Camp Conifer
About the Camp
OUR HISTORY:
The Korean American Youth Foundation (KAYF) provides opportunities for youths of Korean ancestry (ages 8-14) to develop qualities of leadership, social responsibility, and friendship in an environment that fosters awareness and appreciation of their cultural heritage.
The itinerary for each summer includes traditional camp activities – hiking, canoeing, rock wall climbing, arts & crafts and campfires – blended with culture and heritage-based programming. Past Korean-focused activities include kimchi and mandu making, Pojangmatcha Night, professionally-led traditional Korean drum and folk dancing workshops, Korean calligraphy and stamp making, and more.
Starting in the early 1970s, hundreds of Korean American youths experienced KAYF's summer camp, fondly referred to as "Camp Conifer," based on the original campsite in Running Springs, California. In its heyday, Camp Conifer ran six weeklong (8-day) sessions per summer with approximately 100 kids and 10 staff per session, with each week serving a different age group.
The summer camp was founded by a group of Korean immigrants with the goal of strengthening the Korean community in the U.S. and providing the opportunity for their U.S.-born children to meet others like themselves. Initial awareness and support for KAYF stemmed from the Southern California chapters of Ewha Womans University, Yonsei and Seoul University alumni associations. For many attendees, Camp Conifer represented a refuge through fellow peers who were also being raised by immigrants and shared the similar joys and challenges of growing up straddling cultures. Camp Conifer became a second family and “home away from home,” and as these children grew into adults their friendships evolved into a tight-knit network that their own children have been able to benefit from today, as this “second generation” of campers are now growing up attending and volunteering for a new iteration of Camp Conifer.
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THIS YEAR'S SESSION
This year’s annual summer camp will take place from Sunday, August 4th, to Saturday, August 10th, at Camp Arbolado. We hope your children will join us for a week of adventure, friendship and fun. Note that campers will be accepted based on availability on a first come, first served basis. CITs will be accepted based on availability AND selection by the CIT directors. Space is limited so please register soon.
ARRIVAL:
Sunday, August 4, 2024
drop-off and registration at 3pm
DEPARTURE:
Saturday, August 10, 2024
12:30pm – Lunch ($20 bento lunches available upon advance order)
1:00pm – Open house program (slideshow and talent show)
2:00pm – Departure
FEES AND REFUNDS: The registration fee is $995 per camper and counselor-in-training (CIT). All cancellations up to July 1st will receive a 50% refund. No refunds for withdrawn applications will be given after July 1st. No refunds for early departures.
Limited need-based financial aid is available upon inquiry for a partial fee waiver - please contact us for an application.
REGISTRATION INCENTIVES (NEW!):
1. Sibling discount: $50 will be refunded for each additional sibling who has signed up ($150 maximum per household, to be issued after July 1st).
2. Referral discount: Existing campers will receive a $100 refund for each first-time camper they refer who successfully registers for camp. To apply for the discount, send an email to lyk.mb@verizon.net with the name of the existing camper and the name of the new camper being referred. Upon confirmation of the referral, a $100 refund will be issued after July 1st.
CIT APPLICATIONS: If your child is an incoming 10th or 11th grader and has been to Camp Conifer in the past, they can fill out the supplemental section at the end of the application to apply to be a counselor-in-training (CIT) after the main application and camp fee have both been submitted. CIT applications will be considered until either (1) the session fills up, or (2) May 15th (whichever occurs first), but their spot in the program is not first-come-first-served like camper applications because CITs must be selected by the CIT directors, who will let the applicants know their decision as quickly as possible once the CIT application period has closed. Please note that the CIT directors are looking specifically for candidates who have shown potential leadership skills, and who have demonstrated genuine care for their fellow campers and a true desire to pass along their love of the camp experience down to the next generation of campers.
Please note that space in both the camp and CIT programs is subject to availability.
Thank you so much and we look forward to another great summer at Camp Conifer!