Register Today

With two older sisters at Miniwanca, Bridget Gilmore impatiently waited until she could join the fun at 9 years old. She spent seven happy summers on the sand dunes as a camper, and then returned to spend four summers on staff as a cabin leader and leading several Four Trails trips. A decade after her last summer at Miniwanca, Gilmore reflects on how camp shaped her perspective on balanced living as an adult.

What sets the AYF apart from other youth development programs?
“Now about a decade into my career, I hear discussion of balance: work-life balance, balance in our relationships, our relationship to working out, to our ability to be alone with ourselves. As I see adults struggling to seek this balance, I realize how lucky I was to have this guide to balanced living imprinted on me from such a young age. Balancing our mental, physical, social, and spiritual lives – the four-fold way of life, as we refer to it in the AYF – is an incredibly powerful way of being.

“There is a magic to the schedule of the days at the AYF. There is time for moving your body, for laughing with friends, for sitting and watching the sunset. You are challenged to find a space to be with yourself while surrounded by nature.

“By overcoming challenges in each of the four folds, you begin to understand yourself on the deepest level. The AYF is run by incredibly intelligent, intentional, and loving individuals, and it wasn’t until I was on staff that I understood how every moment is curated to allow young people to have the time and space to find their best selves.”

How have AYF programs affected you?
“The AYF taught me how to take on responsibility with maturity and how to handle challenges with steadiness. As an Odyssey leader, I remember feeling that every mile farther from Miniwanca was a mile I was responsible for getting my group back home safely. I felt the pressure but also felt my capability. There were true challenges: countless flats tires, downpours that set us behind schedule, participants needing encouragement to make it up that mountain. I found that biking 60 to 70 miles a day was the easiest part of the job, and I loved every minute of it.”

Why do I support the AYF?
“I support the AYF – and encourage others with the ability to do so to do the same – as I believe deeply that everyone, regardless of socio-economic status, deserves to know the joy and freedom of a summer at camp. I returned home each summer happier, stronger, and usually singing the same songs over and over again until my parents insisted I stop.”