named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Aquatics Program
Swim instruction and water safety program including swim tests, lessons, and supervised aquatic activities led by certified staff.
Athletics Program
Structured sports programming in activities such as basketball and soccer, with lesson planning and counselor training to ensure quality and safety.
Discovery Program
Daily social-emotional learning curriculum that helps campers explore identity, values, and purpose, with themed lessons and recognition activities tied to daily camp values.
Inter-Arts Program
Creative expression program in dance, drama, broadcasting, and other arts, offering elective blocks and performance opportunities for campers.
Junior Counselor Program
Mentorship and leadership development program for rising high school seniors from partner schools, preparing them for college and careers in education or youth development.
Summer Camp Program
Immersive summer experience for youth focusing on personal growth through structured activities, social-emotional learning, and skill-building in areas like athletics, arts, and STEM.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Summer Day Camp Programs 2 activities
- Funding and launching new camp sites under the Change Summer modelImplements the Change Summer model by launching and supporting new camp sites, including Camp KIPP DC, Camp Beyond, and Camp Canopy, serving approximately 2,500 campers across all locations following full rollout.
- Operating summer camp programs for youth from under-resourced communitiesProvides two-week overnight summer camp experiences for elementary and middle school students from under-resourced communities, featuring activities in athletics, swimming, interarts, STEM, outdoor adventure, and social-emotional learning. The program aims to build confidence, curiosity, independence, and responsibility, with demonstrated improvements in social-emotional skills by the end of the session.
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Summer Academic Enrichment Programs 1 activity
- Delivering customized summer enrichment programs in partnership with schoolsCreates and operates tailored summer enrichment programs for elementary and middle school students in collaboration with school organizations, extending the reach and adaptability of the core camp model.
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Student Progress Assessment & Program Evaluation 1 activity
- Measuring and reporting long-term academic and social outcomes for campersTracks and reports higher academic averages, attendance rates, SAT scores, and college matriculation rates among campers compared to non-campers using control group comparisons, demonstrating the long-term impact of participation in the summer program.
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Volunteer and Professional Training Programs 1 activity
- Providing consulting and capacity-building support to youth-serving organizationsOffers consulting services through S’more Summer and DArnold Consulting to support youth program leaders in designing programs, facilitating staff training, conducting program audits, and integrating equity, belonging, and joy into youth experiences.
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Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Supporting youth leadership development through Junior Counselor programsMentors and develops Junior Counselors, who are rising high school seniors from partner schools, providing leadership training and civic engagement opportunities as part of a year-round youth development strategy.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$6.14M
Contributions & grants$5.92M96%
Program service revenue$147K2%
Investment income$12K0%
Other revenue$59K
expenses
Total expenses$7.18M
Program expenses90%
Admin / overhead6%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$3.50M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.97M
Cash$211K
Investments$0
Liabilities$1.15M
Net assets$818K
Liquid reserves0.3 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue +9.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 7
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOSHUA PHILLIPS | CEO | 40 | $328K |
| BRIANA MITCHELL | PRESIDENT OF STRATEGY & OPERATIONS | 40 | $190K |
| MICHAEL CALLAHAN | CAMP DIRECTOR | 40 | $162K |
| IJEOMA DURU | CAMP DIRECTOR | 40 | $118K |
| LAUREN PITCAIRN | CAMP DIRECTOR | 40 | $118K |
| LINDSAY MACIK | DIR. OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $118K |
| MONIA JOHNSON | CAMP DIRECTOR | 40 | $118K |
board members · 7
- EVAN RUDALL — CHAIRMAN
- FATIMAH BARKER — DIRECTOR
- JASON EPSTEIN — DIRECTOR
- JULIE JACKSON — SECRETARY
- LISETTE NIEVES — DIRECTOR
- SAM BOREK — TREASURER
- TYLER REEDER — DIRECTOR
relationships · 17
Who they work with
- AF Camp Partner — School organization partnering with Change Summer to serve students through AF Camp.
- Achievement First Schools Partner — Partnered with to launch AF Camp, expanding statewide reach.
- American Camp Association of NY/NJ Tri-State Conference Committee Network — Member of the conference committee, contributing to regional camp leadership and standards.
- C5 Georgia Youth Foundation Partner — Served as Senior Director leading youth leadership and civic engagement programs.
- Camper Partner — Youth participant in camp programs
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Partner — Volunteers with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., indicating an organizational affiliation.
- KIPP DC Partner — School organization partnering with Change Summer to serve students through Camp KIPP DC.
- KIPP DC Public Schools Partner — Partnered with to launch Camp KIPP DC.
- Sam Borek Partner — Board member and owner of Woodmont Day Camp, contributing operational expertise in summer camping.
- Uncommon Schools Partner — Briana Michele Mitchell, leader of S'more Summer, previously served as Director of Operations at Uncommon Schools.
- Uncommon Schools Partner — Change Summer collaborates with Uncommon Schools, as evidenced by shared staff and program alignment through Camp Uncommon.
- Uncommon Schools Partner — Partnered with to launch Camp Uncommon, which evolved into Change Summer.
- Uncommon Schools Partner — School organization partnering with Change Summer to serve students through Camp Uncommon.
- leading school networks Partner — Collaborates with school networks to create customized summer programs aligned with academic year learning.
- leading school organizations Partner — Collaborates with school organizations to create customized summer enrichment programs for students.
- partner schools Partner — Source of Junior Counselors who are rising high school seniors mentored through the camp program
- university partner facilities Partner — Uses university facilities to host overnight camp programs and provide college campus experiences for students.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Belonging and Joy as Foundational to Engagement and Impactmethodology: belonging_and_joyBy centering joy and fostering deep belonging in youth programming, we increase engagement and sustain long-term impact because positive emotional experiences lower barriers to participation, strengthen peer connections, and create a psychologically safe environment where personal authenticity and growth can flourish.
- Equity and Inclusion as Operational and Programmatic Foundationsmethodology: equity_centered_decision_makingBy integrating equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) into all organizational systems and decision-making, we ensure that under-resourced and marginalized youth experience meaningful access and representation because structural equity enables authentic participation and shifts power to the communities we serve.
- Summer Camp as Transformative Space for Holistic Youth Developmentmethodology: holistic_youth_developmentBy using summer camp as an immersive, relationship-rich environment, we foster holistic youth development—building social-emotional skills, confidence, and personal identity—because the unique combination of independence, play, and peer bonding in a supportive setting enables transformative growth that is difficult to replicate in school-year contexts.