DREAMKAMP is a completely scholarshipped, week-long camp created in 1997 through the Outdoor Experience Fund. The program’s mission is to provide an enriching, outdoor, and spiritual leadership camp for 5th and 6th graders of Kerr County schools who show strong leadership potential among their peers. Campers are selected by school teachers and counselors with no bias to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, social or economic background. The program is then led by talented and dedicated staff, who encourage both fun and personal growth through Christian principles and teachings.
Spending a week at DREAMKAMP is fun, intensive, and often, life-changing. A great camper is not necessarily an athlete – instead, he or she is an individual with an open mind, courage to try new things, a big heart and generous spirit. Each day starts with a Bible Study begun by a community clergy and completed by the cabin counselors. Nightly there are community leaders, such as coaches, business people and government officials who speak to DreamKampers about the role which their faith has played in their success. Important goals of the program are adventure, excitement, spiritual growth and leadership development. But the highest goal of DreamKamp is to equip campers with the strong spiritual and leadership foundation to excel through challenging middle school years and beyond.
DREAMKAMP campers enjoy a week of high-energy, deeply spiritual, and empowering summer camp at no cost to them; a week which many would not have the opportunity to experience otherwise. A week at DREAMKAMP rivals a week spent at the best of Kerr County’s many private summer camps. From learning to safely point and shoot a rifle, to saddling and riding a horse for the first time, to gathering the courage to jump off a 600-foot-zipline platform, camp teaches life skills via challenges, new experiences, and plenty of fun. An equally important aspect of the DREAMKAMP experience involves evening discussions on Christian values with leaders from the community, including such topics as faith, hope, charity, courage, and community, as well as daily Bible study. To become a DreamKamper, you must be Kerr County 5th or 6th grader that is full of potential and hope and have that special spark. We work with the local school teachers and counselors to for help in finding these amazing kids. Based on the teacher’s referrals, each student they nominate receives an application and a spot at DreamKamp.
DREAMKAMP was started in 1997 as a joint venture between Kerrville’s Young Men’s Business League (YMBL) and Camp La Junta. Since then, additional organizations have partnered with the Outdoor Experience Fund and La Junta to continue providing DREAMKAMP to our local 5th and 6th graders. Organizations like the Kerrville Board of Realtors, Kiwanis, and private donors continue to raise money and donate their time to allow DREAMKAMP to continue to be free of charge to all campers.
The Outdoor Experience Fund is a nonprofit organization with the desire to support children and their families by providing a location, tools, and specialized programs promoting individual and family growth. The Fund was created to provide safe, innovative, and nurturing outdoor experiences to promote fun, personal growth, and life-changing experiences to children and their families.
We are delighted that the community and major funding partner, the Kerrville Board of Realtors, have committed to supporting so many campers over the years. We feel strongly that no deserving children should be left out due to lack of funding.