2025 Summer Encampment

Justice knows no borders: Building community, sharing culture,
developing youth leadership and activism

The 2025 Encampment once again brought together young people from across the nation who want to make a difference. Each year, the focus changes with the EFC educational approach being rooted in the local host community. The Encampers delved deeply into immigration issues, including historical roots, current laws, and meeting individuals and organizations working for change who shared strategies and inspiration. Members of the Indigenous Chumash people shared their history, culture, and current initiatives. The Encampers learned about environmental justice and regenerative agriculture by immersing themselves in the local community and participating in service projects. The segments below provide an overview of the curriculum and experience the impact in words, pictures, and video.

“I learned so much more than I ever could have imagined. I learned how to recognize and express my feelings in a positive way — something I have struggled with in the past. The stories I heard this summer opened my heart and made me consider very seriously the kind of legacy I hope to leave behind. I also loved meeting folks from all over the country. They were all unique, and the discussions helped me learn and expand my own perspectives. Because of this Encampment, I am now willing to do more for my community.” — Demarcus, Greenville, MS.

“EFC helps me by educating me about different leadership opportunities, communities outside of my own, and people with stories I have not heard before. I’ve also learned that leaders aren’t just the people who speak out and dive straight into situations. It’s also the people who take time to calculate, organize, and facilitate. This experience has benefited me in many ways. I have a better understanding of what I want to do in life, how I can get to college, and how to help my community.” — Evangeline, Chamberlain, SD

“EFC gave me the space to connect with youth from across the country; dig deep into the issues I care about. We weren’t just learning; we were also building relationships, understanding, and plans for action. One of the most powerful moments for me was visiting the Community Coalition in South LA, where I met youth who had organized and won campaigns to get more funding into their schools. This experience gave me hope and a set of tools I know I’ll carry with me into college and beyond.” — Noah, Holyoke, MA

2025 Encampers:

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., greeting Encampers.

Formed a community with peers from around the country sharing their diverse cultures and communities.

“I learned the value of community during this month at the Encampment. Living alongside people from different places and backgrounds showed me how different we can be, yet have something in common nonetheless. Not only do you learn a lot about social justice issues, but you learn a lot about yourself.” — Leslie, Fort Worth, TX

Were immersed in the local community and cultures.

“You’ve shown us all what it means to live with purpose, pride, and resilience. Thank you for being powerful examples of what community, culture, and leadership look like.” — Gio, Oxnard, CA

Click to learn more about the Encampers' immersion in local cultures.

Brother facilitators Marcus and Casmali Lopez led the group on a nature walk that included seeing traditional Chumash dwellings. Click for Encamper Noah drawing one and speaking about his experience. Casmali shared his knowledge of local plants, including sage, which has a sacred importance and is also a fire deterrent in this arid environment. Click for Encamper Myijade smelling sage for the first time. Click to hear Encamper Nicolas telling what he was learning in this field trip. Marcus and Casmali shared songs that are meaningful to the Chumash people, who are indigenous to this region. Click to hear one.

“Our trip to Limuw (Santa Cruz Island) was an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the land, with culture, and with ourselves. We journeyed together to this sacred ceremonial site for the Chumash people, where they were guided by Indigenous community members in learning about their history, relationship to the land, and ongoing cultural preservation.” — Program Director Jesus Salcido

Click for a brief view into this extraordinary field trip.

“We attended the Oxnard College Swap Meet, experiencing a rich mix of local traditions, food, music, and commerce — all rooted in the lives of Latine, farmworker, and Mexican Indigenous communities. This outing helped us ground our understanding of immigration, labor, and cultural resilience in real places and faces, while practicing our deep observation skills.” — Program Director Jesus Salcido

“Every time there’s a festival at my church, we have similar stands. It reminds me of home in that way. I see that the size being diminished is a prime example of the ICE issue and its impact on immigrant communities. There was still music playing, people buying flowers for their partners, children buying ice cream. It showed me a sense of community even if I didn’t belong to that community.” — Annie, 2025 Encamper

As part of the EFC’s inquiry-based and experiential approach, learned from community activists working for justice.

“We met with local educators and community organizers in Oxnard and Santa Barbara who are actively engaged in issues of education equity, cultural preservation, and youth empowerment. By visiting sites like Lab805 and Ortega Park, Encampers witnessed grassroots efforts to reclaim public space, celebrate cultural identity, and challenge injustices carried out on the local and federal level.” — Program Director, Jesus Salcido

Click for more information on meetings with activists.

