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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All blog entries
March 25, 2022
Staff Spotlight: Merrowvista’s Jamie O’Hagin
Jamie O’Hagin knows what it’s like to be the nervous new kid at camp. A bully tarnished her only prior camp experience, and she was …
March 25, 2022
AYF takes action steps toward DEI goals
The American Youth Foundation is committed to building equitable program communities and empowering youth to create equity in their own communities. Director of Community Life, …
March 22, 2022
Enkindled Spirits: Robert Pike
by Dana Rieck High school physics teacher Robert Pike works hard to learn his students’ names within the first three days of each semester, so …
February 23, 2022
Merrowvista Wayfinders leave a legacy at North Star Shelter
Summer 2021 was filled with joys and challenges as the American Youth Foundation found new ways to welcome campers back to Miniwanca and Merrowvista in …
February 21, 2022
SSW Book Club: Atlas of the Heart
Welcome to our Conversation Circle project. In this free online course, we will have the chance to form small groups to work through Brené Brown’s …
February 18, 2022
Staff Spotlight: Miniwanca’s Michael Harter
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 …
February 18, 2022
Prindle Institute partnership shapes seasonal staff experience
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 …
February 18, 2022
NLC finds closer connection in 2021
by Dana Rieck National Leadership Conference participants were finally able to gather on the dunes of Miniwanca once again in 2021, albeit in a new, …
January 25, 2022
Honoring the legacy of the Fellowship Building at Miniwanca
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 …
January 25, 2022
All welcome to join virtual spring programs
The American Youth Foundation experience extends long past when participants complete youth programs at Miniwanca and Merrowvista. As both sites prepare to welcome adults back …
January 25, 2022
Creating Conversation and Change
While the COVID-19 pandemic brought many losses, it also ushered in new methods for creating community using virtual tools instead of live gatherings. One such …
January 24, 2022
Staff Spotlight: Merrowvista’s Kim Novotny
Kim Novotny knows meals at Merrowvista are important community experiences. As Food Program Manager, she strives to make those meals healthy, delicious, and memorable. Novotny …