Camp Kesem (Hebrew for magic) was originally started at Stanford in 2001, and has since spread to over 20 other college campuses.  We hosted our first session of camp in August 2012 and are hard at work planning for our 2013 camp!

Our mission is two-fold:

• To provide kids with a parent who has or has had cancer with a summer camp experience that gives them a chance to just be kids.
• To allow college students to channel their passion for making a difference, while developing critical leadership skills for long term social impact.

The Camp Kesem environment promotes two goals: to create a fun, social setting akin to other summer camps, and to provide the underlying support and attention geared directly to addressing the campers’ specific familial situations. We are a secular camp open to all children regardless of race, religion, nationality, or financial standing. Thanks to our support from individuals, foundations, and corporations, Camp Kesem is free! More than 20 volunteer counselors from the University of Washington will staff the camp, ensuring a 2:1 ratio of campers to counselors so that each camper gets the attention and support that they deserve. We will have professional staff on site at all times, including a certified nurse, therapist, and a national camp advisor.