Organizr Odette Moran Lopez leading Toxic Tour.
Encampers with Chef Tim
Meeting with organizers at CoCo.
Limuw Island.
Brooklyn and Ola at Pyramid Flowers
Augusto at Pyramid Flowers.
Leslie and Braeden on ferry to Limuw Island.
Rio Regenerative Farm.
Annie and Jane Sapp at Rio Farm.

Organizer Andi Garcia, who is part of the community effort to protect Ortega Park for local people’s use, described their persistence in continuing to negotiate with the city to keep it accessible and safe.
Encampers joined the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) on a tour to some of the toxic sites in Ventura. Odette Moran Lopez and several youth leaders from the community shared their experiences in resisting against the sites that harm their community. Participants talked about the natural beauty of the area and the visible (and invisible) pollution that affects the land, people, and wildlife. Click for some of the Encamper reflections on the tour.
Encampers engaged in hands-on service and learning at the Rio School District Organic Farm in Oxnard, a model of how education, food justice, and environmental stewardship can intersect to serve community needs. Encampers contributed directly to a project that provides fresh, organic produce to families in the district, many of whom come from immigrant and working-class backgrounds.
In collaboration with our partner organization, Friends of Fieldworkers, Encampers had a unique chance to learn more about farmworkers and their lives by talking with them directly. Each farmworker told their story of coming to the U.S. and described what it is like to be a field worker — the hours and nature of the work. After lunch, Encampers helped distribute food and supplies to farmworkers, many of whom depend on these supplies for survival.
The Encampers traveled to Los Angeles to meet with the Community Coalition (CoCo) in South Central LA. The day included a youth exchange with members of South Central Youth Empowered thru Action (SCYEA), where Encampers and local youth connected over shared concerns like school policing and underfunded education. They exchanged stories and strategies from successful campaigns to improve schools and build power in their communities. Click for a video of Ola asking a question about techniques to use for advocating with a local school board.

Community organizers and strategists from last year’s summer program collaboration in Alabama led a workshop about social impact organizing. Destiny Williams Levy and Anneshia Hardy of Alabama Values were joined by Chris Hardy and Zariyah, a youth member of their group. Alabama Values is a grassroots communication organization that leverages narrative, messaging, and culture to break down barriers to civic engagement, counter mis/disinformation and build people-power on pro-democracy issues.
The Pyramid Flowers field trip was a powerful opportunity to explore the intersections of labor, immigration, and environmental justice through a unique lens: the floral industry. As part of this learning experience/community service project, Encampers learned about the business of growing flowers from seed to bouquet and helped serve lunch, prepared by Chef Tim Kilcoyne (@cheftimk), to local farmworkers. This field trip was made possible through our collaboration with the local organization Friends of Fieldworkers (@friendsoffieldworkers). Click for a video of Encampers helping to serve lunch to the farmworkers.

Focused on immigration history, intersectionality and current issues.

The Encampers embarked on a three-day “deep-dive” into immigration. Topics included: What is immigration? Why does it matter?

Click here for more on the Immigration Workshop.

The objectives

Connect immigration to personal stories and family histories.
Build shared vocabulary about immigration, migration, and displacement.
Begin to link present-day immigration dynamics to deeper histories (colonization, borders, labor).

Click for an excerpt from the Encampers’ creative responses to this session. To learn more, click for our Week Two post: https://encampmentforcitizenship.org/week-two-of-the-2025-encampment/

Had lots of arts-based learning and fun.

In an impromptu Encampment event, Education Director Jane Sapp and Dr. Chan Ho Yun, artistic director of the Montecito International Music Festival (MIMF), collaborated with the music workshop, joining the orchestra for their concert.

Click for more arts-based learning and fun.

“This was an exciting opportunity for the young people to be part of the MIMF, and it was a unique experience because none of them had played with a string quartet before. To be invited to be guests of the festival was very special — I wish people could have seen the expressions of the young people who sang and the rest of the Encampers who came to support them. They were so proud — hugging and congratulating them! Many of them got to experience music they don’t usually hear — it’s a universal language and it spoke to them. They spent time with the musicians, asking about how long they had been playing and their instruments, and saying how much they enjoyed the performance. It was a mutual shared experience, moving beyond musical borders.” — Jane Sapp

Click for two inspiring songs from the concert. Jane Sapp wrote “We Have Come Too Far” and Rose Sanders wrote “There is a River in my Soul.”

Click for a sneak peek into one of the first music workshop sessions, with Jane Sapp on piano.

