2012 Co-Directors: Tracy McBrayer, Jules Micheli, Pat Bowen
"Being with all the other families and sharing the experience along with them...the sense of community and belonging and seeing our son smile more in one weekend that he does in an entire year!"
"Connecting with families like ours, and watching my daughter with role models like the counselors, seeing her make these wonderful connections with people who share her heritage."
" My daughter feels part of a community -- it is a miracle what happens to the kids at camp. I cannot thank you enough for the gifts she receives there. It is a blessing to be able to go and watch her blossom there. Thank you thank you thank you."
Even among the unique group of culture camps that comprises the Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families family, Cambodian Heritage Camp stands out. Now in its tenth year, it is the only culture camp in the U.S. that is specifically geared toward Cambodian-born adoptees and their families. Despite the relatively small number (approximately 1800) of Cambodian children adopted by Americans in the past 15 years, Cambodian Heritage camp normally fills up quickly with over 100 families who travel from throughout the U.S. to attend this very special event. We have a huge "extended family" of Cambodian-Americans from the Denver area who give their unwavering support to our camp every year, and an astounding network of Cambodian-American volunteers who regularly come from California and the east coast to participate as camp counselors, workshop leaders, and program speakers.
This year's camp theme was "The Stories of Cambodia," which revealed the deep cultural roots of Cambodia through storytelling and folklore, something that helps make every culture come alive, and a way for adopted children to connect with who they are and where they came from. Campers of all ages dug into the stories of Cambodia, culminating in a wonderful performance at Closing Ceremony. Our wonderful volunteers from the Cambodian community told their own stories to the older kids, and shared their favorite folk tales and fables with the younger kids. For parents we did something new this year in our "Cinematic Stories" room with revolving short films about Cambodia and adoption, plus families were invited to bring their own stories in photos and journals about their adoption journey and their family life. 80% of our families travel to Colorado from out of state to attend camp, so this was another wonderful way to bond us all together, from far and wide. Food is a part of every culture's story, and as always, the food at camp was delicious and abundant, and lovingly prepared by our Cambodian community and parent volunteers.
We also always spend time at camp exploring the unique gifts and challenges that come with our mostly transracial adoptive families. We realize that as your children grow, they will be dealing with issues faced by any child of color, no matter their country of birth. At our camp, they are with a sea of families who are like theirs, and with children who are in the majority for a few days. Though we celebrate and highlight the birth country of our campers, the similarities of being adopted children of color in mostly transracial families is what really bonds the children, and their families so immediately at our camp.
Camp planning for this year will be underway soon. We know we've set another high standard in 2011 that will be hard to top, but we sure are going to try! Watch this site for updates about the theme for 2012, guest presenters, workshops, and activities as they are solidified.
We hope to see you at camp in July. For further information, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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