1924

January 2, 2025
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Pursuing a broader vision of youth leadership education, the founders establish the American Youth Foundation to train people for leadership in all life’s vocations.

They create the AYF motto, “My own self, at my very best, all the time.”

The founders acquire property in Stony Lake, Michigan, which they call Miniwanca. This name came from conversations with Native Americans in the region and was originally translated as the “Big Sea Camp.” Over time, the community has come to associate Miniwanca with “land of many waters,” a nod to the presence of Stony Lake and Lake Michigan, which are linked by Stony Creek.