Camp Kesem

Camp Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, supporting children through and beyond their parent's cancer. Camp Kesem is a growing national movement, transforming more lives each year. Since 2001, Camp Kesem has grown from a single camp, to 62 active chapters in 29 states.

Kesem (n.): magic; the ability to change a life; an agent of growth; the unique power that transforms kids into Camp Kesem Campers

History

The first Camp Kesem project was founded at Stanford University in 2001 as a project of Hillel at Stanford, a nonprofit serving Jewish students at the University. The project was developed by founder, Iris Rave, and a group of student leaders who sought to create a magical summer camp experience for children in need.

After assessing the needs of the community, the students found that children who have, or have had, a parent with cancer comprised an under-served population who could benefit from a summer camp experience with peers who faced similar challenges.

The Camp Kesem project at Stanford hosted its first summer session in June 2001 free of charge to 37 campers. Since then, the project has continued and has grown each year to engage more student volunteers and serve more children across the country.

Based on the success of Camp Kesem at Stanford, Iris Rave founded Camp Kesem National in August 2002 to share the Camp Kesem project model with college campuses across the nation.

Staff and Board of Directors

• Jane Saccaro, Chief Executive Officer (Camp Name “Pocket”)
• Jim Higley, Chief Development & Marketing Officer (Camp Name “Pops”)
• Aaron Hadley, Chief Operating Officer (Camp Name “H”)
• Cristin O’Leary, Development Manager (Camp Name “Babalu”)
• Mai-Lan Pham, Marketing Manager (Camp Name “Mama”)
• Lauren Ellis, Alumni Relations Manager (Camp Name “Marzipan”)
• Lauren Trani, Development Associate (Camp Name “Peanut”)
• Liz Firestone, Manager, Programs and Operations (Camp Name “Phishy”)
• Abby O’Leary, Manager, Programs and Operations (Camp Name “Avocado”)
• Jenna Barnett, Program Director (Camp Name “Goose”)
• Tracey Landstrom, Program Director (Camp Name “Pebbles”)
• Cortney Lebeda, Program Director (Camp Name “Jazz”)
• Mark Manning, Program Director (Camp Name “Shaggy”)
• Alex Monyhan, Program Director (Camp Name “Lola”)
• Marty Shamon, Program Director (Camp Name “Goofy”)
• Kayla Ferdon, Executive Assistant (Camp Name “Yogini”)
• Fanny Wilson, Accountant (Camp Name “Bean”)
• Scott Arizala, Camp Director (Camp Name “Funsize”)

Collegiate Chapters

• Arizona State University
• Augustana College
• Brigham Young University
• BYU-Idaho
• Case Western Reserve
• Carnegie Mellon
• Central PA
• Chestnut Hill
• College of William and Mary
• Columbia
• Cornell
• Emory
• Florida State
• Fresno State
• George Washington
• Indiana
• Johns Hopkins
• Miami
• Michigan State
• MIT
• Northern Arizona
• North Carolina (Duke)
• Northwestern
• Ohio State
• Princeton
• Rice
• Saint Louis
• Santa Clara
• Southern Utah
• Stanford
• Stony Brook
• Syracuse
• Texas A&M
• UC Berkeley
• UC Davis
• UC Irvine
• UC San Diego
• UC Santa Barbara
• UC Santa Cruz
• UCLA
• University of Colorado
• University of Florida
• University of Georgia
• University of Illinois
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of Missouri
• University of Nebraska
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oregon
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Richmond
• University of South Alabama
• University of Southern California
• University of Texas - Austin
• University of Virginia
• University of Washington- Seattle
• University of Wisconsin- Madison
• Vanderbilt
• Virginia Commonwealth
• Yale

Need

With 1.7 million cancer cases a year in the United States, there are more than 3 million kids affected by a parent’s cancer and Camp Kesem recognizes and embraces this often-overlooked population of children. Because they don’t appear sick, their needs are often over looked and they suffer quietly, leading to academic, social, emotional, and developmental problems.

Giving Kids the Opportunity to Be Kids

Since 2000, Camp Kesem has given children affected by a parent’s cancer the opportunity to just be kids. The ever-expanding Kesem community engages in camp activities like sports, arts and crafts, and drama to give campers a fun-filled week. Campers also participate in “Cabin Chats” with fellow campers and counselors, giving children the chance to share their experiences with each other. There are plenty of laughs and lots of emotional support, but Camp Kesem does not provide therapy. The tremendous fun and support campers experience is what makes Camp Kesem a transformative, magical week for campers and counselors alike.

Empowering a Generation of Student Leaders

Camp Kesem makes a huge impact on the lives of children, but it also prepares and empowers a generation of student leaders by allowing responsible college-age individuals to make a meaningful difference. Each of our camps around the country is organized and operated by the young up-and-coming leaders of tomorrow who gain hands-on experience in fundraising, finance, marketing and project management as they bring much-needed happiness to truly deserving kids. In addition to real-world skills, Camp Kesem enables student-leaders to discover their passion for serving others.

Impact

In 2014, Camp Kesem served nearly 4,000 children affected by a parent's cancer by empowering more than 2,000 student leaders from across the country. Since 2000, Camp Kesem has shared "magic" with over 11,300 children and provided unparalleled leadership opportunities for nearly 7,000 student leaders.

• 98 percent of parents surveyed believe that Camp Kesem has had a positive impact on their family
• After camp, parents report a marked increase in their child's self-esteem, confidence and network of support
• 99 percent of parents surveyed would recommend Camp Kesem to another family affected by cancer

A Day at Camp Kesem

Every day at Camp Kesem gives campers an opportunity to try something new, make great friends, and have fun. Each Camp Kesem is a little bit different, but all of them follow a similar daily schedule:

• Wake Up
• Breakfast
• Morning activity rotations
• Cabin time
• Lunch
• Rest time
• Swimming
• Afternoon activity rotations
• Camper's choice
• Dinner
• All-camp activity
• Cabin chat (an opportunity for the campers and counselors in each cabin to learn about each other and to discuss anything they want- often there will be question prompts suggested by either the campers or the counselor, such as: Which superhero would you like to be and why?)
• Lights out
• Empowerment: Once during the week at Camp Kesem there is one specific time set aside for the entire camp to get together to acknowledge why they are there. This is a time for campers to talk to each other and share their stories – their fears, their accomplishments, their hopes and dreams. Anyone can talk if they choose to, but not everybody has to. It is a truly magical experience for everyone involved.

Vision, Mission, and Values

Vision: To create a community where fun has the power to transform lives.

Mission: "Camp Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, supporting children through and beyond their parent’s cancer."

Values:

• Compassion
• Community
• Safety
• Confidence
• Leadership
• Magic

External links

• Camp Kesem