Founder Fire
December 8, 2021
Rekindling Community in Summer 2021
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: …
November 17, 2021
AYF President Anna Kay Vorsteg reflects on summer 2021
After a long year of wait and worry, the bells of Miniwanca and Merrowvista finally rang once again this summer. They signaled much more than …
April 21, 2021
Enkindled Spirits: Daniel Gottshall
Daniel Gottshall, 10, was disappointed when he found out the American Youth Foundation would not be able to welcome campers to Miniwanca in 2020. His …
December 15, 2020
Enkindled Spirits: Kate Hampson
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 …
December 15, 2020
Enkindled Spirits: Taylor Eldridge
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 …
December 4, 2020
Connecting across the miles, across the generations
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 …
November 18, 2020
Embark on a pilgrimage this holiday season
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 …