to lead in diverse, varied and age-appropriate ways. 

“Youth voice has been a crucial part of Camp Fire for a long time,” said Nikki, “but it’s one of those areas we need to talk about, concentrate on, and ensure we’re doing intentionally—and developmentally.”  

Going from status quo to youth-led 

Making the shift to shared leadership means overcoming ingrained cultural beliefs about how adults and young people are supposed to interact. Both Ben and Nikki emphasized how liberating (and even relaxing) it can be for adult leaders to share power with young people. 

“It’s really getting adults to act as facilitators of learning rather than instructors of content,” said Nikki. “It’s having power with young people instead of power over.”  

Sometimes organizations think of youth voice as something for older teens only, but shared leadership can start early and deepen as children grow alongside their leadership skills. Adults still need to be responsible for making safety decisions along the way, but other leadership roles can be shared at all ages. Youth voice isn’t always a linear trajectory, and Camp Fire creates space to share power in multiple overlapping ways. The leadership opportunities listed below roughly correlate to developmental stages, but don’t underestimate younger kids’ abilities to carry out more high-responsibility power-sharing. We want young people to be the leaders they are today, not just build leadership skills for the future.  

• Lower responsibility leadership tasks:  
• Handing out materials 
• Presenting ideas to a small group 
• Helping peers 
• Setting up snacks 
• Helping a group stay positive 
• Taking responsibility for daily routines 
• Explaining directions 

• Intermediate-responsibility leadership tasks:  
• Leading a group discussion, song, project, event, etc. 
• Co-facilitating program activities with an adult 
• Participating in a program task force or leadership program 

• High-responsibility leadership tasks:  
• Planning program activities 
• Facilitating program activities 
• Mentoring other youth 
• Participating in a youth advisory group 
• Starting their own initiative or group 
• Shared power in organizational decision-making 

Advising the adults 

Youth advisory groups deserve a special mention in any discussion of youth voice. They are a powerful channel for integrating youth voice into the larger organization—if the advisory component is prioritized. Leadership programs aren’t the same things as an advisory board whose function is to practice leadership. It’s easy for adults to blur the lines between youth programming and youth advisory cabinets, but adult sponsors can help maintain the focus.    

Julia Fleenor Bejarano, Camp Fire Marketing Manager, and Hannah Howard, Camp Fire Evaluation Manager, both serve as Youth Voice Coordinators for the National Youth Advisory Cabinet (YAC).  

“We think of our YAC like a person on our staff,” explained Hannah. “We treat our YAC members equally; they are important.” 

YAC members are 16 to 18 years old, have Camp Fire experience, and commit to meeting (virtually) with Camp Fire adult leaders (our CEO, president, senior directors and directors) once a month, September through May. As experts in youth experience, they are paid for their time. 

“We try to be really clear,” said Julia, on making sure other adult leaders understand the purpose of the YAC. “The youth are here to help you make decisions. Come ready.” 

YAC meetings include educational content when it’s necessary for them to fulfill their mission, but the first goal is shared leadership. YAC has advised on a wide variety of topics including website design, social media content, how to word youth survey questions, internal training courses and more. In the past, the YAC has led the redesign of awards and recognitions and traditionally been one of the first stops for strategic plan feedback.   

Julia and Hannah have led a professional learning community for Camp Fire affiliates interested in expanding youth voice and have met with other national youth organizations who want to start youth advisory groups. They report that it’s hard for adults everywhere to make the youth-voice shift.  

“It’s really hard for folks to wrap their brain around,” said Hannah. “It’s a longer process of rewiring our brains to understand that young people are equally if not more important in conversations about youth development. It’s a reframe of the power dynamics between adults and youth.”  

Learn more about youth voice at Camp Fire 

The post It’s not a program; it’s a practice appeared first on Camp Fire.

Child development experts emphasize the importance of setting realistic expectations for the holidays, sticking to a normal schedule as much as possible, getting time outside and practicing gratitude together. Simplifying gift-giving, practicing social skills before get-togethers, giving teens space to be moody are also solid strategies.  

What else can you help the young people in your life this winter? Use the same guidelines our staff and volunteers do to build strong relationships at Camp Fire! Follow the Search Institute’s framework for positive developmental relationships to bring some consistency and affirmation to the season. 

These tips are relevant whether you are trying to encourage kids and teens you are raising, related to, and/or in your wider chosen family. We’ve taken the Search Institute’s framework and given it a holiday twist below to create 20 ideas for supporting young people through the holidays. Let’s go! 

Express Care

1. Be dependable: The holidays are no time to play the flakey funcle card. Follow through on your commitments. If you say you’re going to be there, be there!
2. Listen: Join the kids’ table (metaphorically or literally) and have a real conversation. You might be surprised by what you learn!
3. Believe in me: If you’re giving gifts for the holidays, consider one that feeds a young person’s sparks — the skills, commitments or qualities that are lighting them up right now. If you don’t know what they are into, ask!
4. Be warm: Don’t forget to individually greet kids at your next holiday get-together. Make sure they know they are welcome and that you’re happy to see them, not just their accompanying adults. 
5. Encourage: Specific compliments go a long way. Look for opportunities to call out a young person’s unique point of view, persistence, or character as you’re going about your holidays.

