Five Saturdays beginning March 13, 2021 Beginning this spring, AYF’s Summer Seminars for Women will offer a series of small group conversation circles. Using The Circle Way, a process developed...

As the American Youth Foundation prepares for summer 2021, the program and operations teams are eager to fill 200 seasonal staff jobs at Merrowvista and Miniwanca. AYF Senior Program Director...

In January, we announced dates and changes to our summer 2021 program offerings. Unfortunately, guidance regarding COVID-19 means we cannot offer our off-site Four Trails programs this year, since campers cannot...

We invite you to join us for a virtual experience that will bring intention to your new year, called the YearCompass. Originating over a decade ago by a  group of creative...

Though the AYF wasn’t able to welcome campers this summer, Miniwanca and Merrowvista were still abuzz this year with the whirring of power tools and landscaping equipment. The facilities teams...

Eight-year-old Kate Hampson had returned home to River Forest, Illinois after her first summer at Miniwanca in 2013. Almost every day, she watched a group of young adults with developmental...

Since the summer she spent on the sand dunes of Miniwanca in 2013, Taylor Eldridge has become an investigative journalist who has written award-winning work focusing on criminal justice. As...

by Dana Rieck As Black Lives Matter protesters took to the streets across the country after the death of George Floyd, the American Youth Foundation wanted to offer youth a...

Dear NLC staff, participants, and families, I hope this finds you well despite the very real challenges posed by the pandemic. If only COVID-19 were merely a hypothetical leadership scenario...

After careful assessment, the American Youth Foundation Board and staff feel we can offer safe, mission-supporting programs at Miniwanca and Merrowvista in summer 2021. It is clear that COVID-19 is...

by Liz Marshall As the pandemic rocked the country in spring 2020, American Youth Foundation alumni sought connection and community with their Founder Family despite the physical distance. They asked...

Creating a fundraiser on Facebook is an easy way to support the AYF on Giving Tuesday, and any goal amount is greatly appreciated. Here’s how to create a fundraiser, step...

2020 has been a challenging year for all nonprofit organizations as reduced revenues put a strain on human resources. This month, Zebra Crossings and the American Youth Foundation advanced their...

This Thanksgiving will be unlike any in recent memory. Instead of gathering, we’re asked to stay home for the collective good. Instead of packing the car or boarding our flights,...

Wow, Founder Friends! Thank you for making yesterday our most successful #GivingTuesday ever! Your contributions raised more than $20,000 in scholarship support for participants at Merrowvista, Miniwanca, National Leadership Conference,...

Fall at Merrowvista is a magical time not many get to experience. Enjoy these beautiful snapshots of camp in all its autumnal glory, and share your favorite photos of camp...

More than 50 enkindled spirits gathered for an evening of celebration and connection during Be the Spark!, the American Youth Foundation’s first virtual fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 25. The event...

by Karen Reimer and Jan Strube The origins of the National Leadership Conference are rooted in the earliest days of the American Youth Foundation. Learn about the evolution of this...