“I came into this space believing that community should be a place where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves and where every voice is acknowledged. The Encampment exceeded those expectations.” — Bethany, Newark, NJ

 

“The Encampment taught me so much about leadership, self-growth, and the importance of community. I learned about other people’s experiences and environments, and I realized that when I return home, I can bring those lessons back to my own community.” — Isaiah, Medford, MA

 

“One of the most meaningful parts of the Encampment was meeting so many different people — Encampers, facilitators, and community members — that I never would have had the chance to meet otherwise.” — Beatrice, Brooklyn, NY

Click to hear Marcus and Casmali Lopez, with other members of the Chumash community, leading the group in a traditional song.

Casmali Lopez walked with the Encampers, pointing out a native cherry tree and describing the impact of non-native invasive species on native plants, using morning glory vine as an example. He and his fellow community member, Mike, talked about the ancestral tomol culture and the shell-bead trade with the mainland. Click to hear more about shell-beads, which were a valuable resource traded in many states.

Click to hear Casmali make a point about how the connection to what we buy — knowing where something was made and who made it — has been lost with the use of modern money. The clip also shows the Encampers smelling native sage for the first time. 

Some short video clips Encampers do some wading in the Pacific Ocean.

The 2026 Encampment shout.

Hiking.

Farmworker Interviews Encampers and staff talked with four farmworkers at the Centro Mujer at our partner organization, the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE). The labor of these farmworkers helps sustain communities in California and the nation, and farmworkers like them are being targeted by the current administration. They shared stories about work, migration, family, sacrifice, resilience, and the realities of life in agricultural systems. Encampers were challenged to consider how wider systems affect individual lives, how communities respond to adversity, and the responsibilities we have to one another in creating a more just society. “One of the experiences that affected me the most was listening to the stories of farmworkers and learning about the challenges they face every day. Their strength and resilience stayed with me long after we left.” “The farmworker interviews were important to me because my abuelo in El Salvador works in the fields. It was very personal to me, and made me want to hear more about my abuelo’s experiences.” Click for a video that Jayden made with some of his fellow Encampers and a staff member.

Field trip to the California African American Museum, Los Angeles Encampers reported that they loved the museum visit; it was paced well, and allowed them to engage with art in an intentional way. One Encamper noted that the museum felt like a safe space. A number of Encampers mentioned how the Willie Birch art exhibit stood out to them. Birch is a Black New Orleans artist known for his 1980s creative work in papier-mâché. One Encamper said that the Birch art exhibit made them realize that art can be unconventional and weird. Encampers also enjoyed learning more about the history of Black music in America, and some gravitated to the Lady Java exhibit; they loved that queer culture was a part of the museum experience. One Encamper summarized, “The museum visit ignited my desire to come back to the camp dorms and do art and relax. Art isn’t something I make a lot of time for at home but making art at the Encampment helped me relax and do something healthy.”

VC Defensa is a volunteer-led community organization that supports the immigrant community in Ventura County through education, mutual aid, and fundraising for those who are affected by deportations.

Community Exploration with Mini Nature Reserve The Encampers visited an example of community organizing, environmental care, and grassroots leadership in action at the Mini Nature Reserve in Oxnard, led by Solimar Gutierrez (EFC alum 2019). This field trip offered an opportunity to see some of the ideas discussed throughout the week reflected in a real-world setting. It also served as an invitation to slow down, pay attention, and deepen our connection to the land and communities that are hosting us this summer.

The Encampers then connected the larger community descriptions with their families’ journeys to those communities. They created these visual maps of their families’ migrations. Click to view.

A crucial piece concluding piece examined the systems and institutions that have influenced who has access to opportunity, resources, safety, and power throughout history and through the present day. Through an interactive simulation and guided reflection, Encampers examined examples such as redlining, segregation, disenfranchisement, urban renewal, gentrification, immigration policies, and other systems that have influenced where people live, learn, work, and build wealth. The session also highlighted the ways individuals and communities have challenged injustice through organizing, advocacy, mutual aid, civic engagement, art, and collective action.

Ean, Daniel, Camila, and Hagaa led the Climate Justice workshop. They started off with an interactive activity debating these provocative questions:

1. Would you rather live without running water for a week or without electricity for a month?
2. Would you rather live in a place that is extremely hot or extremely cold all the time?

They provided context about how climate change affects people differently, according to their societal status. For the next question, they divided into smaller groups, which were given this discussion prompt: Your city is suffering from poor air quality, flooding, and extreme heat. You have limited money to address these issues. Pick three solutions. Click for a glimpse into the process.

