Towns across America flock to county fairs every summer ready for a day of face painting, sweet treats, and pockets full of paper tickets for carnival games. Merrowvista hosts its...

Younger campers spend most of their time exploring Merrowvista’s vast acreage, enjoying Interest Groups like arts and crafts and the waterfront at Dan Hole Pond. They play community-wide games and...

Waking up in the mornings can be hard, especially after a full day of camp fun. Merrowvista has a unique way to get kids out of bed: Go-Getters. For about...

One of the biggest parts of the Merrowvista experience is the opportunity to take part in hiking trips. Campers of all ages participate in a hiking trip, and as they...

“I’m hungry – when’s lunch?” “Can I have a snack?” “What’s for dessert tonight?” Camp staff hear these questions constantly during a typical day. Mealtime is one of the most...

This week, Director of Girls Camp Bethany Wise shares what our friends at West Camp have been up to! Session A of Miniwanca is already more than halfway over, and...

Director of Boys Camp Paul Kerchberger checks in this week with dispatches from Miniwanca Boys Camp. This week, Miniwanca welcomed 124 two-week Darers and Pioneers to camp, kicking off the...

It was a Silver Opening Day as rain poured on cars driving up the huge hill leading to camp. Energetic staff and leaders waited to greet campers as they arrived...

Last month, Merrowvista welcomed new and former staff from across the world to prepare for the arrival of this summer’s campers. The staff team spent time getting to know one...

Holley Young’s history with the American Youth Foundation started in 1975 when she attended Miniwanca Girl Camp as a Piper. Five weeks later, she was hooked and nearly inconsolable about...

More than 150 teens gathered on the sand dunes of Miniwanca for National Leadership Conference. The American Youth Foundation’s oldest program, NLC is a transformative week of community building and...

The staff at Camp Merrowvista are hard at work getting ready for the arrival of the summer 2023 campers. One unique tradition staffers and campers at Merrowvista share, Keep Camp...

As they prepared for summer 2022, the American Youth Foundation team was determined to provide a strong network of support for campers struggling with emotional health. Director of Community Life,...

More than 85 people took to the links on Monday, May 8 to golf for a good cause on Monday, May 8, raising nearly $95,000 for scholarship funds to support...

Two dozen red-shirted Nestlé Purina PetCare employees gathered outside the American Youth Foundation office in St. Louis on a bright Tuesday morning to learn a little more about the AYF...

Director of Miniwanca Griffin Vogler brought her passion for community, mentorship, and inspirational growth to the American Youth Foundation in 2020 after a 10-year career in the senior healthcare industry....

Join the American Youth Foundation online Wednesday, May 24 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT for “Advancing Toward Our Best,” an AYF-wide townhall. We’ll share exciting updates regarding the AYF’s...

Aubrie Boyd grew up loving summer camp life, from her first sleepaway camp experience at Camp Wyandot in Ohio to her role as a seasonal staffer at other campers. She...