Category: Impact

The Fellowship Program: Growth and Giving Back

At A Thousand Summers we are thrilled to be able to provide the gift of summer camp to amazing kids around the country. As our campers return year after year, their friendships deepen, the adventures get more challenging, their love of the outdoors expands, and the personal growth becomes more significant. When our campers age out of camp, some of them can’t wait to return as counselors.

We developed the ATS Fellowship Program three years ago to provide ongoing leadership opportunities for the young people we serve as they move beyond their camper years and seek employment as camp counselors. In 2025, nine of our Campership Program alums were enrolled as Fellows at seven of our thirteen associate camps.

Prior to the start of camp, Fellows participate in some of our Compass Program sessions and Camp Chats with campers and families to answer questions and provide advice based on their own camp experiences. Upon arriving at camp, our campers see a friendly and familiar face—someone they’ve met before on the pre-camp virtual sessions—which helps them feel a little bit more at ease.

“It makes campers more comfortable when right off the bat a counselor says, ‘Oh yeah, I was a scholarship camper too.’ For me, as a camper, it made it less overwhelming to know I wasn’t the only person there. I had a counselor who was a scholarship camper as well. Having been a camper before and understanding some of the struggles can be really helpful.”—Cameron

While at camp, Fellows serve as positive role models for campers and provide a sense of comfort and belonging for our younger ATS campers as they get to know someone like them who has successfully navigated the camp experience and is now on the camp staff. The camp environment is new, and adjustment can sometimes be difficult. It is reassuring to have a counselor who understands those challenges because he or she has experienced them too.

“There’s a certain expectation as a Fellow to be a place of comfort for those who are ATS campers since we’ve personally been in their situation. My job as a counselor is to make the space fun and to be there for my campers.”—Jean

In addition to helping kids learn and grow over the summer, the Fellows also learn a great deal about themselves and their leadership abilities. They gain valuable interpersonal, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that are highly sought after and transferrable to other educational and professional settings. The connections they make and the professional development they receive from ATS and from their camps are invaluable.

“This year I really grew a lot in my confidence in being able to lead a trip. I grew in my outdoor skills and was proud of myself for getting out there and giving it my best shot.”—Paula 

Being a camp counselor is an incredibly rewarding and fun job, but a camp counselor salary is quite low. We are very aware of the financial restraints of our Fellows. Many of them are in their first year or two of college and need a job that pays well over the summer in order to make ends meet.

We want our young alums to be able to pursue their love of the outdoors and their leadership journeys, and so we implemented an additional stipend for each Fellow to make working at camp a more financially viable summer alternative. This stipend recognizes their additional training and their added responsibilities of supporting ATS campers. Fellows have shared with us that without this stipend, they would not be able to work at camp.

“I want more people to be able to experience the outdoors. My plans for the future are to find ways to help the outdoors be more accessible for everyone. The Fellowship stipend has allowed me to come back to camp to pursue what I want to do but still have the money I need.”—Olivia 

Our camp directors also see the value of having Fellows on staff. As Will Coleman, the Director of Big Spring Ranch for Boys at Sanborn Western Camps shared, “The value of having campers return as staff members is the understanding of what we’re trying to do here. They know how it’s supposed to feel. They bring elements of what they remember from their time as campers, and it creates a special culture. The ATS kids who come back on staff know the value of camp and don’t take it for granted.”

Having Fellows on staff also helps our camps as they aspire to increase racial and socioeconomic diversity within their camp communities. The Fellows Program assists our camps in addressing staffing challenges by providing knowledgeable and motivated candidates who know firsthand the power of camp and how it can change lives. With greater staff diversity, our camps are also able to provide greater connection and support for their campers who come from diverse backgrounds—a group they are seeking to expand.

“It’s highly meaningful and incredibly important to have diversity on our staff, whether it’s racial diversity or economic diversity. We have campers on scholarship and campers of color and for them to have someone on staff who looks like them, talks like them, and acts like them gives them someone special to be able to connect and identify with.”—Will Coleman, Director of Big Spring Ranch for Boys at Sanborn Western Camps

The Fellowship Program is growing, and our goal is eventually to have at least one Fellow at every one of our associate camps. As the program continues to expand, a larger number of current ATS campers will have had exposure to a counselor who shares a similar background. Our hope is that those camper-counselor relationships will inspire younger campers to follow a similar path. In doing so, they will be able to give back and make their own imprint on future generations, as our 2025 Fellows did this summer.

