The A,B,C's of Camp Swift

One of the first things we learn as children is our A,B,C's and here at Swift, we think knowing the Camp Swift basics is the best way for you to have an amazing camp experience! Check out 26 insights into Camp Swift and why "Fun Is Just The Start" to all we do!  

​A is for art! One of our most popular programs at Camp Swift, we love utilizing our creativity to craft camp favorites from lanyards to friendship bracelets with our campers!

B is for basic needs! Here at Swift, we believe physical comfort and a full stomach are essential for youth engagement. Swift provides the youth and teens we serve with 3 nutritious meals each day and healthy snacks daily. Swift also provides clothing through our FREE Keppies Store, sleeping bags, and of course a comfy cabin stay during camp. ​

​C is for canoeing! Swift is grateful for our local partners at Prescott Outdoors for always providing an amazing canoeing experience for our campers.  Most Camp Swift campers have never seen a large body of water like our local lake and we are thankful that Prescott Outdoors helps to make it a great first experience for our campers! 

​D is for dance parties! Everyone knows that the best way to end a meal is with a dance party! What’s your favorite dance party memory from Camp Swift?

​E is for excitement! Can you believe Camp Swift is only days week away!?
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​​F is for fun! Fun is just the start at Camp Swift. In all Swift does from our positive programming to providing unique opportunities for our campers, we seek a way to find the fun in all we do! 

G-R-I-double L-E-D Grilled cheese! Grilled cheese! Everyone’s favorite day of the year is Grilled Cheese Day! Remember to be follow all of the fun of Grilled Cheese Day and each day at Camp Swift through our social media. Find us @SwiftYouthAZ and through #CampSwift2019.

​H is for hundreds! Since 1980, Swift estimates that we have provided hundreds (over 15,000) of life-changing experiences to the youth we serve. 
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I is for Independence! Swift works hard to provide our campers with a safe environment to allow them to explore their independence through practicing responsibility, teamwork, and problem-solving confidence. 

​J is for join us! Did you know you can see Camp Swift in action during Visitor’s Day? Find out more at SwiftYouth.org/VisitCamp.

K is for Keppies! Our Krazy Keppies program is a FREE store for our campers with essentials that our campers need to have an enjoyable experience while at camp. We accept year round donations of youth size clothing, warm jackets, sleeping bags and new toiletries.

​L is for life skills! In schools, life skills education is often overshadowed by a focus on academic achievement. All of Swift’s programs including Camp Swift incorporate the development of essential life skills such as character building, leadership training, goal setting, and teamwork.

​M is for mentorship! According to years of research, youth who are involved in mentoring programs tend to have increase self-esteem, greater school connectedness and academic performance, and better relationships with parents and peers. Beginning with Camp Swift’s mentorship focused programs, campers start to understand the difference of meaningful mentor relationships in their own lives.  

N is for night program! Each night of Camp Swift has a different night program for our campers to experience something new. From tailored and themed activities to a complete “camp out” under the stars, Camp Swift makes the most of every minute with our campers!

O is for the “Ool”! At Camp Swift, our lifeguards do their best to keep the “P” out of the “Pool”. 

​P is for partnership! Each summer we partner with Prescott Outdoors. This local outdoors company provides the canoes and equipment that our campers utilize while they are out on the lake. For many campers, this is their first opportunity to see a large body of water like our lake! Thank you, Prescott Outdoors, for your help creating this unique experience for our campers!

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​Q is for quiet time! Each action-packed day of Camp Swift also includes an intentionally scheduled rest hour for our campers and counselors to take some quiet time for extra sleep, reading, or to practice some of their mindfulness activities. 

​R is for the rock wall! The infamous camp rock wall is where campers get the chance to set goals and achieve them. Do you remember a time when your most hesitant camper rang the bell for the first time??

​S is for success! Swift intentionally measures the success of our positive programming by surveying our campers and counselors at the end of each session. This data helps us evaluate the effectiveness of our impact and shape our future programming. Learn more at SwiftYouth.org/2018Impact.

​T is for teamwork!  Teamwork skills enable our campers to become more effective when working in groups of their peers. Teamwork is one of eight domain areas that Swift surveys our campers and counselors on to better understand our effectiveness in programming. Find out more by visiting our yearly Survey Outcomes. 

​U is for unit head. Each session of camp, we have an “Admin” team that is comprised of our adult volunteers who are eager to take on additional roles and responsibilities while at camp. One of the Admin positions is unit head.  Each unit head is responsible for one of our three different aged units. They support their unit’s counselors and ensure that the campers of the unit have a great camp experience. Do you remember your first unit head? 

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​V is for vacation! Did you know many of the support staff, or “adult volunteers”, take their vacation time from their work or school in order to ensure that they are able to provide an unforgettable experience for our Camp Swift campers? We are grateful for the dedication of our volunteers! 

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​W is for win-win! It costs approximately $400 to send one camper to a session of Camp Swift. Conveniently the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit maximum donation amount for a single filer is $400 and $800 for a married couple filing jointly. This means when you donate to Swift you could send a child to Camp Swift while also receiving a dollar for dollar credit on your taxes! In our opinion, this is a great win-win for you and the youth we serve! To find out more and to sponsor a camper, visit our tax credit page. 

​X is for eXploration! Interest in exploration encourages our counselors to be more curious, inquisitive, and eager to learn new things. Interest in exploration is also one of the eight domain areas that we survey in our campers and counselors to ensure the effectiveness of our programming. Find out more by visiting our yearly Survey Outcomes. 

​Y is for youth. Our primary impact audience is school-aged youth. Swift intentionally focuses on youth whom primarily come from economically disadvantaged situations with all of our campers being referred to us by Title I schools, homeless shelters, and Boys and Girls Clubs.  The vast majority of the youth we serve are truly in significant need. We would not be able to provide our positive programming without the financial support of our community!

​Z is for Zane! Chef Zane is just one of the many professional chefs that generously give of their time to prepare three nutritious meals each day and daily snacks for our campers and counselors. Dedicated volunteers like Chef Zane make all the difference in our camper’s experience! 

Traveling all the way from Nevada to be a part of the magic of Camp Swift, our guest blogger is a long-time Swift supporter and volunteer who L.O.V.E.S. grilled cheese! Thank you to Grant Frailich for writing this creative look into Camp Swift.