Challenge Growth

6. Expect my best: Experts agree that the holidays are a good time to let the small stuff go. But when it comes to the big things — your community’s shared values, for example — keep standards high for yourself and young people. 
7. Stretch: Helping a young person take their next spark step can be as simple as working on a robotics project after a holiday dinner, gifting a book one reading level up, or teaching them a new phrase in a language they are learning. 
8. Hold me accountable: If you lose your seasonal cool, model how to deliver a timely, sincere apology and any necessary restitutions. Expect the same (in developmentally appropriate ways) from any young people you’re responsible for. 
9. Reflect on failures: If a holiday event or activity doesn’t go as planned, debriefing calmly (and with humor, if possible!) can help young people learn failure is part of growing, not something to be scared or ashamed of. 

Provide Support 

10. Navigate: Stressful holidays situations looming? Help young people brainstorm solutions and strategies to manage. 
11. Empower: Get time with your favorite young person to ask what their goals are for the new year — and if there’s anything you can do to give them an assist.  
12. Advocate: If any holiday gatherings have become potentially harmful for the young people in your life (if family members aren’t affirming of an LGBTQIA2s+ teen, for example), take action. If you’re the primary caregiver, you can set protective boundaries for your family, including not attending potentially harmful events. If you are an extended family member or friend, ask the young person how they’d like to be supported and make a plan for how you’ll intervene. (This Parents article has some great resources!)
13. Set boundaries: If it’s within your control, set limits on the seasonal schedule. Help young people prioritize their favorite activities instead of getting overwhelmed. And keep sleep at the top of the to-do list! 

Share Power

14. Respect me: If you’re getting resistance to a particular holiday tradition or gathering, stop and ask why. Even if you ultimately ask for their participation, try to clearly understand their concerns first and come to a fair solution. 
15. Include me: Include kids and teens as you’re building your holiday schedule. What gatherings, activities or traditions mean the most to them? What are their priorities for the season? Give them a say in the decisions that affect them. 
16. Collaborate: Can you create a new holiday tradition with the young people in your life? What fun, new December adventure can you come up with together?  
17. Let me lead: Consider asking the kids and teens in your family if they’d like to lead a holiday activity traditionally headed up by an adult. What would change if the kids took over?

Expand Possibilities

18. Inspire: Do you know a young person who shares some of your sparks? Can you schedule some inspiration time (a work tag-along or a hobby session) with them this holiday break? 
19. Broaden horizons: Stuck in a holiday rut? Take the young people in your life on a mini-adventure. It could be as simple as visiting a new park or trying a new kind of food — the point is novelty! 
20. Connect: Do you know a child or teen who hasn’t tried Camp Fire yet? Find an affiliate or program near you. There’s no better gift than helping a young person connect to nature, others and themselves!

The post Supporting young people through the holidays: 20 ways to help this season appeared first on Camp Fire.

Camp Fire and the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) have spent the past year intentionally developing a relationship similar to that of two rivers converging. Both groups have long recognized that there may be natural points of intersection and alignment where their combined efforts could benefit each organization and yield a greater impact for young people and communities. Our programs are different in scope and mission, yet we are united in our dedication to youth. 

​​Camp Fire exists because growing up is hard. That’s why Camp Fire connects young people to the outdoors, to others and to themselves. But Camp Fire’s history of cultural appropriation has made growing up harder, not easier, especially for Native youth. And for that, we are deeply saddened and sorry. In looking at the cultural appropriation with our organization, we recognized this work will be waiting for us, whether we address it now or in 100 years. Thus began our journey from appropriation to reparations over the past years.

Today, as we find ourselves in a new relationship with NIEA, to build an ecosystem of abundance, where our strengths are not the same but are complementary and create a world where young people thrive. Our shared mission is to carry their hopes and aspirations and support them becoming their reality, now and in the future.

The ultimate goal of our collaboration is to create Camp Fire spaces in Native communities or increase access for Native youth to safely attend Camp Fire programming. This means:

• Co-creating safe spaces for Native and non-Native youth
• Co-creating place-based teaching and opportunities ABOUT and FOR Native youth
• Supporting Camp Fire to create awareness of unique and complex Native youth identities that should be reflected our programming.

The Camp Fire/NIEA equitable partnership will focus on two areas: Environmental Education and 2Spirit youth. Through environmental education, we seek to understand stewardship of the Earth through a Native lens but doing so without borrowing or appropriating Native practices or traditions. We will also be expanding Traditional Ecological Knowledge through joint curriculum and program opportunities.

Environmental Education

Programming aimed to understand stewardship of the natural world through a Native lens, but without borrowing or appropriating Native practices or traditions.

Objective 1: Create a framework for current and future environmental education programming, with focus less on nature-based activities, more on personal connections and understanding.

Objective 2: Co-develop a nature-based toolkit based on the framework.

Objective 3: Pilot a program using the new framework and toolkit.

Objective 4: Expanding joint curriculum to wider organizational networks.