“ATS was the only reason I was able to go to camp. The personal impact of camp really made me want to give the kids I was working with this summer the best experience possible and to develop them in ways that I was taught. I was so grateful to be there as a Fellow so that I could give that experience back.”—Owen

Giving Thanks—A Letter from Bailey

Dear A Thousand Summers,

As Thanksgiving approaches, I have been thinking about what I’m thankful for and my time at camp is near the top of the list. I want you to know how much camp means to me and how grateful I am to your donors who have made the camp experience possible for me.

Camp is not only fun; it helps you grow. And the past 3 years at camp have helped me grow in countless ways.

Oh wow, where do I start? Camp is pretty much all about trying new things! From your first sleep-away camp to your first hike to your first time trying jambalaya, camp is all about new experiences. There’s nothing more to say than that camp made me more curious and excited to learn. It’s thrilling and so, so worth it when you peak that first mountain. Especially since you know there’s so much more to come.

There are so many things that have helped me increase my confidence at camp. The freedom, the programs, the friends, the everything! Camp builds on your confidence in so many ways. For example, the hikes at the beginning of the term are easy: A hike to Ouzel Falls or Dream Lake. But by the 4th week, you could find yourself peaking three mountains in one day, or even going up Meeker! Camp does this to build your endurance, self-esteem, and confidence. And because of it, even if you’d never do it again, you can leave camp confidently thinking: “I did that.”

Camp is basically one big team. You’re always part of a group, a team, a family. And because of that, you always have to cooperate, listen, and trust one another. In hikes, you have to trust your group to stay together and motivate each other. In crafts, you have to be supportive and respectful of other works. During All-Camp and Playday, you’re either working with fellow campers to create a funny skit, or you’re helping your team win tug of war. It’s all a team effort. All of it. And you have to be committed to your team to win.

Camp also teaches you how to problem solve. When I went technical climbing, I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to get up to the next ledge on the rock, but after some back and forth with my friends who were belaying me and a few stumbles, I found some good footing and got to the ledge. You always have to problem solve at camp, but that’s what makes it so much better. Because it’s satisfying when you don’t know how to do something at first, and then some problem-solving pays off.

Nature has always just seemed to work with me, so spending a month immersed in the outdoors at camp is great. Camping outdoors makes me feel free and happy. Climbing on boulders is fun and refreshing. Hiking takes me to places that truly let my love for the natural beauty of the land flow. Although bug bites are really annoying, it’s worth a million mosquito bites just to see the breathtaking view from the peak of a mountain.

I had a lot of great experiences at camp, but it was the counselors that had the greatest impact on me this summer. They were so sweet and kind and just made me feel like I was on the top of the world. I could come to them with anything, and I knew they’d always listen. They motivated me in ways that have truly touched my heart, and I will never forget them.

This experience means everything to me. Not getting to go to camp truly feels like not getting to go home. It has impacted me so much and I would not be who I am today without it.

There just isn’t any combination of words in the entire world, in any language, that can tell you truly how much I thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me go back to the place I call a secondary home. It is truly a blessing that you made this happen for me.

Bailey

This gift of a camp experience quite literally changes the lives of both the campers and their families! This is an unmatched experience that gives kids the necessary tools they need to believe in themselves. Confidence, determination, perseverance, self-regulation, collaboration, and problem-solving are just a few of the amazing traits these kiddos strengthen at camp in a way that positively affects the rest of their lives! Camp has a direct impact on quality of life for everyone who is lucky enough to experience it.

—Bailey’s Mom

A Message of Thanks from Carlos

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 to shape their future. While at camp each summer, campers forge lifelong friendships and overcome challenges, becoming more confident, resilient, and responsible.

We are proud of the work we do together to change kids’ lives. Thank you for believing in our mission and for positively impacting the lives of some wonderful kids.

Click on the video below for a special message from Carlos explaining how grateful he is for your support.

Your Support is Changing Kids’ Lives

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 friendships and important life skills while having the time of their lives. We are so grateful to our supporters for making a difference in the lives of the young people we serve, and they are truly appreciative also.

You can hear from a few of them by clicking on the video below.