Many more examples of arts-based learning coming up in the InterGen(erational Weekend), below.

While Encampers are focused on important issues, there is always time for fun. Click to see a video of a serious game of rock, paper, scissors.

Sharpened their critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking is at the core of leadership development and integrated into every aspect of EFC programming. Encampers are encouraged to reflect on their own perspectives on issues, listen to the opinions of others, and do research to discern fact from opinion and fiction.

Click for more on critical thinking plus a special workshop at the 2025 InterGen.

As they find their own voices, Encampers learn to articulate how they are developing their own beliefs and opinions and why they believe something to be true or false. As part of this process, Encampers learn about the historical context and intersectionality of issues.

As part of the 2025 InterGen, board members Kares and Maxx Guffey, and second-year Encamper Ola, facilitated a final workshop for the intergenerational group. The “Mystery Object” activity was an engaging way to expand participants’ toolkits for strategic social justice work by expanding critical thinking skills and the mindfulness and compassion essential for social justice work. The key takeaways were understanding how your identity shapes the way you see the world, asking questions, avoiding assumptions, and acting with humility and compassion.

Board members Faith and Maxx.
Ola leading her section.
Maxx leading his section of the Mystery Object Activity

Participated in the annual InterGen(erational) Weekend.

This weekend occurs near the end of the Encampment, when alums, parents, and supporters join the Encampers and staff (in person or virtually) to find out what they were learning. At the 2025 InterGen, Encampers, staff, alums, and guests came together individually and collectively to “Name the Moment.”

Click to learn more about the 2025 InterGen with videos and quotes.

Education Director Jane Sapp’s goal was to help the Encampers connect to the historical roots of today’s social justice issues, think strategically, and understand that they are creating history now. For the older folks, it was an opportunity to reflect on and share their experiences and strategies. The questions that the group explored are:

What are the questions that you carry with you in this moment?
How would you help someone understand 100 years from now what these times were? (What were people reading? What music were they listening to? What brought people together — what divided people? What was in the news? What was the government like?)

Click for a video of Noah speaking in the group discussion about the importance of learning history.

Click for Jane’s inspirational comment on community as an act of resistance.

Click to learn more in our Week Three post.

InterGen Quotes

“Everywhere you looked, there were great conversations between alums and young people happening. People are thirsty for this contact and exchange. Also, we had different generations of alums since we had younger alums from 2014–2023 and ranging back to the 1940s. In some of the small hybrid breakout groups, members were moved to tears by the dialogue.” — Margot Gibney, Executive Director

“I love all the creative and interesting conversations we’re having so far … I’m excited to see what the students are doing. I’m just happy to be here. The Encampment means community to me. Community is a very broad word, but community is like family. It’s like a family reunion.” — Jaden Banks, 2022–2023 alum

“It’s really just an amazing time for all generations to come together, and I think that it’s one of the beautiful things about the Encampment to have that network. It’s really beautiful just to see people smiling, having conversations, and getting to know one another.” — Maribel Mendoza, 2021–2022 alum, 2025 intern

“The InterGen is such an inspirational experience — to see how these young people are finding a vision and a voice and courage and being willing to step up … What the Encampment does is bring people together and ask these young people what’s important to you? What are you concerned about? What opportunities do you see to improve our society? Then giving them the tools to do that through their own leadership and communications and facilitation skills.” — Elliott Black, EFC alum (1981) and board member

“This is my first time experiencing the InterGen. My friend Angel Mendez brought me and introduced me, and I have been loving it thoroughly. It’s been great to get different perspectives from different people of different walks of life and different communities. Talking about community involvement and conscious decision-making as a citizen and as a voter, as a consumer. It’s been healthy and cathartic. I can’t wait to participate more.” — Tyler French

Click for the InterGen visual, song and dance presentations.

In the evening, the Encampers invited the online and in-person guests to share in their EFC learning journey through their creative presentations. This was a demonstration of the EFC’s approach to both social justice and youth leadership education. Here are a few presentations that do not use copyrighted material — all except for “Amazing Grace” were created by the Encampers, interns, and staff.

“Amazing Grace” sung by Brooklyn Gentry, accompanied by Augusto, Nik Pettye, and Dr. Chan Ho Yun.

“Fight Injustice” by Braeden.

Krissy and Augusto wrote “Sad to See” with help with lyrics from Imani. Click to view them perform this song at the InterGen.

Group theater piece inspired by ICE presence at protests.

Click for the performance of the song “Journey to the U.S.,” written by Encampers inspired by their Immigration Workshop. Click for lyrics.

