Fresh Air children experience the joy and exhilaration of a summer of firsts when visiting volunteer host families or setting out on new camp adventures. Children grow through exploration and discovery and will always remember their first time swimming in a lake, running barefoot in a backyard, learning to ride a bike or making s’mores around a campfire on a starry night. With the guidance of volunteer hosts, counselors and mentors, children gain new perspectives and opportunities. A summer experience can be a turning point in a child’s life…because a summer can last a lifetime.

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Explore Our Programs

I’ll ALWAYS REMEMBER...

THE TASTE OF MY FIRST S’MORE!

92%

of Friendly Towns youth report getting more comfortable meeting new people and making new friends.

I went swimming for the first time and I also had my first s’more! We made it around a campfire in the backyard. It was really fun.

Olivia, 11, has visited the McMurry family in Ithaca, NY for four summers

Friendly Towns

Fresh Air children spend their bright summer days and moonlit nights enjoying a summer of first-time experiences and opening up a world of self-discovery. The Friendly Towns Program brings people with different backgrounds together, and while celebrating their differences, they discover the many things they have in common.

LEARN ABOUT FRIENDLY TOWNS
READ A FRIENDLY TOWNS STORY ON OUR BLOG

I’ll ALWAYS REMEMBER...

THE FIRST TIME I JUMPED IN A LAKE

86%

of campers reported they felt proud of developing skills, from swimming to public speaking.

My favorite activities are playing basketball, soccer and swimming. I want to be a counselor, because my counselors are so fun!

Wilson, 11, Camp Hidden Valley

Camp

In 2019, close to 3,000 boys and girls engaged in fun-filled recreational activities layered with experiential learning during two-week sessions. With counselors as mentors and role models, campers enjoyed swimming lessons, art and music, boating, hiking and team sports. Through immersive outdoor summer experiences, campers gain self-confidence, take on new challenges, develop life skills, make new friends and expand their perspectives.

LEARN ABOUT CAMP
READ A CAMP STORY ON OUR BLOG

I’ll ALWAYS REMEMBER...

MY FIRST SUMMER AT CAMP JUNIOR

98%

of Camp Junior parents/guardians said they would recommend Fresh Air Fund programs to family and friends.

Camp has taught me how to be more independent. I like meeting new people and having new experiences. My favorite memory is making friends.

Max, 12, Camp Junior

Camp Junior Opens

In 2019, The Fresh Air Fund opened a sixth camp, Camp Junior in Harriman State Park, named in memory of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, a victim of gang violence, in partnership with New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie; Palisades Interstate Park Commission and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

LEARN ABOUT CAMP JUNIOR
READ A CAMP JUNIOR STORY ON OUR BLOG

I’ll ALWAYS REMEMBER...

MY FIRST MENTOR

92%

of Camp Mariah campers credit the Career Awareness Program for a better understanding of future career options.

Our counselors are mentors and teach us something new every day. In my careers class, I learned how to write a resume and in coding we got to program a robot. My tutor, Matt, helps me when I'm stressed about school, and he has a really cool job.

Giovanni, 14, Career Awareness Program

Academic Enrichment

The Career Awareness Program begins as an intensive 24-day summer camping experience for 300 boys and girls at Camp Mariah and continues during the school year in New York City and at camp to expand educational options, academic support and career exploration. After 9th grade, many students transition into the College Connections Program which provides weekly workshops and mentoring sessions that support the college preparation process.

LEARN ABOUT OUR ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

NYC Volunteers

New York City volunteers support thousands of Fresh Air children year round by giving countless hours of their time, energy, talents and creativity. Tutors and mentors meet weekly with students in the Career Awareness and College Connections programs, while other volunteers help with outreach efforts and much more.

LEARN ABOUT OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
READ A CAREER AWARENESS STORY ON OUR BLOG

I’ll ALWAYS REMEMBER...

WHEN I FIRST KNEW I WAS A LEADER

82

of the over 475 staff in 2019 were Fresh Air alumni.

I've learned that I can be a leader and that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to, and I've developed a strong sisterly bond with the other girls.

Samyya, 15, Teen Leader, Camp ABC

Teen Leadership Programs

The Fund’s Teen Leadership programs provide a safe, supportive environment for campers to focus on personal growth, leadership and community service. Girls, ages 13 to 17, participate in Leaders-in-Training and Counselors-in-Training (CIT) programs. In addition to camp activities, the teens participate in leadership development, team-building and girls empowerment workshops.

In 2019, The Fund continued to focus on teen leadership for boys in its expanded CIT program. Centered on professional growth and self-exploration, young men develop leadership, team-building and communication skills.

LEARN ABOUT OUR TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS
READ A TEEN LEADERSHIP STORY ON OUR BLOG

See Our impact

75%

Over 75% of first-time participants were away from NYC overnight for the first time without family.

82%

82% of parents/guardians reported that their child’s experience made them more confident.

76%

76% of parents/guardians report their child’s Fresh Air experience has given them new ideas for the future.

432 bags of marshmallows, 900 bars of chocolate and 60 boxes of graham crackers. That’s a lot of s’mores!

I have learned how much friendship matters, and I like making new friends.

- Joel, 12

The Fund’s maple trees produced over 25 gallons of maple syrup for thousands of campers to enjoy on their pancakes and waffles.

I was nervous before I came to camp but now I don’t want to leave.

- Xige, 10

Food scraps from over 90,000 camper meals were composted, enriching the soil at our Model Farm’s garden.

We learn a lot about leadership when we work together to achieve a common goal.

- Fuma, 14

When I visited my host family, we slept in the backyard, set up a tent, made a campfire and had sparklers too!

- Uzzekiah, 12

12 chickens, one mama pig, 12 piglets, two goats, and our calf, Angel, are just some of the animals at the Camp Model Farm.

A Journey through Fresh Air

April 25, 2019 Editorial

The first time at sleep-away camp can be daunting for a city kid. It requires boarding a bus that takes you far from familiar streets and into a new setting. It also means leaving your family and friends, sometimes for weeks, with little communication.

But an escape during the summer can also be transforming.

Brianna Jones would know. She grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and was 8 years old when she traveled about 65 miles north to Camp Anita Bliss Coler, one of the Fresh Air Fund’s five overnight camps.

read the full editorial
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