As part of the U.S. delegation, I joined a group of passionate leaders, each carrying their own stories, their own “why.” Yet, despite coming from different places, we were united by a shared belief: camp changes lives.
In Stockholm, we saw what that belief looks like in action. The Central YMCA isn’t just a building, it’s a lifeline for its community. For five dollars a year, individuals and families gain access to programs, spaces, and support. Their dedication to accessibility challenged me to ask harder questions about accessibility, about equity, about what it really means to serve here at home.
A bit later in the day another moment will stand with me on just how our summer teams can be the most influential, positive change for our campers. One of the young volunteers for the YMCA who serves on the board of her local YMCA camp at 22 years old shared that, in Sweden, camps are run by youth, for youth.
There is something incredibly powerful in the trust, the ownership, the belief in young people not just as seasonal counselors, but as impactful change leaders. It made me reflect on how much more is possible when we truly empower the next generation.
As we continued our journey, we were introduced to work being done in some of the most challenging parts of the world through partnerships focused on peace building.
We talked about conflict, not as something to avoid, but as something to navigate with care, intention, and humanity. Stories of camps operating in the midst of tension were shared, where their leaders choose to show up day after day in spaces where peace is not guaranteed, but still actively working to create it.
These stories remind me that camp is not just about songs and games and campfires. It is about creating moments of belonging in places where belonging can feel out of reach. It is about choosing connection when division feels easier.
At YMCA Camp Brevik, surrounded by leaders from across Europe, that truth became even clearer. Many of them are volunteers, people who give their time, their energy, their hearts, because they believe so deeply in what camp can be.
This entire experience has been a reminder I didn’t know I needed, that this work, even in its simplest form, matters more than we can measure.
Camp is more than a place. Camp is where young people discover who they are or want to be. Camp is where kids can feel safe enough to be themselves and learn there is a place in this world they will always belong. In many parts of the world camp is also the place where they begin to understand peace.
This experience challenged me, stretched my perspective, and strengthened my sense of responsibility not just to the campers and staff we serve but to a global community working together towards something even bigger.
And as I look ahead to this summer, I feel it more clearly than ever: our work at Camp Tecumseh matters. How we support each other and our teams matter. Every single camper matters. We are part of something global. Something powerful.
I am incredibly grateful to play even a small role in the Camping movement through Camp T. 
