Since our humble beginnings over 30 years ago, Camptown has served over 60,000 children from Central Indiana — challenging, mentoring, and teaching them about life through outdoor adventure and nature programs.
At this year’s annual dinner, “Glamp-Out: The View from Here,” we turned the spotlight on six members of the Camptown family: Umar, Jaquie, Steven, Maya, Micah, and Eduardo.
Meet The Camptown Kids
Within the Camptown team, few know the Camptown kid experience quite like Lesly Ramirez.
Lesly first joined Camptown as a student at Indianapolis Metropolitan High School, or Indy Met, where she was a member of her school’s Outdoor Adventure Elective program. There she not only gained outdoor skills, but ultimately gained her Camptown family:
“Through Camptown, I’ve gained a church community, peer community, and loving group of people who support me in all my endeavors.”
Looking back, Lesly could have been described as guarded, quiet, and a bit anti-social — certainly not someone you’d find on a stage. But through her experiences, namely a spring break trip to the Smoky Mountains, she was able to grow her confidence and find her voice.
Now a Program Facilitator, Lesly guides students through the very same experiences that made her who she is today. Fittingly, she found herself on stage at this year’s annual dinner, where she introduced our spotlighted campers:
Umar
Like Lesly, Umar’s journey began at Indianapolis Metropolitan High School, where he participated in our REACH for Nature afterschool club. Through Camptown, Umar has gone on numerous adventures, including hiking in the Indiana Dunes, rafting in the Smoky Mountains, and snowshoeing in the Rockies!
Recently, in the peace and solitude of nature, he found himself reflecting in a way he normally didn’t in his everyday life:
“Being surrounded by quiet gave him space to think about what he truly wanted for himself and reminded him that he often grows the most when he steps away from what feels familiar. Camptown showed him that taking risks doesn’t always mean doing something big or extreme — sometimes it just means pushing myself to try something new, even when I’m unsure.”
Jaquie
Jaquie joined the family through the Trailblazer Program, a Camptown offering for high school students with cognitive and developmental disabilities. Through a variety of activities and experiences, students can practice life skills like independence, menu prep, cooking, cleaning, teamwork, and respecting nature.
As a student at Lawrence North High School, Jaquie’s teachers used to describe her as shy — often struggling to speak with her peers and teachers. On a Trailblazer trip, however, her teachers learned she LOVES talking about nature, always carrying with her a pair of binoculars looking for birds and other animals. Every year, she’s the first to ask her teachers when Camptown will start.
In her own words:
“I’ve always been timid to speak…but Camptown helped me find my voice!”
Steven
Steven joined us through Lawrence Central High School’s Trailblazers program. Through a variety of activities and experiences, Steven has not only applied life skill concepts he learned in school, but grew his confidence and courage.
In his teacher’s words:
“Overcoming the fear of heights in a safe and supportive environment like Camptown helped him build confidence and resilience to face other challenges with courage and open-mindedness.”
Maya
Maya’s story is another powerful one from Lawrence North High School’s Trailblazers Program.
By helping other students during a teambuilding challenge, Maya had a chance to show others what she was capable of. Reflecting on her time with Camptown, Maya shared:
“My teachers saw me step up and LEAD during a Camptown program. It resulted in real life leadership opportunities. … I’m now a manager at my school’s coffee shop!”
To learn more about the Trailblazers Program, check out our Program Spotlight!
Micah
Micah’s journey with Camptown began as a student at Harshman Middle School and eventually led to his involvement with our Youth Leaders program. Designed for individual middle and high school students, our Youth Leader Adventures help campers develop leadership, decision-making, and professional skills through outdoor trips.
Reflecting on a recent Youth Leader Adventure, Micah shared:
“In the heat and humidity of an overnight canoeing trip with Camptown, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to push through, … but I found I am more capable than I thought.”
Eduardo
Finally, Eduardo, a student from Cold Spring School. Like Micah, he is an active member of Camptown’s Youth Leader Program — transforming himself as nature transforms around him.
Eduardo loves the adaptability of nature and watching how trees survive the winter. According to him:
“Being out in nature helps me feel like I have an important part to play in my own life. Just as nature adapts to the changing seasons… I too can be adaptable to benefit others.”
To learn more about our Youth Leaders program, click here.
Looking Forward
In 2024 alone, Camptown served over 6,000 students from Central Indiana, including our six highlighted campers. None of the programs we offer, or the experiences we provide, would be possible without the generous support of our sponsors, partners, and donors.