One of the great pieces in our Fall Newsletter was this letter from our Executive Director, Kecia Kubota. Read on in case you missed it...and be sure to sign up to receive our quarterly newsletters here!

I hope everyone in our Camp Fire community had a fantastic summer. It was a busy one for Camp Fire with exciting programs running 10 out of the 11 weeks of summer break. As we reflect back on the 2017-2018 season and look enthusiastically towards the 2018-2019 school year and summer, I am so proud and humbled to be working with such an incredible group of people here at Camp Fire. Their passion for truly wanting to make a positive difference in our community—and in particular in the lives of our youth—is awe-inspiring to me, especially as a mother.

When I started as Camp Fire’s Executive Director (five years ago next month), the big question in my mind as I took on the challenge was, “Are we relevant?” Is Camp Fire an organization that is responsive and reflective of the needs of our community and are we meeting those needs to the best of our ability in pursuit of our mission? Five years later, I am so proud of how far we have come. Of course with a growth mindset, we know the journey never really ends! We want to continue to evolve and offer new programs that will keep us relevant as times change, the community grows, and even our family dynamics shift.

I’m constantly reflecting upon the intersection between my role in Camp Fire and my role as a parent. There are several themes that have bubbled up for me this past year that I will be continuing to explore both personally and with Camp Fire:

  • How are technology and smart devices affecting my relationships with my children, spouse, and friends?
  • How can we grow our appreciation for diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our lives?
  • How do we support the development of our youth’s confidence and self-reliance in the face of our fears to safeguard and protect them?

There are certainly no quick or easy answers to these questions, but I invite you to ponder them along with the Camp Fire staff. We hope to provide opportunities in the coming months for dialogue and exploration of these topics as a community.

Be sure to check out our programs for youth of all ages coming up this Fall. We are offering some new after school programs and have really fantastic themes planned for all of our No School Day Camps--making them invaluable opportunities not just to stay busy on a day off, but to learn and grow and thrive!

Happy Fall!

Kecia Kubota
Executive Director