In support of 2spirit LGBTQ+ young people, we will work to ensure the safety and positive identity development of 2S youth through youth participatory action research that starts with their voices around what they need and desire to feel safe and supported. We will amplify the stories of 2S young people who are thriving because representation matters. We will also be scaling community action clubs and affinity spaces that support the social and emotional well-being of young people.

Two Spirit, LGBTQ+ Youth Support

Ensuring the identity safety of 2SLGTQ+ youth through programs, resource development, and local and national policy work.

Objective 1: Develop or update wellness survey or needs assessment for national 2S youth (12-17) inclusive of the health of the environment in which the youth live

Objective 2: Create media content that captures stories of 2SLGBTQ+ young people and how they want to be supported.

Objective 3: Scale Camp Fire Green Country’s GSA model to tribal and BIE schools.

Objective 4: Co-develop a course for supporting and advocating for youth.

Objective 5: Develop indigenous-focused 2SLGBTQ+ policy/advocacy and programming toolkits for youth and educational leaders.

We are determined to elevate the voices of those who have been and continue to be, marginalized by a dominant culture. Our intention is to uplift, educate, listen, and learn. We look to each organization’s knowledge, skills, and advocacy to further improve our own.

“[This] relationship did not happen overnight. They took their time, getting to know each other as people and as organizations. Finding where they have common goals and discovering each organization’s strengths and how they could share those strengths to help one another. Camp Fire needed to show it was serious in order for Diana (NIEA’s CEO) to really let them in. So they did the work. And they kept showing up. And they offered what they had, and they earned Diana’s trust. In Diana’s words, it takes “grace, patience, and understanding” to develop true partnerships.

Reverend Jen Bailey, founder of the Faith Matters Network, says that: “Social change happens at the speed of relationships. And relationships move at the speed of trust.” And I’ve also heard Shawna [Rosenzweig, Camp Fire National Headquarters President] say that “partnerships move at the speed of relationships.”

Camp Fire and NIEA took their time to build that trust. Shawna has shared that this partnership is laying the blueprint for how they’d like to approach all partnerships – steeped in transparency, honesty and equitable power.”

Rebecca Goldberg (she/her), Impact Group Facilitator, Grantmakers for Education

Both NIEA and Camp Fire want to model how organizations can go beyond a transactional one-off partnership but work together with equity at the center––not only to address past injustices, but to provide the best possible programming for young people to be healthy, strong, and resilient leaders both today and in the future.

We’re excited to accelerate the flow of this river together, bringing new life and abundance to the ecosystem around it in the years to come.

The post A Confluence of Two Rivers: Introducing a New Relationship with the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) and Camp Fire appeared first on Camp Fire.

I believe anyone can lead from anywhere in an organization. Actual leadership has little to do with title or position and more to do with influence. At Camp Fire, our definition of leadership and shared power also includes young people in the decision-making process AND a distributed leadership model that goes beyond the individual. Enter Just HQ. 

At Camp Fire National Headquarters, Just HQ is a voluntary, employee-led group of leaders focused on championing the inclusive, equity-driven organizational culture and learning environment we want and seek. Just HQ does this through leading biweekly Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) staff meetings on different relevant topics, facilitating reflection and intentional conversation, inviting guest speakers (most recent was someone from the Anti-Defamation League to talk to us about Antisemitism), touching on a ‘This Day in History’, actionable Land Acknowledgment, conducting regular culture surveys, and helping keep us accountable to our values. This grassroots initiative makes a positive difference to all of our employees, affiliates, and the youth and families we serve. By creating the conditions where employees and staff feel safe and supported to learn, lead, and thrive, they are, in turn, strengthening the ecosystem that offers youth the same conditions. We know DEIA doesn’t just happen, and Just HQ is a way for us to intentionally prioritize it and bake this value into our culture and organization. We are all on a continual learning journey.

I had a great conversation with two Just HQ members and leaders, Nikki Roe Cropp and LaSheé Thomas, who are working toward a better culture at Camp Fire. We talked about their experience so far on the small but mighty team and what they are learning individually and as a group. 

Shawna: For those who aren’t familiar with Just HQ, could you share what it is and why you wanted to be a part of it?

Nikki: Just HQ was formed to champion an engaged, positive organizational culture and to move us forward in our diversity, equity, and inclusion work. We believe that they are very much intertwined.

LaSheé: I would add that Just HQ is staff-led, so you get all of these voices at the table from multiple levels in the organization. That was extremely important to me and one of the reasons I volunteered to join. I have a strong personal belief that the more voices at the table, the better. 

Nikki: Compared to other staff engagement committees I’ve been a part of at other organizations, this feels more meaningful. It’s more than having a hot dog day to show appreciation for staff. We are truly working on culture–increasing trust, sense of belonging, decision-making, and communication among our staff. 

Shawna: I think it’s a strength that C-suite leaders are not on Just HQ. There is no one who is a de facto leader because of their title. Everyone leads. Can you talk a bit about how that works?

Nikki: We aren’t really prescriptive about who does what, but we do know what jobs need to be done and take turns doing them. For me, since I am a manager, I try to hang back and give other members the opportunity to lead in that way. I try to listen more than I talk. 