The Encampers delved into short- and long-term solutions, asking what would you invest in first? The groups reported back several solutions: better climate education, plant more trees, flood protection, improve public transportation, create cooling centers, and more.

Bethany, Abbi, Leo, Julieta, and Annie facilitated a workshop about Immigration and Unfair Justice Systems. Participants received large cut-out letters and were asked to draw or write on the cut-out letter responding to “What does immigration mean to you?” Click for a glimpse into the process. Click to see the letters being put on the white board.

The main activity was a full simulation of the immigration experience. The facilitators made up badge IDs with different countries and identities. Participants were told, “This is your name; this is why you are immigrating.” Each person had to go through the steps and processes. “You had to memorize what was on your ID card and if you made a single mistake, you were thrown into detention. I was Yeshua George, coming from India with an H1B work visa. I memorized everything, but then they asked me, ‘Where is your visa?’ They had set me up! I was denied and placed in detention.” — Program Director Jesus Salcido

In other instances of injustice, people were denied immediately or treated better, depending on the country they came from.

Jayden, Alexa, Jasmim, Beatrice, and Isaiah led the Education workshop. They asked participants to reflect on their educational experience: What made it hard? What made it easy?

Several people commented: “Sometimes, we are just handed a packet and it seems to be more about memorization vs. learning.”

Encampers also discussed the fact that history is being removed from the education curriculum. They later divided into smaller groups to complete an assignment. The groups were given various pieces of information and/or resources. The result pointed to a serious issue: Educational success largely depends on access to resources.

Krissy, Liv, Yahria, and Ski led the Mental Health session, cultivating a safe space by inviting participants to take breaks as they needed. Krissy modeled leadership and courage by sharing her own mental health story. Designing and co-facilitating the session left a lasting impression on the youth leaders:

“I appreciated the opportunity to help lead a workshop on mental health, a topic that I believe deserves more open and honest conversations. As I begin community college this fall, I plan to carry these lessons with me. I want to continue listening, learning, and finding ways to make a positive difference in my community.” — Skilynn, Mississippi

“As I move forward toward my goal of becoming a lawyer, I will carry these lessons with me. I want to continue advocating for my community, supporting mental health, and standing up for people whose voices are too often ignored.” — Yahria, New York

“When I return home to Chicago, I want to continue using my voice by advocating for teen mental health and encouraging my school administration and district to take these issues more seriously.” — Olivia, Illinois

In-person participants shared meals, including a taco cart lunch, and intergenerational conversation. On Saturday evening, everyone watched the film “The Last Class,” a documentary featuring former U.S. Labor Secretary and UC Berkeley professor emeritus Robert Reich, as a starting point. The documentary focused on the role of education in cultivating engaged and critical global citizens, Reich has spoken about having courage in education — a concept that the Encampment makes real.

On Sunday morning, EFC alums Imani Jimenez-Ireeta and Ola Hadi, with Executive Director Faith Kares, led an interactive workshop for the in-person participants focused on courage, which led to some wonderful stories about courage. Simultaneously, Program Director Jesus Salcido and a small group of Encampers had an engaging discussion virtually with alums, parents, board members, and supporters to learn each other’s Encampment stories and hopes for the future.

Here are a few InterGen Quotes:

“One of the moments I’ll never forget was sharing my poem, ‘Why Me,’ during InterGen. It was hard for me to be that vulnerable, but the Encampment gave me the confidence to share my story.” — Leon, talking about his poem about police violence

“So often, the thoughts, dreams, and opinions of youth are overlooked. Participating in the InterGen Weekend at the Encampment for Citizenship was such a wonderful opportunity to interact not only with my own daughter, but with an amazing cohort of interesting and impactful humans. I learned so much about others and, unexpectedly, so much about myself. It was inspiring to see how safe the campers felt about expressing themselves freely during what is usually a difficult time of life to be seen and heard.” —  Jaime, parent

“Teoo came through and owned the stage at InterGen. The energy was unreal. Can’t wait to see what next year’s participants bring to InterGen.”🎉 — Rodney, parent

“The last young woman had me bawling. She said some powerful things about being a leader and being vulnerable. They were so amazing. Those young folks filled all the soul bits.” 💕 — Regina, EFC Board Program Committee member & InterGen volunteer

*The song used in this video, “I Wonder,”^© was created in the 2016 Encampment by Encampers and staff, and later recorded.

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3

For a look at other recent years, click here. For the best experience of the Encampment, apply for the 2027 Encampment (location TBD). The application will open soon. If you are interested now, contact us at admin@encampmentforcitizenship.org.