United Way of Northern Arizona — Why Everyone Loves KinderCamp™

KinderCamp™, a signature program of United Way of Northern Arizona, is part of our efforts to Step Up for Our Youth. For almost two decades, it’s gotten positive reviews from teachers, parents, and most importantly, the four- and five-year-olds who participate each summer.

Learn more about how we are gearing up for KinderCamp 2024, and how you can play a role in helping the next generation get ready to take on the world.

Enrollment in KinderCamp™ 2024 Begins

The targeted intervention program, provided free to families, is a signature early education initiative coordinated by United Way of Northern Arizonawith local school districts. It is held during the month of June and facilitates successful transition for students going into kindergarten who have minimal preschool experience.

In KinderCamp, students learn much more than their letters and numbers. They also get familiar with riding on a school bus, eating in a cafeteria setting, and working cooperatively with other students. The biggest transformation for these students, according to their parents, is their increased confidence and excitement about starting school.

• My baby girl learned so much and has become so much more outgoing – thank you so much.
• Riding the bus has given my son a sense of independence.
• She loved sharing her projects with us and any songs she learned that day. We loved our experience with KinderCamp!
• My child would talk about KinderCamp every day and night after school.
• He was able to sign his Father’s Day card for his daddy.

In addition to Flagstaff, the program is also offered in other northern Arizona communities, such as Williams and Pinetop-Lakeside.

How You Can Get Involved in This Year’s KinderCamp

There are many ways you can help our local students prepare for the start of their academic career and ensure that all students are on a level playing field for that all-important first day of school.

SPREAD THE WORD – If you know a family with a child preparing for kindergarten this year, particularly if they haven’t had a chance to send their child to preschool, let them know about KinderCamp.

VOLUNTEER – Help welcome families to the KinderCamp program on orientation night or participate in the end-of-program “bridging over” ceremony. Volunteer opportunities will be posted on Volunteer Hub in the coming weeks.

DONATE – Although the program is provided for free to families, the estimated cost per student is about $800, which includes transportation, teacher and staff salaries, facility costs, teaching supplies, meals, the “bridging over” event, and literacy kits given to every participating family so they can help their children continue to learn throughout the summer. You can donate here!

SUPPLY DRIVE – Be a KinderCamp Champ during our Annual Campaign & Community Impact Celebration on March 27, where we’ll be holding a KinderCamp supply drive. Please consider bringing white copy paper, color markers, sheet protectors, tissue boxes, Clorox wipes, “googly” eyes, wooden clothespins, and stickers of any kind.

In addition to individual donations, KinderCamp also benefits from the sponsorship of several organizations and businesses, including the offices of Coconino County Supervisors Patrice Horstman and Jeronimo Vasquez; APS; Bank of the West; Dollar General; Kinney Construction Services; the NARBHA Institute; the Salt River Project and Wells Fargo.