As part of Camp Gallagher’s mission, we strive to create a safe environment for all campers and staff in which we not only welcome but honor and celebrate each individual’s identity. We believe that every young person should have the opportunity to discover, adventure, grow, and play in a supportive and loving outdoor setting. We are constantly working to improve our ability to create that space where campers and staff can be accepted as their full and authentic selves.

What does this look like at Camp Gallagher?

Financial access to Camp Gallagher

Outdoor adventure has proven benefits to young people, and we believe all young people deserve the chance to access those benefits. Thanks to the generous support of our community, we strive to remove financial barriers to experiencing camp by:

  • Offering full and partial scholarships.

  • Providing access to items from the packing list such as sleeping bags, water shoes, warm layers, etc. (Email info@campgallagher.org for more information.)

  • Training all staff on strategies for supporting campers from all financial backgrounds.

Racial diversity at Camp Gallagher

We recognize that summer camps and outdoor recreation spaces are not always safe and accessible places for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC). We believe that Black Lives Matter and that it is our responsibility to create outdoor spaces where BIPOC campers feel safe and honored by:

  • Aiming to hire a diverse staff that reflects and supports our camper population. We know that this is an area of continued growth, and we continue to examine the ways in which our recruitment, hiring, training, and staff support processes can be improved in moving forward towards this goal.

  • Examining elements of programming for implicit bias or barriers to entry and revising practices as necessary.

  • Training all staff on strategies for supporting campers from all racial backgrounds.

Gender and sexuality

Camp Gallagher is open to everyone. We respect and celebrate all community members, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Asexual, Intersex, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQUIA2S+) campers and staff. We recognize LGBTQIA2S+ youth often face discrimination in their daily lives and this discrimination can contribute to serious and life-threatening consequences (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020). While our day-to-day program is focused on creating opportunities to adventure and grow in the outdoors, we believe that it is our responsibility to not only avoid contributing to discrimination in our outdoor play, but to actively provide a place of safety and belonging. By building such belonging into the structure of our camp, our campers’ energy can be focused on the joys of summer camp instead of on worrying about who belongs where. Some ways we do this at camp are by:

  • Offering boy, girl, and all-gender housing options, and housing all campers, including trans and nonbinary campers, based on the camper’s gender identity and preferred cabin option. You and your camper choose the preferred cabin option during registration. You may select one preference or a first and second choice. Learn more about all-gender cabins here.

  • Training all staff on strategies for supporting campers of all gender identities, including training staff on how to navigate age-appropriate questions as they arise.

  • Respecting and using the names and pronouns campers use when introducing or talking about themselves. (Pronouns are simply the words we use to refer to each other when we don’t use a name – he/him, they/them, she/her etc.)

Ability, mental health, and neurodiversity

Camp Gallagher is a place where campers of varying abilities and neurotypes learn, expand, and celebrate their own capabilities. We strive to support campers where they are and to remove barriers to participation. We do require that campers are able to follow behavior and boundary guidelines and are self-sufficient in using the restroom, showering, and dressing. We support campers by:

  • Employing a seasonal, on-site inclusion and support specialist who works with staff and campers to enact program-appropriate accommodations.

  • Reaching out to caretakers and families to brainstorm best practices for supporting campers.

  • Providing opportunities for campers to take a break from their group for rest in designated areas, supervised by staff.

Dietary and medical needs

Our kitchen and health hut staff work to support campers dietary and medical needs by:

  • Providing meals for campers who are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-lactose free, nut-free. Please be sure to note dietary needs on your registration paperwork so we can prepare for your camper. We can also accommodate many other allergies, though we cannot guarantee elimination of all possibilities of cross-contamination. If your camper has a severe allergy, please email info@campgallagher. At times, we may recommend that a family send additional snacks or meal-items to supplement the menu for campers with more unique dietary needs. Please coordinate with the director and kitchen team by emailing info@campgallagher.org.

  • Utilizing trained health hut staff to manage medication and respond to camper health and wellness needs. Please refer to the health history, medications, and wellness section of the parent portal for details.

  • Training staff in first aid and CPR/AED.

 All-Gender Cabins FAQ

  • Lodging for any and all who feel safest in this space, including gender-diverse campers, their friends, and family members of different genders. We will do our best to accommodate an all-gender cabin each session.

  • Campers will indicate their first and second cabin choices during registration. If a camper is only comfortable in one type of cabin, they can indicate that on their registration as well. If a camper feels they are placed in the wrong cabin type, the camp director will work with that camper to find the right cabin assignment. In keeping with our prior policies, families will not be notified of the names, medical histories, or any other personal information about their child’s cabin mates before, during, or after their session.

  • No.

  • No. Our goal is to create lodging assignments that allow each camper to feel safe being their true, authentic selves. In line with best practices outlined by American Camp Association, trans campers are welcome to select boys, girls, or all-gender cabin based on their preference and gender.

  • All cabins have a pop-up, fully enclosed changing stall. All bathrooms are all-gender, fully enclosed, lockable, stalls.

References

Dickey, L. M. (2018, March 1). Summer camp for all: Serving the need of trans campers. American Camp Association. Retrieved February 27, 2023, from https://www.acacamps.org/article/campline/summer-camp-all-serving-need-trans-campers

Gosalvez, E. (2020, December 14). Nature gap: Why outdoor spaces lack diversity and inclusion. College of Natural Resources News. Retrieved February 27, 2023, from https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2020/12/nature-gap-why-outdoor-spaces-lack-diversity-and-inclusion/

Inclusion at Summer Camp - Camp Fire Minnesota. (2023, February 14). Camp Fire Minnesota. https://campfiremn.org/about/inclusion/summer-camp/

Johns MM, Lowry R, Haderxhanaj LT, et al. Trends in violence victimization and suicide risk by sexual identity among high school students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2015–2019. MMWR Suppl 2020;69(Suppl-1):19–27. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su6901a3