Camplify nurtures youth from under-resourced and under-served segments of our community over the course of nine years, starting in the 4th grade and continuing through high school graduation. During this time, we provide our youth with high-quality experiential-learning programming focused on developing leadership skills along with 21st century skills such as problem-solving, resourcefulness, and collaboration. Through this journey, Camplify changes the lives of the children in our program who would not have these opportunities otherwise. Camplify was founded in 1994 to help close the tremendous opportunity gap faced by many children in Henderson County, North Carolina. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Henderson County is home to some of the best summer camps in the country. These camps provide kids from all over the United States and beyond with transformative experiences that help them grow as leaders and develop the skills they need to thrive. Though surrounded by camps, these valuable experiences are completely unattainable for many area children. Our founder, George Howell, began Camplify (then known as Henderson County Young Leaders Program) in partnership with Camp Kanuga with the belief that all children deserve to have these life-changing experiences regardless of their family's resources. Our first year, Camplify served 55 kids with one weekend camp; since then, we have grown into a year-round program that serves nearly 200 kids annually. In addition, we work in partnership with 23 area camps to offer camp scholarships to our youth each summer. In 2009, we also added Saturday programs throughout the school year to increase the positive impact we have on our youth. Camplify is dedicated to continuously growing in order to maximize the life-changing power of our programs. In 2021, we are building on our existing programming to add life skills training to better prepare our youth for successful, fulfilling lives beyond Camplify.
