Mission
To foster personal growth and life-long skills in children with financial need through multi-year access to the unique environment of camp.
Amici's Impact
Technology, particularly smartphones, have had a profound impact on the upbringing of today’s children. Pervasive use of digital devices, and the resulting decrease in unstructured play has paved the way for an epidemic of anxiety, depression and loneliness in youth. These impacts are felt even more deeply by low-income families, such as those that Amici Children’s Camp Charity serves, who often have higher rates of screen time with less supervision. When children are given the opportunity to play off-screen, they develop resilience and independence, and enjoy time outdoors in nature (Haidt, 2024).
As an organization dedicated to the wellbeing of children and youth from low-income families, we have reflected on the impact of technology on children and are determined to do our part to change the trajectory of youth mental health for the better.
At overnight summer camp, children leave their smartphones at home, immersing themselves in nature. Children gain a sense of community and camaraderie among fellow campers, promoting teamwork and interpersonal skills that are essential for navigating real-world relationships. They make real-world friendships, learn from their leaders and mentor campers younger than them. Overnight summer camp plays a critical role in the lives of children, offering them the opportunity to completely disconnect from the technologies that falsely claim to provide the connection they are craving. In fact, when we polled first-time Amici campers and returning Amici campers, returning campers were 24% more likely to enjoy disconnecting from their personal devices, showcasing the long-term impact of immersive camp experiences in fostering a stronger appreciation for unplugging from technology.
Camp emphasizes activities that encourage physical, often adventurous play, teamwork and social bonding: from tackling the highest element in the high ropes course, to a 24 hour solo, to working together in a camp-wide game of capture the flag. When Amici campers returned home from camp in summer 2024, 32% of parents stated they noticed their children spending less time on personal devices.
Camp may be the last technology-free zone for today’s children and youth. At camp, without a phone in their hands, children can rediscover the joys of childhood, forging lasting memories and friendships in an environment that nurtures their physical, emotional and social well-being. Amici is playing a critical role in helping our campers overcome the “surge of suffering” that has been brought on by a phone-based childhood.
Through multi-year access to camp, the children in our program return to camp year-after-year, ensuring the benefits of camp are long-term, profound and life-changing. Camp is a space where kids can be kids, building new friendships, strengthening existing relationships and learning from the mentors around them. It is this multi-year access to camp that transforms children’s lives.
“When I got back from camp, my devices felt more boring.”
- Camp Oconto, Age 11
“Before camp, it was a challenge to get him off of video games. He was reluctant to help around the house. After camp, he didn’t even ask for his video games and he’s been so helpful.”
- Kilcoo Camp, Amici Parent
“I thought I would die without my phone but I didn’t miss it. I don’t even use it much now that I’m home.”
- Camp Tanamakoon, Age 11
Program Updates
At Amici Children's Camp Charity, we are committed to continuous learning and improvement. Over the past year, we have introduced several program updates based on feedback from our community to better serve our campers and their families. The updates below reflect our ongoing commitment to transparency, inclusivity and responsive support.
1. Revised Financial Assessment Tool for Campers with Disabilities
In recognition of the additional costs often associated with raising a child with a physical or cognitive disability, Amici has introduced a revised financial assessment tool for families of campers with disabilities. This updated tool allows Amici to more accurately reflect each family's unique financial circumstances and ensure equitable access to camp for all children, regardless of ability.
2. Annual Adjustments to Financial Assessment Tools
Amici has introduced a formula to annually update our financial assessment tools to better reflect changing economic realities. Each year, our Financial Assessment Tool is based on the Government of Canada’s Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) grid. Amici has now included an added percentage to account for inflation and the rising cost of living. This ensures our support remains fair, relevant and responsive to the needs of Amici families each year.
3. Sibling Discount on Amici’s Family Contribution Fee
Amici families are asked to contribute a modest fee, called the Camper Contribution Fee. This fee, which is assessed based on household income, family size and location, starts at a minimum of $75 ($50 for campers with a disability). To help ease financial pressure on families sending multiple children to camp, Amici has introduced a 50% sibling discount for the Camper Contribution Fee. The new discount aligns with common practices at many camps and reflects our commitment to keeping camp as accessible and affordable as possible for all families.
4. Family Information Sessions
To support families in their preparation for camp, Amici has introduced virtual Family Information Sessions. These sessions feature a panel of camp directors, Amici alumni, parents and other camp champions who share insights, answer questions and help families prepare for a successful summer. By creating space for connection and learning, these sessions help ensure every camper and their family feel ready and supported as they head off to camp. Following these sessions, the Amici staff team created a Camper Guide which was sent to all campers and families that included responses to the questions asked at the Family Information Sessions.
5. Process for Campers Supported by the Camp Awakening Legacy Fund
Since the creation of the Camp Awakening Legacy Fund, Amici has made changes to our program to better support campers with physical disabilities. We have introduced an application interview with camper families to help us understand each camper’s unique needs and match them with the most suitable partner camp. We’ve also developed a new accessibility assessment for our partner camps, along with a tip sheet offering practical ideas to help camps enhance accessibility. These tools aim to ensure every camper supported by the Camp Awakening Legacy Fund has a safe, inclusive and empowering camp experience.
6. Support for New Canadian Campers
Amici is committed to building a more diverse and inclusive camper community. As a part of this, we’ve expanded our outreach by partnering with organizations like Polycultural Immigrant and Community Services to better support New Canadian families. These partnerships help us reach more children from newcomer communities and ensure they feel welcomed, included and prepared for a meaningful camp experience. Thanks to our new community partners, Amici will be supporting 30 New Canadian campers in summer 2025.
2024 Camper Survey Highlights
Campership Program Over The Years
*Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario government closed all overnight summer camps in Summer 2020. As a result, Amici supported our families with the Amici Family 2020 Support Fund.
**In 2021, many of our partner camps made the difficult decision to not offer traditional overnight summer camp programming due to ongoing challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we supported many families with the Amici Family 2021 Support Fund
Amici's Objectives and Results
Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Press.
