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 support the John Austin Cheley Foundation will continue to bring this opportunity and this impact to more and more low income and underserved youth all across the United States.
DONATE NOW to our Annual CAMPaign and ensure the “inner camp” experience for low income, underserved youth around the country. Help us reach our goal of raising $600,000 for camperships for summer 2015.
Make your meaningful contribution TODAY and along with it spread the word about JACF and its impact by writing your own inner camp stories and sharing them here and/or on your own social media pages, with photos and videos, too, and with the hash tag #channelyourinnercamp.
Luis O, a JACF camper for the past two summers at Sanborn Western Camps, shared his great inner camp story with us at our 25th Anniversary Gala just a few weeks ago:
“Throughout my life, I have lived in the same house in Chicago with my two parents and occasionally my grandparents. I was born into poverty. My mother maintained a job as a janitor while my father desperately tried to find a job. From the background I am coming from, something as luxurious as a month away at one of the best camps in America was not something I could ask for. My experience at camp would have me going home with a greater sense of who I was. Camp gave me the confidence to talk, which for going now to a school like Exeter where every class is a discussion was huge. Not only has camp given me the time of my life, it has also helped with grades, class participation, meeting new friends, and living a healthy lifestyle. Without camp, I can’t say that I would be where I am today.”
– How about replying with a post of your own “inner camp” story to help us achieve the goal of raising $600,000 for the summer of 2015 to provide camperships for youth to attend extended-stay wilderness summer camps that have a proven track record of positively impacting youth development.
– Consider making a meaningful pledge today to pass forward the “inner camp” experience to youth like Luis all around the country – click here to contribute to our Annual CAMPaign online.
JACF Campers shared their inner camp stories in the following videos – click here to take a peek!
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 Youth’, which addressed the impact of a summer camp experience on at-risk middle school youth by exploring self-reported growth in skill development and resilience. Results showed statistically significant differences in the campers’ belief of a good future for themselves Three significant themes emerged from individual in-depth interviews including: (a) engagement influences skill competence (b) the camp environment expands positive choice and availability of positive occupations (c) males developed skills and resilience from informal physical activity while no equivalent existed for females. Middle school aged at-risk youth can benefit from occupation-based summer camp programs that promote active engagement in an enriched environment and sustain gains once they return to high-risk environments. This research contributes to a growing understanding of the potential contribution of occupational therapy in the design and delivery of effective summer camp experiences for at-risk youth. Read the full study report Continue reading “Impact of a summer camp experience on at-risk middle school youth”
