Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
In 2021 we welcomed the return of summer camp after a year off due to COVID-19 and expended our school break camps. We piloted a Nature Immersion Program with Exploration High School connecting students to nature all year by integrating on-site field trips with in-class environmental education. Our preK-12 environmental education program resumed in-person field trips and in-class programs led by Camp Fire naturalists and continued to provide live-virtual field trips to meet the needs of schools. We formed new afterschool partnerships focused on engaging low-income and BIPOC young people in hands-on experiences that encourage them to grow their relationship with nature and celebrate their unique interests, backgrounds, and identities. And we expanded our My Nature Connection online library offering free nature lessons.
In 2021, we served 6,344 young people through in-person and live-virtual programs and reached an additional 3,957 young people through our My Nature Connection lessons. Overall, 48% of program participants attended with financial aid or scholarship support. As a result of participating in Camp Fire’s nature-based programs, 89% of Camp Fire report valuing nature and a desire to steward the environment and 85% of youth feel a sense of belonging in the Camp Fire community.
We also took critical steps in our diversity, equity, and inclusion work to be more welcoming and affirming of the young people we serve, including the introduction of all-gender cabins for overnight summer camp and forming a board/staff Equity Action Committee to create an organizational Inclusion Plan launching in 2022.
Current Goals
In 2022, we will engage more young people in our programs and to expand cross-program participation connecting more school-based program participants with summer nature-based programs such as camp. Our Nature Immersion Program that piloted in 2021 with Exploration High School will expand with the school to add 11th grade. Our summer camp program will return to offering overnight camp after two years of no overnight camp due to COVID-19. As part of our work to affirm LGBTQIA2s+ young people, our summer camp will also launch all-gender cabins for overnight camps. School-based programs such as preK-12 field trips and afterschool programs are expected to see slight growth and an increased emphasis on increasing the number of program days with participants. Additionally, we will pilot a new nature preschool partnership with Eastern Carver County Schools Community Education.
As we look to 2022, we anticipate serving over 7,000 young people in our programs and reaching an additional 2,000 through My Nature Connection, our free online nature lessons resource. We anticipate 50% of our program participants will attend with financial aid or scholarship support.
Our diversity, equity, and inclusion work will continue evolving so to be welcoming and affirming of the young people we serve. Camp Fire will take steps to address past and current Native American cultural appropriation, publish an Inclusion Plan along side a new Strategic Plan for 2023, and make organizational, program, and site improvements so that each young person has the opportunity to engage in the outdoors freely and safely.
Community or Constituency Served
Youth ages 5-17 years old
Geographic Area Served
Minneapolis/St.Paul Metro Area and Outstate MN
