CMTA’s National Youth Programs Manager and Camp Footprint Director Jonah Berger reflects on expanding the magic of camp beyond one transformative week through the Footprint Fellowship program.
There is one thing that all true camp people have in common: they wish camp could last all year round, and the outside world felt as fun, connected, and authentic as the camp bubble. Then, we have Camp Footprint. A camp that takes the “camp magic” to an entirely new level. It’s an amazing place where youth come to take a much-needed break from the feeling of isolation they are far too familiar with. They come here for respite from the judgement and the looks of others, from the misunderstanding of friends and strangers. They come from carrying the burden of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease alone to a place where they can simply leave that burden at the door. They still have CMT during camp, but they are surrounded by 79 other campers, along with a majority of the staff and the camp director, who understand their most personal challenge without them having to explain a single thing. This allows these amazing youth to relax and let down their guard in a way they may not have even realized they so desperately needed.
They can rest in the healing waters of understanding and be their most authentic selves. This is character building. Learning to be authentic. Learning to face challenges with positivity. Learning to be open. All of these needed miracles happen during camp. And after 10 amazing years, we have grown more and more impatient with the fact that these youth only get one week each year to experience this magic. Yet, we simply have not had the resources or a clear plan to help our campers and staff to carry that magic, that acceptance, that authenticity home with them.
Enter the ACA, the American Camp Association. During the National Conference in 2024, an announcement was made for a $45 million “Character at Camp Grant Program” focused on character development for campers and staff. A spark of opportunity had arrived.
I went out into the hall and called Jeana, my Camp Footprint co-lead, and in that moment, we developed the idea to apply for this grant and use the funds to develop a program to intentionally aid Footprint campers and counselors to harness the magic of camp and bring it home to their everyday lives, where that magic is so desperately needed. Two years and many hours of applications later, we received word this past December that CMTA Camp Footprint was one of 77 camp programs selected to receive this grant, out of 586 applications.
We went to work. We hired a leadership team, created applications and built out a marketing plan. We selected 23 campers as fellows, 8 counselors to serve as mentors, and 4 additional counselors to support the program as part of the grant leadership team. This group will go through four quarters of activities and projects to help chart a path for future campers and counselors to follow. They will receive a fellowship box filled with items and gear to support their journey. They will create their “CMT Story”, along with a plan to share it within their schools, churches, and communities.
They will also plan and lead activities in both sessions of Camp Footprint 2026 to help educate fellow campers and staff on how to bring the magic home. Finally, they will create a video that captures this journey to be shared with camps across the country so others can follow the path we have created. This will be the first of two years of this work. A new group will be chosen for 2027 as we learn from the successes and failures of the first cohort.
The end result we are aiming for? A new addition to Camp Footprint where, eventually, all campers and staff will go home with a kit to guide them in bringing the magic home and sharing it with others. On a wider scale, the goal is to change the world for the better by sharing the magic and wisdom sparked at camp that lives so beautifully within its participants.
