In 1946 the Pythian Youth Camp was carved out of the Sequoia National Forest, which is among the oldest national parks in the United States. The 23 structures that make up this historic wilderness camp are situated on a 19-acre parcel of land that runs along Woodward Creek, and is the nation’s first and only land grant youth camp.

 

The site for the camp was granted to the Pythian Youth Foundation of California, under Section 101 (6) of the Internal Revenue Code specifically to build and maintain a camp for underprivileged boys and girls, and to help fight the causes of juvenile delinquency. Since its founding, the Camp has served as a time-out for nearly 300 inner-city children each year, helping them to break the cycles of distress that keeps them focused on unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors.

 

A growing movement seeks to reconnect children with nature, citing that children from urban communities suffer from “nature deprivation”—a probable cause for much of their unrest and anxiety. This is exacerbated by the non-stop heads-down multitasking with the myriad of new channels and communication devices. The Pythian Youth Camp aims to improve the odds of children from low-income inner-city communities, facing the allure and danger of drugs and gangs, and subject to the pervasive violence in the media and in their real lives. The immersion and communion with nature at our one-of-a-kind wilderness camp becomes a transformative experience that provides a powerful, humbling and inspiring new holistic perspective of the world around them. It is a nurturing environment to play, make new life-long friends and memories, and learn social, physical and spiritual skills, including the value of teamwork and our role as stewards of the Earth. Nowadays, emphasis is also placed on healthy nutritional habits and exercise, as necessary factors to combat the serious problem of children obesity and escalating rates of diabetes in our country.

 

 

The curriculum for the Pythian Youth Camp is designed to dramatically expand outdoor learning, education and wilderness opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth who would otherwise not have access to the outdoors. Our program:

• provides fun-filled non-competitive outdoor activities that build and nurture friendships;

• offers age-appropriate challenges so that campers can gain a “can-do” attitude and increase confidence levels;

• promotes physical health by encouraging an active lifestyle and increasing awareness of healthier choices, including physical activity and eating habits;

• provides proper instructions in aquatics and other outdoor activities; 

• promotes ethnic and cultural diversity;

• encourages academic and social fitness, and financial success.