News & Events
Alisa shares how attending camp gave her a summer of firsts…...
Will explains why this summer will be like no other....
During this traditional time of giving, we want to recognize you as part of a community committed to giving young people an opportunity so powerful that it has the potential ...
We would like to say THANK YOU to our loyal and generous supporters who help to provide the gift of camp to amazing kids around the country, allowing them to develop lifelong...
A Thousand Summers has the great fortune to partner with some of the highest quality outdoor adventure summer camps in the United States. Though their natural environments di...
To a certain extent, all children experience learning loss during the summer months when the school year ends. The temporary cessation of formal classes provided by th...
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We are very excited to welcome six new trustees to our governing board. They each begin their first three-year term of service on July 1, 2021, and bring valuable experience ...
We hope you will all join us for a short Zoom presentation and Q&A session for all former trustees. Tim Lucas, Executive Director, and Alyssa Street, Development Director...
We are pleased to share our Spring 2021 Newsletter featuring our Capstone Program as well as milestone anniversaries for some of our Associate Camps. Click here to view the n...
Each year, A Thousand Summers is honored to have some of our campers selected to prestigious leadership positions and programs at our associate camps. This year is no excepti...
A Thousand Summers works with incredible kids around the country who, as a result of their time at camp, are making a difference in their communities. Will is a 9th grader at...
The kids in our Campership Program missed out on going to camp in 2020. For the past 12 months schools have focused largely on remote learning and many face-to-face interacti...
Why is your support needed more now than ever before? It’s simple… because we want to be able to provide a life-changing summer camp experience for kids who missed out on...
Entitled ‘A Year Unlike Any Other’ our latest Annual Report covering our July 2019 – June 2020 fiscal year has been published. We are sincerely grate...
We are pleased to share our August 2020 edition of our monthly E-Newsletter which shares some of the highlights of our summer programming. Click here to view the newsletter ...
We are pleased to share our 30th Anniversary edition of our Newsletter featuring our first ever camper and our 1,000th camper. Click here to view the newsletter online or use...
This summer we did not want a pandemic to stop us from making it to camp. So we created a virtual Camp-To-Camp Hike for our 105 campers, their families and mentors, our alumn...
We are very excited to announce a campaign to establish a brand new fund – the ‘JACK CHELEY ENDOWED CAMPERSHIP.’ This $150,000 fund will ensure that a deser...
As we prepare for the summer of 2020, our organization’s 30th summer issuing Camperships, we remember our heritage and the milestones that have shaped our journey from ...
Watch a video presentation marking our 30th anniversary and ‘The Dream That Sparked A Thousand Summers’....
A selection of the kids on our Campership Program share their appreciation for your support as well as what they hope the summer at camp will hold....
During a recent visit to Clearwater Camp for Girls, Executive Director, Tim Lucas spoke with Nia about her experiences of camp after only her first couple of weeks of her fir...
We are deeply saddened by the unexpected death of John Austin Cheley Foundation trustee and former Board Chair John Boylan who passed away suddenly on July 3 at the age of 52...
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If you have children going to camp for the first time (or if you were ever a first-time camper yourself), you know that homesickness is very real. Dr. Michael Thompson, a sch...
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Over 100 kids from across the country are getting excited about new friends and new experiences at camp this summer! Karen Smith, JACF Director of Programs, has been busy mak...
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Central to our belief about summer camp is that if you go – you WILL grow! And what’s more, we believe the MORE you go – the MORE you will grow. One of the ...
Millions of children attend thousands of overnight camps throughout the United States each summer. If this was ever your experience, or is one that you lovingly provided to...
In 2018 the Foundation funded 104 month-long high-quality summer camp experiences for kids whose families cannot afford such an impactful opportunity. These kids each have a...
Camp gives kids the chance to immerse themselves in nature and get away from the technology that often occupies them. The benefits are numerous, including personal growth, te...
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Jack Chalender of Estes Park, CO, formerly of Overland Park, KS died in Estes Park on September 1. Ralph Evan (Jack) Chalender was born August 7, 1925 in Wellsville, KS to Ra...
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Patricia Jane Tuohy (Pat) 84, of Denver, Co died peacefully June 25th in Santa Fe, NM. Born in Chicago, IL, Pat was the daughter of the late Walter J. and Mary (Curry) Tuohy....
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Bill Goodwin served as a Trustee to JACF from 1996 to 2002. Bill passed away on January 27, 2018 at the age of 81. William A. Goodwin was born and raised in Des Moines, of pi...
Welcome to my life: I am a high school senior who could easily spend my summer getting a job or an internship – or as my family would call it, “real world experie...
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Kai Robles has attended Kawanhee Camp as a JACF camper for 5 years. Kai is 15 years old and lives in Denver, CO. Kai attempted to coordinate clean up days in his commu...
https://athousandsummers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Beautiful-Faces.mp4 Hetsia Leon has attended Colvig Camps as a JACF camper for 3 years. Hetsia is 15 year...
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https://athousandsummers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Care-and-Share.mp4 Skyler Gilliam has attended as a JACF camper for 2 years. Skyler is 15 years old and lives ...
https://athousandsummers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Cards-for-You.mp4 Evelyn Benitez has attended Colvig Camps as a JACF camper for 2 years. Evelyn is 15 years ol...
https://athousandsummers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Bye-Bye-Birdie.mp4 Dylan Tripp has attended Cheley Camps as a JACF camper for 5 years. Dylan is 15 years ...
https://athousandsummers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Inside-the-Childrens-Mind.mp4 Isabella has attended Cheley Camps as a JACF camper for 3 years. Isabella is...
https://athousandsummers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Classroom-Artwork.mp4 Bodhi is 15 years old, lives in Boulder, CO and is a 6th summer camper at Cheley Colorad...
