Miniwanca was filled with laughter as the campers headed into another typical day. Campers spent their morning with friends in various interest groups, sporting newly painted nails from the Wanca...

The day at Girls Camp began like any other typical Miniwanca day with a morning Polar Bear dip before breakfast followed by cabin CORE (Connect, Orient, Reflect, Empower) sessions. The...

With the first two full days of camp complete, campers are learning the routines of life at Miniwanca. The daily theme for these fun days were “wonder” and “intention,” two...

Bryant Field at Boys Camp had its first action-packed morning of the summer on Monday, June 27. Campers joined together to raise flags, participate in morning stretches, and prepare the...

The air was buzzing with excitement for Opening Day as staff welcomed campers back to Miniwanca. Beginning at noon and lasting just past 5 p.m., campers arrived on site with...

The sun is shining, Lake Michigan is roaring, and staff are smiling as summer 2022 staff training is almost finished. With just one day left until Session A campers arrive,...

Thank you to all who joined us Tuesday evening at Advancing Toward Our Best! We recorded the webinar for those who weren’t able to make it. We hope it provides...

Volunteers recently gathered in the crisp spring air at Miniwanca and Merrowvista to roll up their sleeves and prepare the sites for summer 2022. At Miniwanca, Director of Operations Griffin...

For as long as she can remember, Carrie Hargreaves Smith was interested in a health care career. She loved math, science, and learning about all the human body’s intricate processes....

More than a dozen members of the American Youth Foundation staff recently completed Camp Mental Health Certification offered by Let’s Empower, Advocate, and Do. LEAD is a nonprofit dedicated to...

After years of leaning and disuse, the beloved Assembly at Miniwanca will see new life in 2023. Visitors to Girls Camp last year saw the nearly century-old building propped against...

One of Emily Jones Knuth’s fondest camp memories is serving as Quad Leader in eighth grade and again as a high school senior. She relished the chance to add 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...

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 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...