For a deeper look into the 2025 Encampment, click our week-by-week blog links:

For a look at other recent years, click here. For the best experience of the Encampment, apply for the 2026 Encampment (location TBD). The application will open soon. If you are interested now, contact us at admin@encampmentforcitizenship.org.

Thank you to the staff, interns, and Encampers! Thank you to our community partners who created such special learning and service opportunities. A special thank you to our intern Brooklyn Gentry, who provided photos and video for this post! Shout out to Margot Gibney for her text additions. Ongoing gratitude for our copyeditor, White Plains ’70 alum Ruth Thaler-Carter. We are glad to acknowledge images and/or video from photo/videographers: Adriana Campos-Ojeda, who can be reached at aoc.cinema@gmail.com, and Elibet Valencia Muñoz, who can be reached at LUSTER OPTICS.

SNAPSHOTS

Meeting with Community Activists

The Encampers met with members of South Central Youth Empowered thru Action (SCYEA) at the Community Coalition (CoCo) in South Central LA. Encampers and local youth connected over shared concerns like school policing and underfunded education. They exchanged stories and strategies from successful campaigns to improve schools and build power in their communities. Click for a video of Ola asking a question about techniques to use for advocating with a local school board.

2025 Photo album

Click for the 2025 Encampment photo album on Flickr.

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2025 Encampers Speak Out

Move your mouse over the slide to stop to read.

EFC helps me by educating me about different leadership opportunities, communities

outside of my own, and people with stories I have not heard before. I’ve also learned that leaders aren’t just the people who speak out and dive straight into situations. It’s also the people who take time to calculate, organize, and facilitate. This experience has benefited me in many ways. I have a better understanding of what I want to do in life, how I can get to college, and how to help my community. — Vange, Chamberlain, SD

I learned so much more than I ever could have imagined.

I learned how to recognize and express my feelings in a positive way — something I have struggled with in the past. I also learned about issues in the world, like immigration, housing disparity, and ICE raid prevention organizations, and how they connect to my own community.

The stories I heard this summer opened my heart and made me consider very seriously the kind of legacy I hope to leave behind. I also loved meeting folks from all over the country. They were all unique, and the discussions helped me learn and expand my own perspectives. Because of this Encampment, I am now willing to do more for my community. — Demarcus, Greenville, MS.

The Encampment was an outstanding experience.

The importance of being able to get to know peers from all over the U.S. with similar interests but completely different life journeys is extraordinary. To see the different viewpoints, lifestyles, and perspectives we all have is eye-opening. With that, we all want to fight for a democracy that serves us. To rebuild the current social political environment. To fight against anti-Blackness and white supremacy.

As the current vice president of my high school’s Student Council, I plan to rebuild the club to be more community-focused. I would like to host a food drive with a drive-by pickup style; fight for rehabilitation of the local homeless community; and host a “Clean the Streets” event. — Angelina, Westbury, NY

The Encampment is a place of solidarity.

It’s a place where we all come together to help, to fight for social justice. My favorite part of the experience was interviewing farmworkers because we were able to converse with someone who was being affected firsthand by the issues we were focusing on. — Vanessa, Santa Barbara, CA

I wanted to have an international experience at some point during my high school journey,

so I’m forever grateful to the program for giving me this opportunity. This learning environment changed my way of thinking about problems and facing challenges improved so much during this experience. Social justice means listening and active listening, because when we listen to problems that communities are facing, then we can find active solutions. Social justice is listening but also acting. I leave the Encampment with a passion for the people: what they make and what makes them. — Augusto, Governador Valadares, Brazil

I learned a lot about how systems of oppression work, and how they show up in everyday life,

from housing to education to the justice system. We also met community organizers who’ve been doing this work for decades. The Encampment showed me that activism isn’t just protesting, it’s about commitment, strategy, and community.

What’s been most important to me is meeting people my age from all across the country. Everyone came with their own stories, struggles, and perspectives, but we all connected over making a difference. It reminds me that I’m not alone in caring about justice. — Braeden, Windsor, CT

“I learned the value of community during this month at the Encampment.

Living alongside people from different places and backgrounds showed me how different we can be, yet have something in common nonetheless. Not only do you learn a lot about social justice issues, but you learn a lot about yourself.” — Leslie, Fort Worth, TX

Having immigrated from India a year ago, I came to the Encampment because I wanted to engage more in the American Social Justice Space.

