Discover your own best self.
We’re a nonprofit youth development organization that engages thousands of youth year round through community & school programs, summer camps, and leadership conferences at our beautiful properties in New Hampshire (Merrowvista) and Michigan (Miniwanca).
Since 1925, we have welcomed young people from around the world to our campuses to discover the richness of our outdoor environments, the fun of interacting with a positive community, and the challenge of self-discovery.
Miniwanca
Michigan
Set on 360 wooded acres and a mile of private Lake Michigan shoreline, Miniwanca is a breathtaking and inspiring setting for growth.
Learn More
Merrowvista
New Hampshire
Set on over 600 acres in the pristine Ossipee Mountains of New Hampshire, Merrowvista draws you into a life that is rustic, uncomplicated, and filled with excitement.
Learn More
National Leadership Conference
June 10-17, 2018
An 8-day conference for high school and college students, held in June at Miniwanca in Shelby, Michigan.
Learn More
7 Do’s and 1 Don’t for Preventing Homesickness
May has arrived with beautiful weather and sunshine here at Miniwanca, and with it comes the reminder that summer camp 2018 begins in less than …
PICOUP Award
We are thrilled to share with the AYF community that Anna Kay Vorsteg has been awarded the Association for Experiential Education’s 2018 PICOUP Award. Each year, …
Remembering Ryan Thomas
We are saddened to share that longtime camper Ryan Thomas died unexpectedly on April 16, 2018. Ryan spent many summers growing up at Miniwanca, following …
A Moment of Gratitude
Every April, powered by the Points of Light Foundation, some time is set aside for the celebration of National Volunteer Week. It serves as an …
Paying Attention: Four Trails, Four Folds
We don’t matter much, but the children do. Show them daisies and the pale hepatica. Teach them the taste of sassafras and wintergreen . . . Give them …
Remembering Jean Booker
Jean Booker was a committed educator and fervent advocate for youth. Over her years with the AYF, she was the driving force behind efforts to …