LaSheé: Our process is the definition of collaborating. There is conversation and figuring it out together. I get to do things with Just HQ that I normally wouldn’t do in my regular role. We allow people to do what they desire to do even if it doesn’t match their job role. 

Nikki: We spent a lot of time in the beginning talking about how we wanted to function together as a team and how we wanted our meetings to go. 

LaSheé: On this committee, we’re all learning as we go. We’re learning together.

Shawna: I’m curious, what has been the most challenging part of your work on Just HQ? 

LaSheé: I ask myself whether we (Just HQ) are doing enough to allow people to push themselves to the next level of equity work, not just attending meetings and taking in information. I want to be sure that we are taking equity work to the next level.

Nikki: I agree with what LaSheé said. We know that everyone has to own our culture–this team is here to champion that. So, while we want 100% of the staff to feel like they belong and feel included, we’re not at 100% yet. We have to keep figuring out what’s not working and why and keep trying to improve. We also need to keep lines of communication open with the rest of Camp Fire staff and learn from feedback about the education we are offering so our discussions can stay productive.  

LaSheé: I would add that we need to know our limits as a group. There are areas where we have to seek outside assistance to be able to provide the information staff needs in a particular area of equity. Even though there are multiple voices at the Just HQ table, there are still voices missing. 

Shawna: A standard part of your meeting agenda is reviewing Camp Fire norms and values. Can you talk a little about why you do that?

LaSheé: We feel like leading with those is an important way to hold ourselves and each other accountable to what we collectively believe and want to accomplish. It’s turned into an opportunity for staff to affirm each other for acting out those values. Team members give shout-outs to each other for things like exhibiting strong trust and collaboration. 

Nikki: We regularly check in on the values and make sure that they are still relevant to the culture we want and seek. That is part of the process, to make sure we’re staying on the same page.

Shawna: Are there other parts of Just HQ we haven’t talked about yet? 

LaSheé: We have optional book clubs and podcast discussion groups that give people a casual way to connect over certain topics and broaden thinking by considering perspectives from outside the organization. 

Nikki: We borrowed a framework from Christopher Littlefield that encourages teams to learn and grow, laugh and play, rest and rejuvenate, celebrate and appreciate, and connect and reflect together. We use that framework as a guide to make sure we’re staying balanced. 

Shawna: With a team that’s spread across the country, it’s so important to connect and see people as whole people. 

Shawna: What advice do you have for someone who wants to start a group like Just HQ in their organization?

LaSheé: I would encourage them to be clear and honest about what the organization is already doing to advance equity because if that work has not already started, it will be a lot harder. And allow teams, not leaders, to set parameters around what the team might look like. Staff have a closer view to what’s happening on the ground and this process allows those voices to be heard when they might not otherwise be.

Nikki: We don’t want a top-down structure, but leadership does have to be committed to the work in order for it to be successful. We’re able to do what we do because our leadership prioritizes the work.  

Shawna: How has your experience at Camp Fire changed because of your involvement with Just HQ?

LaSheé: I have never been in a role where I am leading or presenting anything, ever. Being a part of Just HQ has allowed me to be in that role and combat my fear of public speaking and present to my peers on topics I’ve researched. It’s allowed me to be more comfortable speaking and leading. It has allowed those walls to come down. I still get nervous but I am not afraid anymore. Instead, I’m proud of the things I’ve learned, researched, and presented.

Shawna: How has your experience at Camp Fire changed because of your involvement with Just HQ?

LaSheé: I have never been in a role where I am leading or presenting anything, ever. Being a part of Just HQ has allowed me to be in that role and combat my fear of public speaking and present to my peers on topics I’ve researched. It’s allowed me to be more comfortable speaking and leading. It has allowed those walls to come down. I still get nervous but I am not afraid anymore. Instead, I’m proud of the things I’ve learned, researched, and presented.

Nikki: I am generally happier, more productive, and more motivated in my job because of my involvement with Just HQ.  It’s energizing to be a part of something that is truly making a difference to how we function and work together.  My hope is that this effort outlasts my time at the organization–that there will always be a committee dedicated to this important pursuit. 

Shawna: How has your definition of leadership changed as part of your experience on Just HQ? 

Nikki: For me, I have gotten fulfillment in seeing others on the team grow in their leadership. It’s more satisfying for me to watch others lead and leverage what power I have to advocate for this group. I now measure my leadership in terms of how each individual on the team feels empowered to create change. 

LaSheé: I have a hard time with the concept of leadership. While I believe everyone can be a leader, I have struggled to define what it means for me personally. But I think that has changed. I have been able to say to myself, “you are leading the values of this organization” which is a quality of leadership. Even if that makes me feel uncomfortable, it is allowing me to step back and see leadership qualities in myself that I have not been able to see before working with the Just HQ committee. I would encourage other organizations to think about those employees that are not as vocal and to prioritize bringing voices to the table that are otherwise not heard.

