Phantom Lake YMCA Camp Inclusion Mission Statement:
At Phantom Lake YMCA Camp, we strive to provide an enriching, safe summer camp experience to every camper that attends our programs. We work to foster an inclusive environment for everyone within our camper and staff communities to enjoy the benefits of summer camp - across; race, the gender spectrum, national origin, religion, ability, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
We understand how impactful it is for children to have access to meaningful social experiences and outdoor recreation. Our team is constantly looking for ways to make our spaces more welcoming. To date, these efforts have resulted in the development of sensory rooms at camp, single use gender neutral bathroom options, increased training on a wide variety of topics for both staff and camp leadership, and an increased capacity to adapt the camp experience for children with varying support needs.
Further, we added a new full-time, year-round position in 2021, dedicated to furthering this mission. Our Inclusion and Outreach Coordinator works to identify families and organizations in our community and beyond to connect with. We want to expand our reach to more families so that they can know and love camp and; send their children to camp, attend one of our Family Camp Programs, or come to any of our other off-season events. The Inclusion and Outreach Coordinator also works to establish new and build existing partnerships with organizations to expand the resources available to camp and our staff. Additionally, they work to address barriers that may prevent meaningful participation in our programming.
Inclusion is a core part of our mission, but we understand how important it is to go beyond statements and put these goals into action. We are committed to continuing to put our plans and visions into action. We continue to seek out the best practices and connect with resources to best support all of our campers and develop our programming and staff training in a way that is inclusive of all campers.