Experiences OF and FOR a lifetime… Kayla Gallegos, from Chicago, IL can’t wait! She’s going on an epic quest this summer, where she will have adventures and make me...
Homer Clark Evans, 89, of Prairie Village, KS, died June 9, 2017 after a short illness. He was born December 5, 1927 in Pittsburg, KS to Faye and Homer F. Evans and lived in ...
To The John Austin Cheley Foundation, I am writing this letter on behalf of my 17-year-old son Devin M, whom received a scholarship from the Cheley Foundation, to attend the ...
John Tucker Lamkin Sr., died Mother’s Day a few weeks before his 95th birthday. Jack, as he was more familiarly known, was born June 11, 1922 in Cape and was a lifelong...
RAINY LAKE — It’s early afternoon on the shores of Frank’s Bay, International Falls, MN and a lunch bell starts to ring. From all directions, campers and staff descend...
The reduction in the amount of daily activity children are exposed to is commonly reported. Recess is under threat in schools, parents are less inclined to allow their childr...
Our Campership Program Director, Karen Smith loves this time of year, it makes her feel as though summer is just around the corner because…she is busy booking flights f...
Katherine has been involved with JACF since 1992 and has worked tirelessly to help 29 children attend camp for an amazing 1,638 days! The youth she sponsored went to various ...
Teens thrive on risk. Thanks to recent findings* about the unique attributes of the teen brain, we now understand the reason for the “mortality bump” for 17-year-old boys...
We are convinced that kids need camp. Today, like never before, teens and pre-teens are under tremendous pressure. Self-doubt, peer pressure, and a host of other harmful inf...
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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Pfeiffenberger, former JACF trustee and Cheley Colorado Camps camper. Andrew Rodgers Pfeiffenberger died peacefu...
Employers want it in their employees, employees want it in their bosses. We all want it in our kids. What is it? It’s called character. So what is it and why is it importan...
In an interpersonal world we are often faced with issues involving communication, empathy, understanding, self-awareness—or more precisely, a skill set associated with emot...
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Charles Godwin, former JACF trustee (1984-2004), Cheley Camps staff member (1960s and 1970s). Dr. Charles “Chuc...
Here’s a more fun way to prepare for college than studying: Go to overnight camp. Summer camp may not help you ace your college calculus class, but experts say being aw...
We are very fortunate to partner with some amazing summer camps, offering incredible and life changing experiences for their campers. Every now and again we are able to share...
While traditional definitions of “at-risk youth” focus on the socioeconomically under-served, others seem to point to a broader perspective. At-risk.org, a resour...
Camp is one of the most enjoyable ways for kids to spend the summer. But is it only about enjoyment, or can summer camp be a place where some of life’s great lessons c...
When you were young, did you know how to study for a test or make plans for college? Do you remember wanting your first car or looking for a part-time job? Simple things tha...
While giving is usually considered a selfless act, giving is often more beneficial for the giver than the receiver. In other words, providing social support of any kind can a...
Summer Camp has a significant role to play in managing the growth and development of the campers who enjoy the program and environment summer after summer. To understand quit...
Announcing the JACF #ExpandingOurImpactGivingTuesday Camper Contest!! Want to help the John Austin Cheley Foundation and earn great prizes at the same time that will help you...
Get ready for #GivingTuesday, a national day of giving, on December 1, 2015. As part of this year’s Annual CAMPaign, “Expanding Our Impact”, we are launching a series ...
Risk aversion can give rise to undesirable behavior later in life. The University of Sydney’s Playground Project states that a consequence of risk aversion is that childre...
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Strong academic skills are important, but they are not the only thing a child needs for success in life. What else is necessary and how can it be cultivated? A new report, F...
Do you ever feel you and your family spend too much time connected to technology and not enough time outdoors enjoying everything nature has to offer? Read More: Nature Defic...
Over the last five years a growing tidal wave of research makes it clear that there are a certain set of skills that predict for long-term success in life — and those are t...
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In 2012 the Open Journal Of Occupational Therapy published the findings of a study entitled ‘Effects of a Summer Camp Experience on Factors of Resilience in At-Risk You...
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Colorado Gives Day is coming up soon on Tuesday, December 9, and for the fifth year the John Austin Cheley Foundation is participating. COGives Day is a crowd funding even...
The JACF Annual CAMPaign is a movement to reconnect with your inner camp and share your stories to raise awareness of the impact that summer camp has had on you. With your su...
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Click here to view photos sent in by our 2014 Campership winners!...
Student Council President, Eagle Scout and 2013 and 2014 JACF Cheley Camper, Roger D. recently spoke at BBBS event about the challenges he has overcome, the support that he ...
Our 25th Anniversary Gala was a storming success. Our sincere thanks to the Denver Botanic Gardens, our special guest speakers Rue Mapp, Jason Ritter and JACF camper Luis Och...
Registration is closed as we make final preparations for the 400+ guests who will join us in celebrating our 25th Anniversary on September 27th at Denver’s Botanic Gard...
Click here to open the September 2014 version of the “Camp Matters’ newsletter. ...
96 JACF campers completed their summers at our 6 associate camps and the photos and reflections are pouring it. We are so grateful to our amazing Mentors for all of their har...
Members of the JACF staff and Board of Trustees recently conducted a visit to Sanborn Western Camps in Florissant, CO and what an experience it was! As a part of our ongoing ...