Shawna: I’m struck by how many important leadership lessons I’m hearing from you two today, like sitting in the discomfort, sharing power, designing from the margins, progress over perfection…all of those things that are pivotal for individuals and organizations that are committed to equity. Just HQ hasn’t been around that long but it’s already changed the org culture and the ways that people are showing up. It’s really quite remarkable. With that, I’ll end with saying thank you for all that you do for the organization, for the team, and for each of us as individuals on our own journeys!

The post Creating a Just Organization Through Distributed Leadership: A conversation with LaSheé Thomas and Nikki Roe Cropp appeared first on Camp Fire.

April is also Stress Awareness month. And while nature alone is not a panacea for serious mental illness, emerging research tells us that time spent in nature has a positive effect on the mental and emotional well-being of youth. Nature experiences can soothe negative emotions, ease symptoms of ADHA, and reduce the risk of psychiatric disorders later in life. Nature-based experiences have also been shown to have positive benefits for youth encountering Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES).  

In a moment, we will explore some of the ways that nature supports the mental and emotional health of young people. It is useful, however, to begin with a basic understanding of nature. For this blog’s purposes, nature is defined as any safe, outdoor space with something green and growing on it. It can include, but is not limited to: 

Making Friends with Nature (Environmental Connection): 

Environmental connection is the personal relationship each of us has with nature. Too often we mistake environmental connection with environmental literacy, which might mean learning about the life cycle of frogs or identifying the different parts of a tree. But knowing a lot about nature does not necessarily equate to feeling safe, curious, or engaged with nature. While the goal can certainly be increased eco-literacy, developing that knowledge is dependent on first experiencing joy, wonder, and affirmation in nature. (It is not particularly interesting to study the life cycle of frogs if you have never seen a frog.)  

Many educators and youth workers admit to being unsure of the names of plants and animals. They do not feel equipped to teach natural science and therefore avoid going into nature with young people. Rather than offering a fully structured nature lesson, however, consider simply making friends with nature. While some knowledge is useful to assure safety (know how to avoid poison ivy, for example), you can still go outside with young people without needing an ecology degree. Playing in nature, reading books in nature, or sitting as a group outside, quietly looking and listening, is an excellent way to get your feet wet (literally and figuratively). The nature knowledge will follow, and will be driven ideally, not by the leaders, but by the young people themselves. 

Making Friends with Nature should include: 

• A range of outdoor activities, such as opportunities to design and build, climb, move, or sit quietly; and to engage with books, art materials, lose parts, and practical tools in an outdoor setting. This ensures that multiple emotional needs, moods, and interests are met.  
• A range of spaces, including quiet areas for rest and open spaces for active movement. 
• Opportunities to care for other living things: a garden, an herb box, worm bins, or bird feeders. 
• The freedom for youth to choose activities. Leaders should provide youth opportunities to select their own activities within designated boundaries, which allows for autonomy and self-direction.  
• Time: too often, young people are given fifteen-minute breaks to be outside as a pause from “real” learning (i.e., learning that takes place indoors and is dictated by adults). This viewpoint misses the deeply personal and powerful learning that takes place when nature is the classroom.  

What are the outcomes of Environmental Connection?  

• Connecting to nature helps youth develop and deepen empathy. Many young people who struggle socially connect to plants and animals before forming relationships with their peers. 
• Connecting to nature can help youth who have language barriers find new ways to interact with others – they can build together, garden together, listen to bird calls together, without needing to converse with words.  

• Connecting to nature, especially in loosely structured ways with plenty of time for independent exploration, nurtures young people with learning delays, autism spectrum disorder, challenges around sensory processing, or who simply may need a break from a tightly structured schedule.  
• Connecting to nature can be incredibly healing for youth who have undergone trauma. Nature does not ask questions or judge us for our feelings. It simply allows us to be.  
• Connecting to nature, especially among young people who have historically been denied access to nature, or who do not feel culturally welcomed into nature, can be extremely empowering.  

Nature and SEL Skills: 

Social development is a young person’s ability to engage with other people in positive and socially acceptable ways. Social expectations for youth, beginning as young as age three, include: 

• Showing concern for the feelings of others 
• Taking turns 
• Playing and interacting cooperatively with peers 

For several reasons, not all young people can easily meet these social expectations. Nature, however, can support educators as they work with young people on developing these skills, while still honoring youth for the individuals they are.  

Nature likewise supports emotional development, particularly when the nature experiences are fun and engaging. Positive emotional development is vital to the well-being of youth, supporting the formation of lifelong, meaningful relationships with others and creating a sense of self-worth.  

