Blog
Find out what's happening at AYF and our camps. You can also view blog posts for summer camp by using the links below:
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July 5, 2024
Dispatch from the Merrowvista Director – Day 3!
Camp Director Katsu Okuma is back with another dispatch from Merrowvista! Our first week has been filled with sunshine, new friends, community, and sunscreen. We …
July 5, 2024
Girls Camp celebrates Miniwanca Magic
Girls Camp Director Bethany Wise recaps the Fourth of July festivities this year. Camp Miniwanca 2024 is off to a flying start! We welcomed over …
July 5, 2024
Summer Camp 2024 arrives at Miniwanca
Four Trails Manager Regan Gibson Wiesler recaps the first week of summer 2024 at Miniwanca. The first week of camp has been an incredible journey …
July 2, 2024
Summer 2024 kicks off in Canaan Valley
Summer camp 2024 has officially begun at Merrowvista! Our first campers arrived on Sunday, and we’re already making new friends and building community in the …
June 28, 2024
National Leadership Conference ignites inner sparks as summer 2024 begins
Nearly 200 high schoolers descended on Miniwanca this month for the National Leadership Conference, a week of leadership development through community, discussion, and play. “I …
June 26, 2024
Merrowvista prepares for summer camp 2024
Only 4 more days until Session A Opening Day! Interim Camp Director Katsu Okuma and the season staff are hard at work preparing Merrowvista for …
May 30, 2024
United Way honors Oceana County Leadership Lab teens
Three cheers are in order for four Oceana County teens whose volunteer efforts were recently recognized by United Way of the Lakeshore in west Michigan. …
May 30, 2024
2024 Donald Danforth Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament raises more than $100,000
More than 100 people took to the greens of Algonquin Golf Club in St. Louis this month at the 22nd Donald Danforth Jr. Memorial Golf …
May 29, 2024
Staff Spotlight: Merrowvista’s Mads “Earl” Chomentowski
The Four Trails program at Miniwanca first sparked Mads Chomentowski’s love for outdoor adventure when they were a teen. Now, Mads (better known as “Earl” …
May 28, 2024
Charting a Centennial Voyage
An anniversary is a chance to reflect on the past year and consider what’s next. As the American Youth Foundation plans its 2025 centennial events …
April 29, 2024
AYF Regional Action Networks gather Founder Friends across the U.S.
As the American Youth Foundation prepares for its centennial in 2025, President Liz Marshall and Vice President of Advancement Sandra George have tapped eager alums …
April 29, 2024
Staff Spotlight: Miniwanca’s Brianna Moynihan
Miniwanca Assistant Director of Camps Brianna Moynihan has attended summer camp for as long as she remembers: as a camper, then a counselor, and a …