Connecting Kids to Sparks: Sam Ward’s Journey to Leadership at Camp Fire Central Oregon Sam Ward’s (she/her/hers) journey as program manager at Camp Fire Central Oregon has been a story of fostering connections between people, nature, and the spark of discovery. A long-time outdoor adventurer, Sam—whose camp name is “RAAAAAAAAAAAA”—is deeply passionate about bringing people… Continue reading→
Our Incredible “Behind-the-Curtain” Wizard If you’ve been in the merry ole land of “Camp Fire Central Oregon” for a bit, you’ve likely met or at least heard of Melanie Feltmate (she/her), our resident “Wizard” behind Camp Fire’s curtain. Melanie has not only got a lot of amazing sparks, but she’s a true gift to our… Continue reading→
Jess Pederson, STEAM Program Coordinator: Coding ‘Creative’ Into Camp Fire’s STEAM Success There’s no question that fall is a super cool time of year for Camp Fire. In particular, that’s when our FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) Competition Teams take shape and start skilling up to compete in the upcoming FLL Qualifying Tournament, taking place at… Continue reading→
Carissa, Program Support Specialist: Keeping Customer Service and Programs on Track This month, we’re introducing our new Program Support Specialist: Carissa. A welcome addition to the Camp Fire crew, she’s helping drive success from within, supporting customer service needs and a host of back-end program-assistance tasks and to-dos. Read on to learn about Carissa’s background,… Continue reading→
Avara Roberts, Afterschool Program Coordinator, South County: Bringing Localness, Expertise and Fantastic Fun to New Three Rivers Location Hip hip hooray! We’re so thrilled to announce Avara Roberts has joined Camp Fire Central Oregon’s afterschool program team! As our Afterschool Program Coordinator in South County, she’s serving as the site lead for this new and… Continue reading→
Javier Leiva, Executive Administrator, a Superstar Behind Camp Scenes Javier Leiva, our superstar executive administrator, joined Camp Fire in 2020. Soon after moving to Central Oregon and seeing a job opening to teach Spanish in our afterschool program, he decide to apply but, shortly after that, found himself landing a different position—growing the STEM program,… Continue reading→
Logan Betts, STEM Program Coordinator: Engineering Powerful Connection for Camp Fire Kids It’s hard to believe that Logan Betts (she/her/hers) has only been with Camp Fire Central Oregon for a little over a year. After joining our SummerKids team and then shifting into her current role as STEM Program Coordinator, she’s quickly become so invested… Continue reading→
Mary Bowker, Grants Manager: Securing Funds & Scholarships From the Helm! One of our amazing behind-the-scenes team leads is Mary Bowker, who serves from the Camp Fire helm as our Grants Manager. For the past eight years, Mary has been making a huge difference, not just as our current grants manager but a past Teen… Continue reading→
In the realm of Camp Fire Central Oregon champions, one of our greatest superheroes is Cece Valceschini! As our program specialist, Cece runs our certified babysitter training, supports Kids Night Out events, and serves as the director of our beloved Tumalo Day Camp. No doubt, Cece’s energy and commitment help these programs thrive. But that’s… Continue reading→
There’s perhaps nothing more inspiring than seeing kids experience sheer joy, and that’s exactly what played out at Absolutely Incredible Kid® Day (AIK Day) on March 20, when a record number of youth—including those from two Camp Fire Afterschool programs—joined us to partake in the national holiday and celebrate Camp Fire’s birthday! In addition to… Continue reading→
Young people want to shape the world.
Camp Fire provides the opportunity to find their spark, lift their voice, and discover who they are.
In Camp Fire, it begins now.