Here are a few powerful ways that nature supports the social and emotional development of youth:  

• If a young person has strong emotions, being able to exert themselves physically outdoors can release some of those powerful feelings.  
• Encountering wildlife can support mood regulation: if you want to see an animal in action, you must remain still and silent.  
• Nature provides opportunities to control breathing: match your breath to the waves on the shore, breathe in sync with the wind in the trees, blow away soft handfuls of seeds. Deep breathing increases oxygen to the brain and calms the nervous system, making it easier to silence noisy thoughts.  
• Nature provides challenges: climbing trees, crossing ice, hiking uphill. Conquering these challenges leads to greater confidence and pride in personal achievement 

• Nature encourages youth to try. They need to push themselves to complete a hike or navigate unfamiliar terrain. They learn inner motivation and see that success is tied to persistence.  
• Nature provides an abundance of materials (sticks, rocks, mud, water) so that there are fewer concerns over limited resources and less anxiety about missing out 
• Nature is a wonderful venue for large-scale projects, such as creating a communal outdoor art mural, building a tree house, etc. Such projects require many people working together to be successful. 
• Orienteering and Ropes Course activities promote social interaction and problem-solving skills. 
• Eating snacks, listening to stories, and singing together around a campfire creates a sense of community and provides young people with a sense of belonging 
• Hiking as a group – especially to novel places – can be a unifying experience. 
• Difficult conversations, such as those that include emotion coaching, often feel emotionally safer when they take place in peaceful spots in nature.  
• Having positive experiences in nature can reiterate to young people – especially those who tend toward anger, anxiety, and depression – that they are capable of joyful and peaceful feelings. 

A Few Simple Ideas for Creating Social and Emotional Experiences in Nature: 

• Explore water: Water can be very soothing. Dip nets, fingers, and feet into ponds, creeks, or tidal pools. If these things are not available, fill a variety of tubs with water and create your own outdoor water areas. Add scoops, bubbles, food coloring, flower petals, strainers, and more.  
• Take watercolor paints outside. The resulting paintings dry quickly.  
• Or use mud puddle water and simply paint with water on tree bark or rocks. The water will evaporate, but this is about process, not product.  
• Conduct sink and float experiments. Which objects float, which sink? Make predictions and test your hypothesis   

• Create nature scavenger hunts: look for red buds on trees, partially eaten seeds, nests, yellow flowers, spider webs, or anything else that is common to your area 
• Build tiny “nature houses” out of loose materials (acorn caps, sticks, dried grass, mud, shells, driftwood, flowering weeds, seed pods, raffia, leaves, garden debris, etc.) 
• Take tin and plastic dishes into nature and create “recipes” using pinecones, mud, woodchips, water, and other lose nature parts.  
• Use field guides, bug boxes, binoculars, and nature ID apps to enhance your nature experiences.  
• Sit in a circle on the grass or under a tree and pass a talking stick around.  
• Fill bird feeders and monitor who visits 
• Include quiet moments in nature: take yoga breaths, lay on the ground, write, draw, be silent.  
• Begin or end your experiences in nature with a land acknowledgment, which you can co-create with the youth in your program, honoring the people on whose ancestral land you now stand.  
• Build upon this acknowledgment over time by learning the names of a few plants or animals in the traditional language(s) of your region 
• Make it a goal to introduce, in a joyful rather than didactic way, the principle of environmental reciprocity. This can include planting wildflowers and putting out bird seed to provide food for local animals; picking up trash from beaches and rivers; and only collecting things from nature that have come loose and are no longer attached to stems. Leave the nuts for the animals, taking only the inedible shells. And return everything back to nature after you have finished with them.   

This April 2023, as we reflect on more than fifty years of Earth Day, it is important to remember that the health and well-being of today’s young people depends, in part, on fair and equitable access to nature. We must also remember that the health and well-being of the planet is going to require the energy and compassion of today’s young people. We have an obligation to connect the two. By so doing, we honor both.  

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Additionally, there are approximately 2.3 million children under the age of 18 living with a disabled veteran in communities across the U.S. Alliance for a Healthier Generation (Healthier Generation) is a proud member of the Hidden Helpers Coalition, a group of 80+ organizations who have pledged to support and uplift these young people.

That’s why we are using Camp Fire’s Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® as an important opportunity to identify, encourage, and recognize Hidden Helpers and all military youth in our communities. This day gives us an opportunity to honor and celebrate their unique resilience, strength, and character.

Below are three ideas from Healthier Generation and our partners at Blue Star Families. Try them on Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® in March and continue celebrating youth in your life through Month of the Military Child in April and beyond.

Mapping Your Identity

Adults who give space for young people to share their identities can build more inclusive and connected learning environments at home, at school, and in the community. One way to do this is by using an identity map. An identity map is a graphic tool used to share, learn, and reflect on the aspects that shape who we are. It can include words, drawings, or photos that describe what makes each of us unique.

Download Healthier Generation’s free Identity Map Worksheet in English and Spanish.

Getting the Conversation Started

Healthier Generation believes asking unique, engaging questions is just one of many ways we can better connect with each other, In collaboration with our partners at Blue Star Families, we developed a one-of-a-kind resource and learning activity, Quality Time in No Time. This 10-minute learning activity includes free printables, like Silly and Speedy Conversation Starters.

Here’s a conversation starter to try this Absolutely Incredible Kid Day®: What is your favorite thing about yourself?

Play Together in Nature

Nature-based activities are a great way to connect and sustain relationships with young people while supporting mental and physical health. Created in partnership with Blue Star Families, Nature BINGO includes 20+ activity ideas perfect for your Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® celebration. Two of our favorite BINGO squares include, “Host a neighborhood field day,” and “Try a new food and learn about its cultural significance.”

