three girls stand together, arms around each other, smiling for a photo

3 reasons we need afterschool programs NOW

Camp Fire Heart of Iowa Out-of-school-time programs really matter in the day-to-day lives of families and young people. They are also a core strategy in Camp Fire’s mission to connect young people to the outdoors, to others, and to themselves. We’ve written about our commitment to developing quality programs before,

Almost 25 million kids are waiting to get into an afterschool program

Talk about a gap! in early 2020, there were 7.8 million young people in afterschool programs—and 24.6 million more who would be if a spot was available. (1) But this is pre-pandemic data; the demand for quality afterschool programming has only grown since March 2020. Although 83 percent of afterschool

Youth Protection in a Pandemic & Beyond

Written by: Youth Development Expert Nikki Roe-Cropp Director of Program Effectiveness, Camp Fire National Headquarters Nikki currently serves on the National Alliance of Youth-Serving Organizations for Child Protection. She is passionate about helping all youth reach their full potential through safe, positive youth development experiences and knows that child safety

Camp Fire Just Keeps Getting Better (On Purpose)

Camp Fire’s Thrive{ology} framework teaches kids to have a Growth Mindset and Reflect on what they’ve learned. And we like to practice what we preach! We want to make sure our programs deliver on our promise: to help young people find their spark, lift their voice and discover who they

Beyond Camp: Our Out-of-School Time Programs

  September means school is in full swing, and so are Camp Fire’s Out-of-School Time (OST) programs! Yes, “camp” is literally our first name, but we help kids find their sparks in so many other ways. In fact, 47 of our councils offer programs before school, after school, and during

“So this is where they keep the stars…”

SUMMER CAMPS! It’s that time… it’s almost camp season. The school-year is winding down, and we’re getting fired up to spend the summer with tens of thousands of campers across the country! We know there a million different things you and your family can fill your summer with, but these are

Shine a Spotlight on the Work You Do – Afterschool

Camp Fire Gulf Wind The Afterschool Snack, a resource of the Afterschool Alliance, recently ran an article on how to tap into the calendars of your state and national officials now that they’re nearing their yearly recess. Camp Fire councils are doing amazing work around the nation. When elected officials