Camp Felix 2026: Celebrating 20 Years of Friendship, Confidence, and Community

This summer marked the 20^th year of Camp Felix, our overnight summer camp designed specifically for children in the child welfare system. Since opening (in partnership with the Felix Organization) in 2006, thousands of our participants have enjoyed the quintessential American sleepaway camp experience – nature, s’mores, camp songs, swimming and kayaking, and memories that last forever.

For 3 weeks in August, 132 campers from across our programs (a 26% increase from last year) traveled to Club Getaway in Kent, CT for our traditional Camp Felix program. An additional 32 campers enjoyed specialized programming at Camp Felix Pride.

For 2026, we centered the camp programming around our core values – connection, community, confidence, and respect. Camp Felix has always been defined by its character-driven approach, facilitated by caring, trauma-informed counselors, and we’re excited to bolster these supports.

We also piloted a new Leaders in Training (LIT) program for older campers ages 14+, which seeks to provide leadership skills and enrich our camper-to-counselor pipeline. Campers participated in one hour of training each day, which included hands-on leadership opportunities, skill-building, journaling and reflection activities, and end-of-week celebrations.  93% of participants indicated that had improved their leadership skills as a result, and 84% said they would apply to return as camp counselors.

After two decades, we’re continuing to provide an experience campers enjoy – and one that provides lasting benefits, even once the summer is over. This year, 100% of survey respondents said their child felt a sense of belonging at Camp Felix, while nearly 97% said their child made new friends and became more confident trying new things.

As one camper wrote:

“I appreciate Camp Felix for many reasons. I can meet new people who become my friends, experience new things, push myself to better and have memorable times that will last forever. Camp Felix is much more than a summer camp to me. It’s an environment where I am comfortable being happy, welcomed, and excited to return each and every year.”