Which of these three ideas will you try? What would you add to the list? Share your experience and tag Healthier Generation on social using @healthiergen. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #KidDay2023!

Resources for Supporting Military Youth

• Blue Star Outdoors: https://bluestarfam.org/family-life/blue-star-outdoors/
• Fostering Belonging with Military Families: https://www.healthiergeneration.org/articles/fostering-belonging-with-military-families
• Hidden Helpers Coalition: https://hiddenheroes.org/resources/hiddenhelpers/
• Mapping Your Identity: https://www.healthiergeneration.org/articles/mapping-your-identity
• Nature BINGO: https://bluestarfam.org/outdoor-explorers-family-activities-bingo/
• Silly and Speedy Conversation Starters: https://www.healthiergeneration.org/app/resources/1410
• Start the Conversation: https://bluestarfam.org/2022/12/start-the-conversation/

The post Encourage and Recognize Military Youth on Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® appeared first on Camp Fire.

ignite thriving

Together we are stronger, and we can always adapt to the changes, crises, and needs of our communities that come over time. Your support keeps us going.

Donate now →

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our legacy

110+ years strong

Founded in 1910

We got our start as Camp Fire Girls in 1910, founded by Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick and his wife, Charlotte Vetter Gulick. They believed girls deserved the outdoor learning experiences that boys had and wanted to help “guide young people on their journey to self-discovery.”

Download the Camp Fire History Timeline

For more than a century, Camp Fire alumni like you have brought the values of work, health and love to the world, no matter what challenges you’ve faced. 

Today, Camp Fire welcomes all young people to its programs and continues to thrive with 47 councils in 25 states and Washington D.C., serving nearly 150,000 youth each year. Thank you for making Camp Fire what it is today—and leading us into tomorrow. We’re still creating powerful youth experiences to shape kids and teens, give them the opportunity to belong, connect with nature, develop strong relationships, and make positive social change.

Download the timeline →

you belong here

Our 47 affiliates in 24 states provides affirming, year-round, youth-driven experiences. Invest in the adventure of self-discovery.

Find a location →

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What does “youth voice” mean to you? When young people apply to be a part of Camp Fire National’s Youth Advisory Cabinet (YAC), this is one of the questions we ask. Last year, their responses centered on two main ideas: adults listening and inciting change. 

Here are some of the things they said youth voice means:

“It means giving younger people a right to have their opinions and ideas heard on a subject that’s typically decided by adults”

“Youth Voice” should just be “Voice”. Each and every person has a voice and deserves to be heard, including youth.”

“To me, youth voice means change. The future is youth, and the opinions expressed now are a indication of how things will be in the near future.” 

“Youth Voice to me is something that can truly impact our future. Our youth [are] standing for so much change in the world so when we grow older and have our own children we bring them into a world we wanted and we made possible.” 

One of Camp Fire’s eight core values is “We honor the power of young people” because we believe that involving youth in decision making is transformational. 

I can attest to this power through my experience with Camp Fire’s National Youth Advisory Cabinet. We recently reflected on the new updated rewards and recognition items we revealed as part of our #EmblemDrop 2022 as a group. Many of the youth on the cabinet had been involved in redesigning these items, either by participating in Make Your Mark or by offering color, shape, and theme suggestions on mockup designs in early 2022. However, there were some young people who were new to YAC this year. They hadn’t been involved in the process and were confronted with emotions around the new emblem rollout, including fears of old Camp Fire traditions being lost in the process. To say it bluntly, they didn’t like the changes. 

After working for two years on the new rewards and recognition items, it was difficult for me to sit in a youth-centered space and hear their opinions without becoming defensive. It would have been too convenient as an adult to dismiss their thoughts and explain away their worries saying how hard we had worked to gather youth perspectives on this topic. All the best youth development practices I knew in my brain didn’t keep me from feeling my feelings. But, I had to remember, I wasn’t the only person involved. These young people were sharing something very personal, about an organization and about traditions they felt deeply connected to. In a space where we had invited them to share those exact thoughts and feelings. So, I had to sit and listen in that space, even when all I wanted to do was defend. 

This is where youth voice is transformational – when adults listen first. By listening to the youth who hadn’t been a part of the process initially, we were able to grapple with cultural appropriation and camp traditions. Leaning into the Search Institutes’ framework around sharing power and providing support, we did some learning together, and then identified different ways they could take on a leadership role in talking about recognition items with their peers, through a more grounded understanding of the complex issues at play. We took time to meet with one of the youth outside of our monthly YAC meetings to develop a plan of action for them to talk to their council’s leadership about the rollout of the new emblems and empowered them to think about how they would like other youth to be involved in that process locally. This is the potential of youth voice – ideas, creativity, and enthusiasm. I had to learn that even by checking the right boxes, and including young people right from the beginning of the rewards and recognition process, there was more work to be done.

At the intersection of structured spaces for youth reflection, and adults who are trying their best to listen, true transformation can take place. Ideas go farther. 

Although there are many resources (some shared below) to implement youth voice, it happens best when adults like you and me give youth structured spaces to discuss things that are meaningful to them. Best said by a member of our Youth Advisory Cabinet: 

“Youth voice means young people giving their take on issues that impact them. It’s as simple as that.” 