I was unaware about the issues that marginalized communities similar to mine faced in America. The Encampment helped me understand these issues further than if I were to learn them in a classroom.

My most pivotal EFC experiences were going to Limuw Island native Chumash land with Chumash people, and witnessing their history, as well as listening to their songs and stories, which was an incredible opportunity. Doing my own presentation on Asia with my suitemate Ola, because we noticed that everyone was interested in learning more about our culture, was also very meaningful. — Annie, Edison, NJ

I came to the Encampment to learn more about the problems that are currently going on in America.

I was able to learn more about the different types of oppression and inequity that are happening outside of my own town. — Leonardo, San Pablo, CA

What I’ve learned in the Encampment is speaking up for what’s right and just.

Social justice is for society as a whole, and helping everyone’s community and seeing what you can do for others as much as you can for yourself.

What the Encampment means to me is having a voice and getting outside of your comfort zone to learn about other people’s communities and being a growing activist, letting others know that they still have a chance at life. Even upcoming activists like me are welcomed. — Na’Kaiyla, Lexington, KY

I learned about the local environment and about the significant struggles that immigrants encounter.

Many shared their stories of how the cost of living has affected their lives, turning what should be normal into a daily challenge. I had the privilege of listening to Rosalia and others as they shared the history of Oxnard and the presence of I.C.E. in the area. Meeting peers from across the country has been inspiring; it’s empowering to be part of a group committed to advocating for better treatment of immigrants and farmworkers.

It reminded me of the importance of humility and appreciation for the blessings we have — values I carry with me every day. — Nic, Austin, TX

It has been an amazing experience. It was refreshing to be part of a community that is so welcoming, even for a trans woman like me.

I was really moved by our immigration workshop. In our first session, I created a song with Augusto called “Sad to See” that we ended up performing at InterGen! Another important experience for me was hearing a young farmworker’s story of her immigration experience at 10 years old. It broke my heart that this country is a failure and we need to bring it up more and stop these unconstitutional actions.

In the community of EFC, I learned how to take accountability more and be more responsible and cautious about choices and words I say. I have built bonds for a lifetime. Thank you. — Kristine, New York, NY

The value of the Encampment is to show how important life really is and that you can go out, make a difference, and change the world.

It’s also shown me how much love you can put into the world. The Encampment brings us closer to one another and helps us learn more about each other and where we all come from. At the Encampment, I’ve experienced that we have the power and ability to communicate with one another and share with each other stories, and that can change the world. — Myijade, Indianola, MS

This summer, I have been able to connect and learn from people previously unknown to me.

As a refugee, the community and networking opportunities offered by EFC are unique and pivotal to my growth. I’ve learned so much about American communities, but also about myself. I have been able to work through so much of my anger and negative emotions through creative processing and dialogue. We have been able to work with organizations and groups in and across Ventura County that are dedicated to social justice. My skills as a community organizer have grown and I want to implement the strategies I gained into my community. — Ola, Sacramento, CA

EFC gave me the space to connect with youth from across the country; dig deep into the issues I care about,

especially the school-to-prison pipeline; and make the connections to immigration, environmental justice, housing, and more. We weren’t just learning; we were also building relationships, understanding, and plans for action.

One of the most powerful moments for me was visiting the Community Coalition in South LA, where I met youth who had organized and won campaigns to get more funding into their schools. That showed me what’s possible when communities come together and demand better. This experience gave me hope and a set of tools I know I’ll carry with me into college and beyond. — Noah, Holyoke, MA

I gained a deeper understanding of the struggles many communities face,

including the harmful impacts of white supremacy and the intentional tactics used by systems of power to keep people divided. I see more clearly how important it is to resist these efforts by staying rooted in culture, community, and solidarity. Seeing firsthand the environmental racism that affects communities of color, like toxic sites placed near neighborhoods where minorities live, was hard. At the same time, witnessing the strength and unity of community organizations gave me so much hope for my community. Going forward, I am committed to educating others in my community. I know my friends don’t know most of these problems and I’m going to try and educate them. —Giovani, Oxnard, CA

I learned so much more than I ever could have imagined. I learned how to recognize and express my feelings in a positive way — something I have struggled with in the past. The stories I heard this summer opened my heart and made me consider very seriously the kind of legacy I hope to leave behind. I also loved meeting folks from all over the country. They were all unique, and the discussions helped me learn and expand my own perspectives. Because of this Encampment, I am now willing to do more for my community. — Demarcus, Greenville, MS.

Demarcus

2025 Encamper, Longmont, CO

We are strengthening democracy by creating community.