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Blog Entries - youth development
Youth Summer Programs Provide Critical Services for Kids and Communities
The start of summer saw many cities struggling to manage large, unofficial gatherings of teenagers often called “teen takeovers.” Several adults and teens were injured over Memorial Day weekend in Chicago in
The Camping & Education Foundation Expands Its Impact
The Camping & Education Foundation received its first grant from NRF in 2018. At that time, the Foundation had been in operation for almost 100 years offering immersive summer camp experiences to generations of kids in
Grantee Spotlight: Refugee Education and Adventure Challenge
Refugee Education and Adventure Challenge (REACH) is an outdoor recreation organization based in Chicago that serves refugee youth and their families. REACH was founded in 2015 by Shana Wills, who had decades of
Middle Childhood Needs Increased Focus
Many youth development interventions focus on two critical periods of childhood: the early years and the adolescent years. While there is a lot of data to suggest that these are the two greatest periods of change for
Summer Camps Help Kids Grow
The summer camp industry in the U.S. dates back to the mid-1800s. Thomas W. Gunn established the Gunnery Camp, a camping program exclusively for his all-male students, in 1861 in Connecticut. Only thirteen years later,
LGBTQ+ Youth Thrive in Supportive Environments
Research shows that the discrimination experienced by LGBTQ+ youth because of their identities is linked to an increased risk of suicide and lack of access to mental health care. This finding comes from a 2024 survey of