The American Youth Foundation is committed to building equitable program communities and empowering youth to create equity in their own communities. Director of Community Life, Diversity, and Inclusion Ambrean Ford...

by Dana Rieck High school physics teacher Robert Pike works hard to learn his students’ names within the first three days of each semester, so they feel valued and appreciated...

Summer 2021 was filled with joys and challenges as the American Youth Foundation found new ways to welcome campers back to Miniwanca and Merrowvista in the midst of a pandemic....

Welcome to our Conversation Circle project. In this free online course, we will have the chance to form small groups to work through Brené Brown’s latest book, Atlas of the...

Michael Harter’s career has always found him at the intersection of youth empowerment and mental health, a passion he credits to his own foundational experiences as an AYF participant. He’s...

American Youth Foundation programs provides life-shaping moments not just for campers, but also for seasonal staff, like The Prindle Institute for Ethics students Gianna and Julia, who shared their experience...

by Dana Rieck National Leadership Conference participants were finally able to gather on the dunes of Miniwanca once again in 2021, albeit in a new, more intimate way. While the...

Miniwanca has seen many significant improvements to its facilities in recent years, including extensive renovation of the West Eating Lodge and more than 50 cabins at Girls Camp and Boys...

The American Youth Foundation experience extends long past when participants complete youth programs at Miniwanca and Merrowvista. As both sites prepare to welcome adults back to in-person events this summer,...

While the COVID-19 pandemic brought many losses, it also ushered in new methods for creating community using virtual tools instead of live gatherings. One such virtual event took place in...

Kim Novotny knows meals at Merrowvista are important community experiences. As Food Program Manager, she strives to make those meals healthy, delicious, and memorable. Novotny first joined the Merrowvista seasonal...

The American Youth Foundation is thrilled to welcome back more campers in 2022, and Merrowvista and Miniwanca are seeking energetic individuals to join their seasonal youth development teams for a...

For the first time in more than a year, a familiar sound could be heard across the dunes of Miniwanca and the valleys of Merrowvista: campers’ voices, laughing and singing...

Regan Gibson Wiesler first encountered the American Youth Foundation when she attended National Leadership Conference in 2012, an experience that created lasting bonds with her class and the AYF. Since...

At the American Youth Foundation, we believe that we are all responsible for building equitable community. Our organization’s work is to amplify the voice of youth and encourage them to...

Ambrean Ford had never heard of the American Youth Foundation or Miniwanca when she accepted a job as a Girls Camp cabin leader in 2016. She joined the seasonal staff...

After a long year of wait and worry, the bells of Miniwanca and Merrowvista finally rang once again this summer. They signaled much more than a return – each intonation...

Join the Giving Tuesday movement Tuesday, Nov. 30 and help a young person experience the life-changing power of an AYF program. Every child deserves the chance to live at their...