Annual Report Published

 

Entitled ‘A Year Unlike Any Other’ our latest Annual Report covering our July 2019 – June 2020 fiscal year has been published. We are sincerely grateful for our community’s collective gifts of TIME, TALENT and TREASURE that have been brought together to support the social and emotional growth and development of the amazing kids we served over the past year. As you read through the pages of this report, we hope that you will see the amazing support that this community has invested in the success of these kids in a year unlike any other.

Click HERE to download a copy of the report.

The Simple Pleasures of Summer Camp

Written by Guest Columnist: Debbie Leibold, JACF Trustee

As this school year comes to a close, I’m a little more sentimental than usual. You see, my youngest son just graduated from high school. It seems like yesterday that I was taking him for the first time to Cheley Colorado Camps for four weeks of fun and adventure. That was back in 2011. After I dropped him off at camp, I spent some time reflecting and wrote an article called “The Simple Pleasures of Summer Camp.” I rediscovered that article recently and it holds even more weight for me now as I think about my son heading off to college in just a couple of months.

 

He is well prepared and eager for this next chapter in his life, and I am excited for everything that awaits him. As much as I want to hang on, I know that his four years at camp taught him how to be away from home, how to deal with homesickness, how to live with others, how to work together, how to build community, how to face challenges and how to deal with adversity. For my son (and for me many years ago), those camp experiences fueled his love of the outdoors and a great respect for the simple moments—those powerful times of connection and sincerity that only occur when distractions are limited and stresses are gone.

Little did my son know when he was 11 years old that he was preparing himself for this moment… the chance to face new challenges and opportunities, meet a new community of people, further develop his character and independence, build resilience, and discover his own path as he heads off to college.

I think I’m the one who will be “kid-sick,” but I know that he’s ready to spread his wings and soar, thanks in part to the wonderful experiences he had at camp.

 

The Simple Pleasures of Summer Camp

I took my son to sleep-away camp for the first time this week.  He will be gone for a month at a traditional summer camp in Colorado.  I attended this camp as a child and worked there during my college summers, but it’s still a little nerve-wracking to leave your ten-year-old in the hands of a bunch of young “twenty-somethings” you’ve never met before.  Even though I used to be one of those “twenty-somethings” with whom parents left their children, for some reason, it feels a little different when it is your own child you are leaving. 

I was comforted by knowing my son would be enjoying the simple pleasures of living in the great outdoors, cooking over a campfire, riding horses, climbing mountains, encountering wild animals, experiencing Mother Nature’s unpredictability, and basically having the time of his life.  I have read lately that many traditional summer camps are going by the wayside, as parents see “more value” in a specialty camp that emphasizes one highly intensive program.  That “value” parents seek includes more tangible takeaways for campers, like awards, improved targeted skills, higher competition levels, increased academic achievement, and even experiences and honors to bolster a college application resume.  I am looking for just the opposite for my son.

My son spends the entire school year being pushed to achieve at a higher level.  He plays competitive sports, takes music lessons, and works hard to get good grades.  His older brother does all of those things too, but is already thinking about adding community service projects, part-time jobs, or other leadership roles so that he has something to feature on his college application . . . and he’s only thirteen.  Today’s children are constantly bombarded with messages that they must get better grades, earn higher test scores, play on a more competitive team, get into a more prestigious university, and just do more with less time to do it.  My children don’t need a summer camp to reinforce all of those messages. 

The technology-driven and competitive world our children live in is forcing them to grow up too fast.  Unstructured playtime and “exploring” have been replaced by tutoring sessions, professional coaching sessions, community service projects, standardized test preparation classes, extensive homework, and increasing family responsibilities. Unfortunately, that fast-paced world is a reality; however, those children who are lucky enough to “take the summer off” and go to a traditional sleep-away camp, will undoubtedly return to school, their families, and their increasingly pressure-filled world better equipped to manage the challenges that await them. 

A traditional summer camp provides all kinds of opportunities that demonstrate “fun with a purpose,” not just more drills or training in one particular activity, like the sports practices and coaching sessions many children (including my son) attend at home.  When children are offered chances to try challenging activities they’ve never done before, live with others they’ve never met before, or play in ways they’ve never played before, they become people they’ve never been before.  They learn how to build relationships, become more self-reliant, and explore their leadership potential.  They learn to set goals and work hard to achieve them.  They value a strong sense of community and learn to be compassionate toward others.  They also discover that honesty, loyalty, patience, and perseverance will help them through any situation.

