Your donation empowers and supports deserving girls

Kupugani Scholarship Fund

Raising Strong Women for the Future

In the rolling hills and woods of northwest Illinois lies a haven for girls.

A place of their own where they can explore the beauty of nature,

the challenge of physical activity, and the joy of shared experience.

As they try new things and make best friends, something wonderful happens.

Each girl develops a deeper understanding of herself and her relationship with other people.

A seed of acceptance and empowerment is planted that will grow over time.

The Camp Kupugani experience helps to build young women of character and compassion

who will make meaningful contributions to our diverse communities and to our world.

We are raising strong women for the future!

For the generation of young women born after 1990, the world can be a very confusing place. This is the first truly global generation raised in the era of mass communications and the internet. There are no questions that can't be answered by Google or Wiki, and their list of friends often includes more virtual members than those they've actually met in person. Girls of this serious generation watch their parents and teachers struggle to justify old prejudices and ways of doing things. This generation respects mutual respect and personal opinions more than authority and position. Girls of this generation can create lasting change in our world if they are given the right tools and understanding.

Camp Kupugani was founded to provide a multicultural experience for this new diverse generation of girls to equip and prepare them to lead a meaningful life in our global society. By removing the perceived barriers associated with race, ethnicity, class and social standing, we help young girls attain the knowledge, attitudes, skills and tools they need to become active community members and agents for social change.  Each summer, Camp Kupugani provides a unique summer camp program of recreation, adventure and fun designed for girls and teens.

• We believe a summer camp should be fun and formative, exciting and supportive, challenging and rewarding.

• We believe young girls thrive when encouraged to make decisions for themselves, to engage new physical and creative activities, and to develop meaningful friendships.

• We believe exploring nature and learning new skills helps to develop a stronger sense of self and to identify unique gifts and talents that make each individual valuable in a society.

• We believe a quality summer camp experience depends on a highly motivated, enthusiastic and trained staff that believes in our core values and mission.

• We believe in the unique nature of an all-girls environment that is free from the distractions of the opposite gender. This fosters an environment where girls are generally more self-confident, supportive and open to forging lasting friendships.

• We believe the multicultural nature of our world requires a new generation of young leaders who break down social and economic barriers to address real issues that impact the common good.

Camper comments

Donor support has allowed our campers to comment: "I love Camp Kupugani, because it gives me challenging opportunities to do better. It gives me more knowledge about life and teaches me to be brave and try new things. It gives me great and fun experiences." "I love Camp Kupugani, because we can have fun and be ourselves at the same time." "Camp Kupugani helped me communicate. It also helped me overcome obstacles and really think." (You can check out more camper comments here...)

Parent comments

Donor support has allowed our parents to be able to make comments such as: "She was challenged mentally and physically. She... was able to wrap her mind around the discussions and bring home lessons about what she learned from the girls' stories, more about diversity, injustice, and also privilege." "The level of experience and diversity among the staff was exceptional." "I thought it was a phenomenal program and impact on my daughter." (You can check out more parent comments here...)

Heartfelt appreciations go out to those who have contributed to the Kupugani Scholarship Fund!