Partners in Developing the Next Generation of Environmental Stewards 

Camping, like many Y programs, is about learning skills, developing character and making friends. But few environments are as special as camp, where kids become a community as they learn both how to be more independent and how to contribute to a group as they engage in physical, social and educational activities. 

Providing youth with outdoor experiences contributes to a stronger connection to nature and the outdoors, leading to better understanding of the world around us, the environment, and why it’s important to preserve our natural resources and take steps to ensure clean air and clean water and protect our nation’s public lands. 

Beginning in 2015, the YMCA & U.S. National Park Service launched the Bringing Youth Outdoors Together Summer Camp Program. Five years later, the program is a multi-site initiative that engages 16 local Ys to provide thousands of youth, particularly underserved and low-income youth, with a weeklong outdoor experience and excursions to their local national park. The initiative also builds leadership experiences and employment opportunities for hundreds of teens and young adults. Each year, Ys have served double the number of participants required by the grant and have leveraged and matched funds one-to-one. In 2019 alone, 9,822 children and youth had their first YMCA/NPS summer camp experience, 395 teens participated in leadership opportunities and 289 youth aged 18-25 were employed as counselors in the program. To date, the Y has provided more than 48,485 children with their first national park experience through the program.  

Centered on the elements of recreation, conservation and service, the program provides unique recreational opportunities, special learning experiences in nature and history, service experience through simple memorable work projects and continued leadership development through work experiences for staff and volunteers involved with the Y and NPS aspects of the program.   

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