I learned those lessons at camp in the 1980’s and watched my campers discover the same lessons when I was a camp counselor in the early 1990’s.  I can’t wait to hear stories about my son’s adventures, the camp food, and his new friends.  More importantly, I look forward to witnessing the changes in his character.  Of course, he’ll be the same boy I know and love, but he’ll also have a better-defined sense of self.  He’ll feel more confident when he faces challenges and will know that he can achieve anything with some hard work and dedication.

As adults, we would do ourselves a favor if we could just go back in time and remember how it felt to sit around the campfire with our closest friends, singing songs, and roasting marshmallows.  Nothing else in the world mattered except what we were doing at that very moment.  The pressures and worries all disappeared and we were completely free to be ourselves and truly enjoy the company of others.  In such a complicated world, I am refreshed by that simple vision.  I am also personally challenged to live in the moment and make the most of my opportunities.  But perhaps more than anything else, I feel inspired to create more “camp-like” times for my son when he returns home next month.  Rather than racing to the next activity, driving through the fast food window, rushing through the homework, and going to bed way too late, maybe, just maybe, we’ll have a camp moment of our own.  We’ll take the time to listen to one another as we share our stories.  We’ll laugh out loud.  We’ll celebrate the sunset.  We’ll talk about our dreams.  We’ll value our time together.  We’ll throw another log on the fire and roast another s’more – for it is often the little moments that make the greatest difference.

Debbie Leibold, Trustee, John Austin Cheley Foundation

 

If You Go – You WILL Grow!

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 more unique aspects of the John Austin Cheley Foundation’s Campership Program is that it provides funding to a camper for ‘their full lifespan of camp’. To understand the value this provides, we are constantly seeking to know more about the impact that repeated camp experiences have upon the kids we support. Our own summer camp outcomes data tells us that JACF Campership participants experience significant growth during their time at camp (Figure 1). By collecting outcomes data from our campers and their parents at the end of the summer we are able to see exactly how camp has shaped the campers’ growth.

Figure 1: JACF Summer Camp Data Outcomes*

    

As we engage with our alumni more we will gain a broader understanding of how they have continued to be influenced by their experiences at camp after they have ended. In the meantime…

… a new study on the lasting impacts of summer camp experiences has recently been published.

This study, funded in part by the American Camp Association and published in the Journal of Leisure Research, is particularly interesting to us because the participants included were, like our alumni, individuals not currently engaged with the camp experience. As Cait Wilson, PhD (research associate, University of Utah) points out, it is clear that camp has a lasting and positive impact on youth development!

“The first key takeaway is that all camp experiences impact young people’s lives for the better. Former campers said they developed a lot of important outcomes like relationship skills, independence, and a willingness to try new things.”

The findings show that people who repeatedly attended camp reported increased development.

Wilson notes that “Repeated participation in summer camp, may impact how and in what ways young campers develop. Specifically, this study examines how two factors of behavioral loyalty, dosage (e.g., weeks at camp) and developmental progression (e.g., transitioning from camper to camp employee), are associated with youth development attributed to the camp experience. Campers categorized as core participants (i.e., those reporting higher dosage and further developmental progression) were compared to fringe participants (i.e., those who reported lower dosage of camp and less developmental progression). There were significant differences in development for core and fringe participants based on both dosage and developmental progression. Although both core and fringe participants benefited from camp, core participants reported greater development of measured outcomes such as relationship skills, appreciation for diversity, and self-identity.”

Figure 2: Table summarizing the results from the study**

This study also supports JACF’s commitment to funding residential summer camp experiences in particular because greater development was shown to occur at overnight camps. This is likely because of more dosage as a result of more contact hours  – 24 hours per day.

These findings offer insight into the benefits of repeated participation in residential summer camp and support JACF’s commitment to fund a camper for their ‘full lifespan of camp’.

In short, the investment that our organization and our supporters make in providing repeat opportunities for our campers to attend camp produces a GREATER RETURN.

If you would like to read the full journal article on this study, it can be purchased here.

 

* These are samples of a larger set of outcomes data collected from JACF campers in 2018

**Published in the American Camp Association’s Research 360 Blog – Feb, 2019