DONOR CATALOG
Introducing Camp Tuku
Camp Tuku is an innovative, holistic summer camp with a unique mission to enrich the lives of children with the benefits of mindfulness practices and social-emotional strategies to support their wellbeing.
Imagine… children and teens at a summer camp where they learn ways to continually fill and draw from their own “inner well” of creativity, compassion, confidence, and resilience.
A camp that empowers youth with the skills they need to effectively navigate conflicts and challenges that life can bring their way. Where they learn how to thrive in the face of adversity and explore their ability to lead.
A camp where kids and teens can become more self-aware and intentional with their thoughts, words and actions. Where they learn tools to help them manage complex emotions. Where they play and work in a community of peers who show compassionate respect for one another, share common camp-community goals, and forge meaningful friendships.
WELCOME TO CAMP TUKU...WHERE NATURE MEETS JOYFUL MINDS!
At Camp Tuku every camper is engaged in a rich curriculum of experiential activities and nature-based adventures that connect mind, heart, and body.
MIND
We take an “inside-out” approach to a young person’s wellbeing by attending to their inner world, first. This happens through activities such as art, yoga, journaling, guided mindfulness practices and games.
HEART
A young person’s thoughts and feelings about themself help to form the compass by which they navigate life. Campers build a strong inner compass by engaging in activities that encourage self-awareness and which emphasize creative-thinking, collaboration, respect for differences, and intentional decision making.
BODY
Camp Tuku offers a great variety of fun, fitness-centric activities to support physical wellness: From archery to woodshop, aquatics to ropes course, campers have the opportunity to build stamina and stretch their comfort zones while soaking-up the health benefits of time spent in nature.
MINDFUL RESULTS FROM CAMP TO HOME
Children return home from Camp Tuku inspired to build-upon what they learned. Post-camp surveys indicate our campers:
• Are more capable of effectively managing stressful emotions
• Can better adapt to challenges & be resilient when faced with adversity
• Are resourceful & creative in solving problems
• Show more self-awareness and intentionality
• More confidently communicate their needs & ideas
• Display an enhanced ability to focus/pay attention
• Are more likely to collaborate and cooperate with others
DONORS ARE THE HEART OF CAMP TUKU
Camp Tuku needs people like you…Someone who believes in the power of mindfulness and who cares about young people. Someone who wants to see children grow and mature with the inner resources and skills they need to thrive in life and to make the world a more mindful, compassionate place.
DONATE NOW
Youth in Need: An Unprecedented Social-Emotional Health Crisis
Both the American Psychological Association (2023) and the Centers for Disease Control (2021) have released haunting statistics about the social-emotional health challenges faced by today’s youth across socio-economic and demographic groups. Compared to previous generations, today’s youth spend less time hanging out with friends in person and more time communicating electronically via text message, social media, and digitally. This retreat from in person socialization has contributed to a loneliness epidemic whereby many youth are experiencing:
• Increased rates of depression, and anxiety
• Increased, persistent feelings of loneliness and sadness
• Increased rates of self-harm ideation or behavior
• Increased stress (due to social media, food and financial security, changes in family)
• Increased difficulty with emotional regulation and distress tolerance
• Lack of skills/ inner resources to cope with adversity, resulting in higher stress level
• An existential crisis about the future, feeling disempowered to effect change
In 2024 the American Camp Association (ACA) in conjunction with Lily Endowment Inc. published the results of a multi-year longitudinal study assessing the impact summer camp had on campers at over 90 camps in America. Through interviewing more than 5,000 families the study concluded that*:
• Camps build skills necessary to prepare campers to assume roles as successful adults
• 96% of campers said camp helped them make new friends
• 74% of campers said they were more confident to try new things
• 70% of parents said their child gained self-confidence at camp
• 69% of parents reported their children are still in contact with friends made at camp
*Source: ACA
SAM’S STORY
Nine-year-old Sam had a tough time during the first days at Camp Tuku. Sam was very unsure of himself and quite homesick, which the family told us to expect. Camp staff supported Sam and maintained close communication with family at home. Through participation in mindfulness games and nature activities, Sam became more comfortable with other kids and camp activities. Slowly we saw shyness melt away and a bright, creative child emerged. Sam’s mother wrote:
“Sam learned valuable life lessons and left camp with good friends and newfound confidence. Sam can’t wait to go back to Camp Tuku!”
In alignment with the ACA’s renewed focus on Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Camp Tuku continually seeks to better address the wellbeing of campers and staff through enhancements to our mindfulness-based curriculum.
Our Solution: Empowering Youth Resilience through Mindfulness, SEE Learning, and the Camp Experience
In 2022 Camp Tuku partnered with Emory University’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion Based Ethics to implement an evidence based curriculum supporting youth social-emotional wellness at camp, SEE Learning. Amid the great outdoors, we are able to provide young people with practical tools to nurture their inner resilience, create a growth mindset, improve relational skills, and further develop an ethical compass by which tey can create a joyful path to realizing their full potential.