How can you incorporate youth voice into what you do? How can you listen to young people? How can youth voice be a part of transformational leadership in your job, company or organization?  

Resources for Supporting Youth Voice 

• Pulse Check Cards provide an array of ideas for adults to embed youth voice into everyday activities through things like thumbs up/thumbs down, dot voting, exit ticket questions, and more. https://www.canva.com/design/DAE_v1-JS-s/58TMjlIM1k5xQnQdsDJHKA/view?utm_content=DAE_v1-JS-s&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 
• Five Ways You Can Promote Youth Voice https://campfire.org/blog/article/five-ways-you-can-promote-youth-voice/ 

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Well, hello, 2023. What do you have in store for us? Our new

We opened 2022 with a new vision for Camp Fire: We envision a world where all young people thrive and have equitable opportunities for self-discovery, community connection, and engagement with nature. 

That’s a big dream. And we took some big steps last year, including expanding our CAMPER program to increase access to outdoor programs, standing with trans* young people, revamping our definition of thriving, redesigning our awards and recognition emblems as part of our continuing efforts to end cultural appropriation in our organization, and more.  

These are all examples of actions we took because we set strong goals in 2021. Smart goal-setting is a fundamental part of many of our programs and core to our organizational process. We recently collaborated with National Headquarters team members, affiliate staff, alumni, and our Youth Advisory Cabinet to set priorities for the next two years. Led by our mission, vision and values, we considered what young people need and how we can respond to come up with six strategic focus areas for 2023 – 2025:

Uplift the Camp Fire community to build connection to the outdoors, to others, and to themselves. 

This includes increasing alumni engagement, developing professional learning communities for staff, expanding relationships with like-minded outdoor partner organizations, investing in professional development, and promoting environmental stewardship and action across the Camp Fire board. 

Champion a thriving workforce, present and future. 

“This focus was a lightbulb moment for us!” said Shawna Rosenzweig, Camp Fire Chief Strategy Officer. “At Camp Fire, young people explore their interests and passions, develop employability skills, and apply their knowledge to real-world experiences — all things that get young people workforce ready!”

Shawna shared Camp Fire is in a unique position to be able to help young people see themselves in careers where their identities may have been underrepresented, including STEM fields. This focus also includes attention to Camp Fire’s present workforce, especially when it comes to equitable recruitment and retention strategies to ensure representation reflective of program participants through all levels of the organization.

Unify and amplify the Camp Fire brand to maximize organizational impact. 

“Camp Fire is leading the way in diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive programs that build a sense of belonging for young people,” said Shawna. “We often talk about Camp Fire being a best kept secret. Through our partnerships, advocacy, and innovations, we are primed to amplify the amazing work happening across the Camp Fire network!” 

Shawna believes that Camp Fire can be a leader at local, state and national levels in conversations about how to support young people. Camp Fire is already participating in two national U.S. Department of Education initiatives, the National Partnership for Student Success and YOU Belong in STEM, and will continue to look for ways to contribute as a thought leader and proponent of youth voice.  

This goal also includes demonstrating inclusion in all parts of the Camp Fire experience, increasing engagement in brand campaigns (like Absolutely Incredible Kid Day), and continuing to communicate Camp Fire’s benefits in compelling ways.  

“In volatile times, young people and their families and caregivers are looking to us to stand for something, to lead the way, and use our voice to amplify those who may not otherwise be heard,” Shawna said.  

Diversify funding and revenue streams to ensure Camp Fire’s financial sustainability for future generations. 

The vision has to be funded! This goal includes growing philanthropic revenue, expanding our programming into new markets, establishing mission-driven public and private partnerships, and more. 

Address the legacy of organizational practices, past and present, that appropriate Indigenous cultures. 

“We just returned from Washington DC where we spent a full-day mapping out a partnership blueprint, facilitated by the dream team at Third Settlements,” Shawna shared. “We had the opportunity to engage openly and honestly with our partners at the National Indian Education Association to develop a mutually beneficial partnership model. We are creating a new blueprint for how to partner with organizations and communities in a more equitable and transparent way. It’s exciting!” 

This goal also includes investing in professional development resources, building strategies for ending appropriate practices across the network and acknowledging/repairing harm, and promoting the new non-appropriative reward and recognition emblems.

Journey toward equity and justice by advancing inclusion, dismantling racism and oppression in ourselves and our institutions. 

This goal includes recognizing innovative inclusion practices, breaking down participation barriers, expanding relationships with other equity-minded community-based organizations, continuing to build a culture of inclusion, investing in DEIA professional development and partnering with young people on these issues.  

“We hear from young people that issues of inequity and injustice (along with concerns around mental health and the climate crisis) are upsetting, demoralizing, and can feel overwhelming,” Shawna said. “This is where Camp Fire comes in. We can do our part to support young people to learn more, create change, and develop a strong sense of self and community so that they can take on these challenges.”

What area of focus gets you the most excited for 2023? 

The post Getting focused: Our goals for 2023-2025 appeared first on Camp Fire.