Each section of this report dives into these themes and why they matter. Here is a snapshot:

Relationships

Cultivating connection is why Camp Fire exists and one of our core values. But specifically, 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 relationships also benefit adults, our communities, and all of society.

Belonging

We all want to belong. For Camp Fire, we see belonging intertwined with wholeness. As part of our definition of thriving, we say:

“For young people in particular, finding a place where they can simply be—where they can exist fully—can be very difficult, especially when who they are is challenged by society. That’s why Camp Fire designs identity-affirming, accessible environments in which youth can experience the relationships, fun, inspiration, acceptance, safety and support they need in order to thrive.”1

Professional Development

In order to support young people in developing strong, impactful relationships, we must invest in the adults who work with youth. Our philosophy is that to support a whole child, we must support the whole adult. We provide comprehensive learning opportunities for all staff and volunteers in the Camp Fire network. Child safety has been a big focus over the past few years and will continue to be an area of investment in the years to come.

Youth Voice

Camp Fire designs and implements programs that are intentionally aimed at elevating youth voice. Research tells us that by listening to youth, really listening, youth-serving organizations can promote young people’s sense of agency and support them in inciting change. Honoring the power of young people is one of our eight core values and something we put into action: see examples here.

In this report, you will find inspiring stories in each of the sections from a few of our 47 affiliates in 24 states, and what we’re focused on in the future.

Over the past six years, we’ve been able to serve more than 613,000 youth and families across 4,600+ program sites. We seek to grow this number as well as make our programs more accessible and affordable, because growing up is hard and young people are hungry for connection (aren’t we all?). Thank you for your support in this work and fulfilling our vision:

a world where all young people thrive and have equitable opportunities for self-discovery, community connection, and engagement with nature.

Looking ahead,

Greg Zweber, President & CEO, Camp Fire National Headquarters

People & Impact: 2021-2022

The post Camp Fire’s People & Impact: 2021-2022 appeared first on Camp Fire.

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 development program evaluation, we explored what really happens at Camp Fire and in our programs, why it matters, the short-term and long-term benefits, and how to best communicate it all in a new way.

Through this process, we mapped out what we call internally our “program framework”, or The Camp Fire Journey.

“We’re getting clear on who we really are, not shifting directions,” explains Shawna Rosenzweig, Chief Strategy Officer at Camp Fire National Headquarters, as she described the Journey’s development process.  “We identified a core set of experiences that every young person should have as part of their time in Camp Fire,” Shawna reports. 

Here’s what the Camp Fire Journey looks like:

WHAT WE DO 

These six powerful youth experiences (aka, what we do) include:

• Experiential learning in, for, or about the community or outdoors
• Diverse, equitable environments that are inclusive of all young people
• Adults who prioritize youth
• Spark discovery (interest exploration)
• Peer-to-peer engagement
• Goal Management

“We also identified a core set of skills and mindsets we want every young person to walk away from Camp Fire with,” Shawna says. 

WHY IT MATTERS

These seven essential skills and mindsets (our program outcomes that we measure) include:

• Environmental Stewardship
• Contribution
• Social Skills
• Self-Management
• Positive Identity
• Creative Thinking
• Belonging

Then Camp Fire and Algorhythm dove into the research that ties those social-emotional learning (SEL) capabilities to long-term benefits for both individuals (like academic success and career readiness) and our communities (societal impact like environmental stewardship and engaged citizens). 

“For the first time, we’re able to offer our councils a suite of research that backs up what they are doing: If we do this program, then this is likely to happen for young people,” Shawna explains. “And we also know how those young people then can make a positive societal impact.”

The Camp Fire Journey gives councils tangible tools to ensure their programming is delivering those six powerful youth experiences and teaching those seven essential skills and mindsets. It also assures parents that Camp Fire’s programming is intentional, powerful and designed to lead to their child’s life-long well-being. In addition, the Journey is a strong motivator for Camp Fire staff.

“It can help staff understand why what they do matters,” says Shawna. “You are going to impact this young person in their individual life and have an impact on society as a whole.”

In the coming year, we’ll be breaking down the Camp Fire Journey in more detail on the blog and our social media channels. Follow along as we chart a new course to “guide young people on their journey to self-discovery”—Camp Fire’s original mission.   

The post New decade, new #CampFireJourney appeared first on Camp Fire.