The Campfire Starts with Community
Every summer, hundreds of young people arrive at YMCA camps looking for something different. Some are ready for a challenge. Some are searching for belonging. Others are stepping into nature for the very first time.
What they find is a community that surrounds them, counselors who guide them, friends who cheer them on, and experiences that help them grow in confidence and independence.
Camp has always worked this way: built in circles, with many people helping create something bigger than themselves.
Scholarships Open the Circle
For many families, the cost of camp can be a barrier. Camp scholarships help ensure that every young person has the chance to experience the growth, belonging, and adventure that camp provides.
With support from our community, campers can:
- Try new challenges and build confidence
- Experience the outdoors and unplug from daily stress
- Form friendships and a stronger sense of self
Scholarships make it possible for more kids to step into that circle and discover what they’re capable of.
Be One of the Circles
The 1,000 Circles. One Fire. campaign invites our community to come together so every camper who is ready for camp has the chance to attend.
Every gift becomes another circle around the fire—helping provide scholarships that open the door for more young people.
Together, we can make sure the fire stays lit for every camper who needs it.
Join the circle. Give today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your gift today will help offset a family's expenses as they prepare their kid(s) for the summer ahead, ultimately giving them a summer they will always remember, thanks to our signature adventure programs and YOUR partnership.
You decide! Please select one of our many locations or our Kids to Camp Fund, which supports the scholarship requests wherever they are greatest in the summer ahead.
Whatever donation is right for your budget is right for our Y. Our mission is magnified donor by donor, and no contribution is insignificant when it comes to expanding scholarship support. Every dollar counts.
In 2025 alone, 1,000 kids and families were awarded camper scholarships, made possible largely through donor support.
The impact that this collaborative effort has is far-reaching.
When kids and teens are given the opportunity to disconnect from their everyday hustle and bustle through outdoor adventure and exploration, they return to their worlds with a refreshed outlook that has a ripple effect far beyond their time on-site. From compassion to resiliency and a newfound level of confidence, these experiences shape youth in life-lasting ways!
With summer fast approaching, please make your donation by May 15 so that these contributions can be counted towards scholarship offerings.