Back to "Family Camps"Join us for the FREE Family BBQ & Play Day on Sunday, May 7. All ages are welcome and plenty of space is still available! Follow the link below for more details and registration.
Register for the FREE Family BBQ & Play Day
S’more Diversity Family Camp is a weekend family retreat for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) families to spend the weekend enjoying the outdoors and time together with the family. A range of outdoor and family-friendly activities will be offered. The event is open to all ages and the schedule is flexible to sign up for only the activities you want to do.
The “Why” of S’more Diversity Family Camp
We recognize that BIPOC youth and families have historically been excluded from experiences like summer camp and from accessing outdoor spaces and activities. We also believe that camps provide opportunities for social and emotional growth and learning critical life skills that are valuable for all kids, especially those from groups of people who may not always have had access. Camp helps kids and families connect with nature, become more comfortable spending time outdoors, and experiencing outdoor recreation activities like boating, hiking, archery, and more. And, families who spend time together at camp have an opportunity to connect away from screens and the pressures of everyday life.
Camp Fire is committed to providing safe and enjoyable outdoor opportunities for BIPOC youth and families, to increase the accessibility of outdoor programs to BIPOC youth and the representation of BIPOC youth in camp programs. By offering S’more Diversity Family Camp, our goal is to help BIPOC families become more comfortable in the outdoors and to increase access for BIPOC youth to camp programs.
Location
Camp Sealth is located on Vashon Island, Washington, with 360 acres of pristine forest and over a mile of private beach along Colvos Passage. Families will stay in rustic cabins and eat meals together in our historic dining hall. All meals and activities are included at no additional cost, and we’re able to keep the cost very low thanks to our incredible donors. You will need to take a ferry to get to Vashon Island – there are ferry terminals in Tacoma, West Seattle, and Port Orchard. Check the WSDOT website for ferry schedule and ticket prices.
Activities & Schedule
Activities offered will include archery, arts & crafts, dance, hikes, firebuilding, boating, fishing, beach exploration, outdoor cooking, nature walk, a scavenger hunt and more. Saturday evening will be a campfire with s’mores followed by a dance party. On Sunday, join us for large group games like capture the flag, followed by a BBQ and field games.
If you’d like to attend but don’t want to stay overnight, families are invited to join us for the lunch BBQ and games on Sunday – no charge!
Facilities
Camp Sealth’s facilities are rustic/basic but comfortable. Cabins have heat and electricity, and twin beds with foam mattresses. You’ll need sleeping bags, pillows, and/or sheets/blankets (camp has a supply to borrow if needed). Bathrooms/showers are located in a separate building in each cabin area. Limited Wifi is available in some areas of camp (not cabins). See photos of our cabins here.
Food Service
Food Service is provided by our highly talented Food Service Director and head chef, Chef Chantel Jackson, who is also the mastermind behind this event. Meals are served family-style in our 102-year-old dining hall; meals are kid/family-friendly and we can accommodate most special diets.
Dates & Times
Event Dates: May 6-7, 2023
Arrival: Saturday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m.
Departure: Sunday, May 7 at 2:00 p.m.
Eligibility
This event is open to all BIPOC families/families with BIPOC members, and open to all ages. Children under age 18 must attend with an adult.
Registration & Fees
Our goal is to make this event accessible to everyone, so we offer tiered pricing options. You can choose to pay at any tier; your choice is confidential and will not impact your camp experience in any way. We’re able to offer the lower tiers thanks to the generous Equity Action Fund donations we’ve received. Paying a higher tier allows us to stretch the EAF money further to serve more children; but we invite families to pay at the rate that is comfortable for them.
- Tier A (subsidized): $10 per person
- Tier B (subsidized): $50 per person
- Tier C (full cost): $100 per person
All families members attending must register. If the $10 cost is a barrier for your family, please contact us for a financial aid request.
Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers for this event! Volunteers can help in a variety of ways, including leading activities, helping behind-the-scenes with kitchen or set-up/clean-up tasks, or sharing your own unique talent/skills. We particularly need volunteers with these skill sets (but all are welcome):
- Kitchen (dishwashing or cooking)
- Leading activities like outdoor cooking, outdoor skills, hiking, boating, nature exploration, arts & crafts
- Sharing songs or story-telling at a campfire
- Nursing or other health care professional
- Photography
If you are interested in volunteering, complete the Volunteer Interest Form – make sure to select “S’more Diversity Family Camp” on the form checklist.
Sunday BBQ & Play Day
If you’d like to join but can’t attend for the full weekend, join us for a FREE BBQ and Play Day on Sunday, May 7 from 10:00 – 2:00. Follow the link below for more details and registration.
Sunday BBQ & Play Day – Details & Registration
Questions
For questions, please contact one of the following:
- Questions about registration & payments: Kim Roeser, kimr@campfireseattle.org
- For any other questions, contact any of the following:
- Chantel Jackson, chantelj@campfireseattle.org
- Bria Goffney, briag@campfireseattle.org
- Darlene Lopez, darlenel@campfireseattle.org
- Dom Lewis, doml@campfireseattle.org
- Carrie Lawson, carriek@campfireseattle.org
