STRIDE

Strengthening Transformative Relationships
in Diverse Environments

Our Values What STRIDE Offers Work Opportunities How to Connect

Welcome to STRIDE! We are here to help you with what you need.

Camps help children feel in control of their lives. Children who experience themselves as competent will be better problem-solvers in new situations. We also know that not everyone has the same access to summer learning opportunities. Genuine diversity changes us and makes us stronger. A community is not something we join, it’s something we build. STRIDE is our camp’s commitment to building the community we hope to see in the world. By actively including and elevating youth of color, we hope to create an environment at camp that is transformative for all participants.

We do this work not only through material means, but also by assessing the culture of the camp to make it an inclusive and welcoming place. This requires a willingness of camp culture to be malleable – open to change, so each new member of the community can express their truest, most loving and loved self.

BYM camps provide opportunities for enrichment and leadership building in a wilderness environment and STRIDE is committed to ensuring that young people from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have the opportunity to benefit from such an environment. In addition, we feel strongly that the young people we support contribute much to the communities they are a part of and that all benefit from their presence at the camp.

We have STRIDE groups in
Baltimore, Philadelphia, the Greater DC Area
that work to:

Create access
for youth in each of these cities to attend Baltimore Yearly Meeting summer camps.

Create communities
of genuine diversity, equity, and inclusion in these youth serving programs.

Support campers
and their families invest in the life of Baltimore Yearly Meeting summer camps now and in the future.

To this end, we provide tuition assistance, gear, transportation, care package and orientation to families in the program as well as inclusion and equity training and consulting to camp & organizational staff. Everyone has ownership of the space – we are building a community together.

STRIDE Values

Radical Inclusion

The “radical” means that we expect the community to be changed and shaped by the inclusion we are seeking rather than simply asking people to join and conform to what already exists.

Access

More equitable distribution of resources (we have influence over how the money, space, labor, and time of BYM camping programs are allocated and feel we have a moral/spiritual responsibility to expand the pool of people these things are allocated to).

Camper and Family Contributions/Strengths

We believe in an assets-based model. That is to say we believe that families and campers who participate in STRIDE not only receive benefits from being part of camp but that (like all community members) their unique perspectives, personalities, strengths and spiritual leadings contribute much to the broader camp community.

Benefits for Campers

We believe that participating in camp is great for young people. It builds friendships, new skills, self-confidence, and leadership. We will ground our advocacy in this belief, making every attempt to make our work “person-centric”, that is based on what is best for individual young people and families in our program.

Improving the Environment for BIPOC and Families Experiencing Low Income in Our Communities

Though largely made up of white people, our camp community already includes people of color. We aim to support and acknowledge them, recognizing that not all people of color in our program are “new” and that efforts that make the program work better for people of color are integral to our pre-existing community as well as the one we hope to create.

STRIDE Offers Support With:

Application and Communication Support

We know it can be hard to navigate the many forms and systems of applying for camp. From the opening of our application until your camper arrives at camp there is ongoing personal or virtual support throughout STRIDE Coordinator to complete the application process and stay on top of deadlines and requirements. As a parent or guardian, you don’t have to do it alone.

Tuition Assistance

As a part of the STRIDE program we can provide up to the full cost of camp for each of STRIDE campers. We also provide some additional funding for additional gear items that are not a part of our gear package. STRIDE Campers are able to apply to all of our camps including Teen Adventure (TA). Check out the Our Camps page to learn more about all of our camp offerings.

Orientation Sessions and Orientation Gathering

Starting in late winter/early spring we hope to be able to invite you into our STRIDE community though orientation sessions with both other STRIDE families and campers. Whether you are new to camp and the STRIDE program or have been attending for years, this is a great way to get connected with the camp community and get questions answered so you and your camper feel prepared for camp.

Gear Support

To support access to attending camp STRIDE provides each STRIDE camper with the following:

Hiking Backpack
Sleeping Pad
Sleeping Bag
Stuff Sack
Mess Kit (bowl and spoon)
Water Bottle
Rain Poncho
Flashlight/headlamp

Campers grow – and grow out of gear – pretty quickly! We will connect with you and your camper to ensure the sizing is correct. We have a Gear Agreement to support accountability in returning items to our Gear Library at the end of the season to make sure it is cleaned, inspected and appropriate for the activities of camp. Most of our gear is brand new or gently used. We do our best to update the items in our gear library as needed.

Transportation Support

Driving to camp can often be a full day activity. We have a dedicated and vetted set of volunteers that can pick up your camper and their items and ensure they make it to camp in a safe and timely manner. We do our best to ensure that you are updated every step of the way from who is picking up your child and when they arrive to camp.

You will need to reach out to the STRIDE Coordinator in early May to confirm if you would like communal transportation for your camper either to or from camp. This transportation is at no additional cost to you.

Work Opportunities

Camp Work Granting

Each year, the three residential camps seek out work grant volunteers to help out in the kitchen, in the infirmary, or on maintenance tasks for a week. One week volunteering at camp provides financial aid for one week’s tuition. Before signing up, please contact Rachael Carter, our STRIDE Coordinator, to ensure that funds can go toward STRIDE tuition.

More About Work Grants

BIPOC and Diverse Staff Recruitment

Has your camper been a part of STRIDE and needs some support in taking the next step in building confidence in applying to be a Counselor in Training (CIT) or other leadership positions? Please reach out to us for more information and further assistance on these types of opportunities. Our hope is to support the long term success of all of our campers in continuing to be a part of this community.

Rai Carter, Coordinator, STRIDE

Rai Carter was born and raised in Philadelphia and grew up spending much of their free time outside, connecting with natural environments in both the city and on the trail. Over the past decade they have specialized in Racial Equity work by supporting organizations and individuals in building spaces in which everyone can thrive. They have spent numerous years working with youth and young adults and cultivating communities of practice with these age groups. Rai has had a focus on Peace and Social Justice, Labor Rights, Food Justice and Religion which has meant cultivating an understanding of the intersections of many experiences. In their free time Rai enjoys gardening, cooking new recipes for friends and family and indoor climbing.

Rai Carter