2024 SEE Learning Results
88% of Camp Tuku Campers reported they spent more time outside at Camp than they normally would 80%
reported they learned more about compassion for others
87% 75%
said they tried something at Camp that they had never tried before said they were able to return to a zone of well-being more often than they were able to do before camp
Who Camp Tuku Served in 2024
15.5% qualified for free or reduced-price lunch
8% military-affiliated 11% IEP/504 Plan
CAMP TUKU VARSITY
Discover the extraordinary journey that awaits you at our VARSITY Summer Camp, a brand new teen leadership program tailor-made for 9th to 12th graders. VARSITY camp offers a transformative experience focusing on leadership development, community building, team adventures, and personal responsibility cultivation through service. As a member of the varsity group, you will have the opportunity to assist with planning and executing campus-wide events, honing your organization and teamwork skills.
Built in partnership with our Camp Ambassadors (exemplary campers who have been leaders at camp over several years), the new VARSITY program allows teens more flexibility in their camp schedule including choice periods to connect with other teens, an opportunity to complete a service project at camp, and an exciting team adventure activity off-site (examples may include a high ropes challenge course, a tubing excursion, or an off-site camping adventure).
The same philosophy of Camp Tuku will apply to varsity where mindfulness and emotional intelligence development will be at the very foundation of our program. At VARSITY, we're not just shaping leaders; we're cultivating well-rounded, empathetic individuals ready to tackle the challenges of the future while fostering meaningful connections with their peers.
A NOMINAL FEE OF $100 IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VARSITY PROGRAM. FOR
WHAT WE FOCUS ON EACH DAY
Our daily themes serve as anchor points for camp activities. These themes also inform choices campers make as they learn new ways to support their own wellbeing (mind, heart, body) and live in harmony with other campers.
day theme OUTCOME
Awareness of contributors to happiness (relationship to kindness, generosity)
Develop skills to identify one’s “Zone” (high, okay, or low) and the resources to return to the OK zone (i.e., relaxed)
Enhance awareness of one’s thoughts and feelings; greater appreciation of others and their mental lives
Develop self-regulation skills; ability to discern behavior that is beneficial to self and others from that which is not
Understand the value of perspective-taking to create positive relationships and problem solving; Develop Growth Mindset
Explore one’s potential to effect positive change (e.g., at home, school, community, world)
Make a Profound Impact with your Donation!
Camp Tuku provides youth aged 6 -17 years old with the opportunity to discover and practice mindfulness techniques and social-emotional strategies that will help them approach life with intention and resourcefulness.
As a donor, you will be helping Camp Tuku serve an increasing number of campers and expand the reach of our programming to support the social-emotional health of children and teens. We need $140,000 in generous donations to ensure campers have equitable access to Camp Tuku’s unique and impactful programming for Summer 2025.
CAMPERSHIP: SCHOLARSHIPS FOR YOUTH IN NEED
Do you believe that mindfulness can be transformative for young people, both in their daily lives, now, and as they grow into young adulthood? You can help ensure that the cost of attending camp is never a barrier for children and teens in need. We prioritize our campership program and strive to keep our tuition rate at 50% below market rate. Your generous support of the Campership Fund will help make Camp Tuku more accessible for youth regardless of their family's financial situation. You will be providing a child with a life-enhancing camp experience, empowering them with strategies for living life with more joy, less stress, and greater resilience.
$20,000
PROGRAMMING: THE HEART OF CAMP TUKU
The heart of Camp Tuku is our programming: the unique ways we train our staff and deliver programs to our campers. You can help ensure that Camp Tuku has the Programming Funds necessary to assess and expand our program assets. In our Program Growth Plan, we are ready to:
• fully integrate and implement the SEE Learning curriculum
• expand camp to multiple weeks in Arizona
Your generous support allows us to do what we do best: empower youth with skills that will help them nurture mind, heart, and body long after they depart from camp! $100,000
DEVELOPMENT: GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY OF CAMP TUKU
Do you share our vision of a world in which youth live their lives with greater joy, health, compassion, and resilience? You can help Camp Tuku realize this vision by supporting the Development Fund. Through development initiatives we implement effective outreach, grassroots engagement, and apply for funding through grants and other assets. Your support of our development initiatives will help us share our mission and reach those who may not otherwise know about the benefits of mindfulness. You will be helping us grow and sustain Camp Tuku for future generations. $20,000
“There was so much I didn’t know I could do before going to Camp Tuku. I was very shy and unsure about camp. The mindfulness lessons and yoga taught me new ways to deal with anxious feelings. The counselors were really supportive, fun to be with, and helped me make new friends easily. I tried a lot of activities that I would
have never attempted before, like rock climbing, innovations, and campfire cooking. Everyday at camp I felt a little bolder. I didn’t even miss my phone!”
– Bella, middle-school age camper
CONTACT US
MAILING ADDRESS:
24654 Lake Pleasant Parkway
Ste. 103, MBN #759 Peoria, AZ 85383
Website: camptuku.org
Email: info@camptuku.org
Camp Tuku is a non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Tax ID: 84-3595796). Contributions to organizations with 501(c)(3) status may be tax-deductible.
Please consult your tax professional to determine deductibility.
