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...

“Polar Bear, Polar Bear – rah, rah, rah! Polar Bear, Polar Bear – ha! ha! ha!” So chant the voices of campers on the shores of Lake Michigan and Stony...

Three weeks ago, Camp Miniwanca sprang to life after 18 months of cocooning and the first missed summer in almost 100 years. The sacred spaces and places welcomed the Rekindle...

The chorus of bird song seemed to pause momentarily as the Turn of the Road bell rang out over the Draws, Dunes, Ridges, and Trails to wake up the campers...

As our three-week voyage of discovery heads into its final few days, the community has become deeply intertwined, cabins feel like home, and everyone has accepted the dare to discover...

At Miniwanca, Quads support each other and people flourish as they dare to dream. The golden sun shined brightly above downtown Miniwanca to kick off Dreams Come True, Adventure Day!...

“Polar Bears! Polar Bears! Come on, all you Polar Bears!” traveled through the cabin bays as the lifeguards made their way down to Lake Michigan to start the morning. Brave...

After the Polar Bears went for a dip, a golden Miniwanca day began with a morning stretch that included learning the dance moves to the rekindle summer flash mob. Next,...