When 17-year-old Jacqueline Hernandez prepared to set off for UCLA’s UniCamp a few weeks ago, The Times wrote about her goal of completing four days of backpacking in the Wilderness Adventures in Leadership and Learning program.

Jackie had just graduated from Maywood Academy High School and was bubbling with anticipation of a week in the San Bernardino Mountains. When she learned that a knee injury would rule out her hiking plans, her positive spirit was undiminished and she quickly lined up another plan. Jackie returned to UniCamp as a participant in UniCorps, another of the five programs UniCamp offers to motivate and encourage young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Continue reading →

August 25, 2010 Attending camps E.L.K. and Coulter Pines in Wrightwood is a family affair for siblings Desirie Banuelos and Ricky Valadez. Run by the Covina-based San Gabriel Valley YMCA, the camps offer participants the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and escape from everyday routine. Now 17, Desirie has attended the sister camps for the … Continue reading →

When Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick Jr. and his wife, Charlotte, founded Camp Fire Girls in 1910, their goal was simple: to better their Vermont town on the occasion of its 150th anniversary. For the celebratory pageant, the Boy Scouts had been designated to play a key role, with girls left watching from the sidelines. In … Continue reading →

August 18, 2010 “The kids are amazed by the squirrels and horses; it’s like they’ve never seen a squirrel before,” says Emily Cheng, the youth and teen director at the Hollywood Wilshire YMCA. “And they take pictures of just trees! Without a single person in the picture!” Cheng is talking about Camp Whittle, one of … Continue reading →

August 17, 2010 Camp Laurel, which serves youths affected by HIV and AIDS, is much like any other wilderness camp. Children ages 6 to 19 enjoy canoeing, archery, hiking and arts and crafts, surrounded by nature in the San Bernardino Mountains. But it may be the only camp where participants search the wooded campsite for … Continue reading →

August 13, 2010 It’s a hot day at Camp David in Mammoth, and teenagers are absorbed in an invigorating soccer game. As the sun beats down, the boys peel off their shirts and continue tearing around. All have the same energy and determination for their team to score a goal, but half are distinguished by … Continue reading →

August 12, 2010 “Imagine that it’s raining lemonade!” Stephanie Snell hollers. Immediately, the 7- and 8-year-old girls clustered around their drama teacher take off in every direction to sip the make-believe sugary drops descending from the sky. One lifts her head and sticks out her tongue. Another giggles and jumps in the air. A third … Continue reading →

August 10, 2010 The wildflowers at Camp Titan in Big Bear make for exotic terrain. The California wild rose is pink and delicate. The brilliant red-purple spires of fireweed bloom from the tops of tall, majestic, leafy stems. Flame-colored spikes ascend from the stalks of Indian paintbrush. Many campers will be experiencing these wildflowers for … Continue reading →

Imagine a gurgling creek flanked by deer bending their necks to drink from its fresh waters. A dark sky illuminated by bright stars. Acres of lush plains, ideal for galloping across on horseback. The thrill of rappelling down the side of a canyon wall. All of these experiences await Raphael Smith when he attends Camp … Continue reading →

July 28, 2010 It amuses Jean Villegas to remember how worried she was about sending Sarah Parker, her 11-year-old daughter, to residential camp for the first time. “I was so anxious!” she says with a laugh. “Sarah was perfectly fine and had a complete blast … but I was a wreck!” That was two years … Continue reading →