Experience Camps is a nonprofit that transforms the lives of grieving children through summer camp programs and innovative, year-round initiatives. Through compassion, connection, and play, Experience Camps allows grieving children to embody a life full of hope and possibility. From its first camp in 2009 serving 27 boys in Maine, the camp has grown to serve nearly 1,000 kids and teens (ages 8 to 18) at 10 camps in six locations around the country. They offer 12 weeklong, overnight summer camp programs in California, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, serving grieving children from 42 states and 7 countries.
At camp, grief activities are supervised by grief specialists who facilitate peer-support opportunities and coping techniques for the campers. The team also creates year-round programs and expert-driven digital content that supports millions of grieving children while building a grief-sensitive culture. The no-cost program is open to children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver.
- 65% of participating children come from families whose income falls below the national median household income.
- 36% of participating children are BIPOC.
- 90% of participants report higher self-esteem and less loneliness.
- 85% of participants return to Experience Camps each year.
There are still available spaces for campers and male-identifying counselors for the 2023 summer program. Those interested in volunteering can learn more here.