About
Our mission is simple: To develop, in young people, respect for self, community and the environment, through wilderness adventure and environmental education.
Mission
Our mission is simple: To develop, in young people, respect for self, community and the environment, through wilderness adventure and environmental education.
Widjiwagan’s mission of respect for self, others and the environment has become a powerful living heritage and the basis for a strong community.
Respect is the foundation of all Widjiwagan experiences.
- Respect for self: Respect begins by believing in yourself and your own capabilities. At Widji we stress taking care of yourself and taking responsibility for your actions.
- Respect for others: We emphasize goal setting, sharing and working together as a group to accomplish more collectively than would be possible individually. We honor individual differences, believing that diversity presents many opportunities for learning and personal growth.
- Respect for the environment: Travel in the wilderness is conducted using "Leave No Trace" ethics and standards.
- Respect for equipment: We stress the importance of taking care of the tools and equipment we use in wilderness travel.
At Camp Widjiwagan, we believe that every young person deserves to have access to the transformative experiences that take place in nature and in the wilderness. We also acknowledge that these experiences are not accessible to all young people. We are committed to continuing to work on increasing accessibility, responsiveness, and accountability to communities currently underrepresented and underserved. Fulfilling Widjiwagan's mission of developing in youth respect for self, others, and the environment demands that we explicitly practice anti-racism in all aspects of Widjiwagan's organizational culture and curriculum. For more details on Widjiwagan’s commitment to anti-racism, please read our Commitment to Community.
Camp programming
The focus is wilderness and teens. In the summer, Widji provides wilderness canoeing and backpacking trips for teens, ages 12–18, throughout North America. During the school year Widji operates an Outdoor Learning Program to teach leadership skills, environmental education courses and teambuilding.
Retreats & Group Rentals
Camp Widjiwagan offers a stunning setting to host your organization’s conference or retreat.
ACA Accreditation
YMCA Camp Widjiwagan is accredited by the American Camping Association and is visited every three years to ensure compliance with the ACA standards.
This assures you that camp practices have been measured against 300 national standards that go a step beyond our state's basic licensing requirements. ACA-accredited camps voluntarily go through a rigorous risk-management process to provide a supervised, positive environment with controlled boundaries where children can grow.