Camp Kupugani is a multicultural summer camp for young women and young men, in girls-only, boys-only and blended sessions, with an emphasis on teaching them to recognize and eliminate stereotypes. "Kupugani" is a Zulu concept that means "To raise oneself up" It is located in Adeline, Illinois and is the only private, residential summer camp facility in the United States under black ownership. It is also an

American Camp Association The American Camp Association (ACA), formerly known as the American Camping Association, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves the United States. It is an association for camp owners, camp professionals and others interested in summer camps and si ...

member.

History

The camp land history of Camp Kupugani dates back to the 1800s. In April 1951, the Board of Directors for the 4-H Camp of Northwestern Illinois purchased an original parcel of 110 acres of Midwest timberland along the Leaf River from brothers Ben and Deed Sjoberg. Later donations brought the site to its present 126 acres. The camp was named White Eagle, in honor of the old White Eagle Mill. Built in 1837 and located on what is now camp property, today’s campgrounds contain remnants of the location's history, with the old mill forming the base of the dining hall fireplace.

Owner

The camp's owner and director is Kevin Gordon, the Canadian-born son of Jamaican immigrants. He has a degree in psychology from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

and a law degree from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. After college graduation, he continued working as an assistant camp director, traveled through Europe shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, traveled throughout Africa, and wrote a book chronicling his African adventures (titled Not Yet African). He has been involved with camping since 1990; before coming to Kupugani, he worked at camps in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and California. His wife Natasha Jackson is the food service manager.

Mission

Kupugani's mission operates based on six core values: * Excellence ("Do your best") * Empowerment ("Be your best") * Community ("Show your best") * Fun * Safety * Environment In addition, an important feature of the camp's philosophy is its multicultural education program, designed to allow children from varied cultures and backgrounds to form a cohesive community while having fun, being empowered, and learning critical social skills. In addition to traditional camp activities such as hiking, water activities, and sports, campers participate in team activities which focus on team-building and accessing different cultures as well as self-expression and self-esteem. Like most summer camps, it is "tech-free", with campers not allowed to use cell phones, computers, or iPods. Kupugani has been widely recognized in the media, including features in Ebony Magazine, on the

Tavis Smiley Tavis Smiley (; born September 13, 1964) is an American talk show host and author. Smiley was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and grew up in Bunker Hill, Indiana. After attending Indiana University, he worked during the late 1980s as an aide to ...

Radio program, and on WCPT Chicago radio, as well as articles in "Afrique" and "Insight News".

Program

Camp Kupugani serves children age 7 to 15. It offers 2-week girls only and boys only sessions, and 2- and 4-week "blended" sessions for both boys and girls. The camp also offers a mother-daughter weekend and a parent-child weekend experience. It was founded as a girls' camp; sessions for boys were added in 2009, and the blended session piloted in 2016.

Activities

Camp Kupugani offers a variety of land, water, and adventure activities including: * Rock Climbing * Horse Riding * Swimming * Basketball * Tennis * Badminton * Pickleball * River Walks * Dam Jumping * Lake Play * Paddle Boarding * GaGa * Crate Stacking * 9 Square In The Air * Slacklining * Frisbee Golf * Hiking * Challenge Hikes * Night Hikes * Mud Volleyball * Sand Volleyball * Arts and Crafts * Canoeing * Biking * Ecology and Nature * Soccer * Archery * Fishing

Membership

The camp draws its population from a wide range of children. In addition to campers from as far as Japan, Spain, and England, others have joined them from California, Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Georgia, and Wisconsin, in addition to children from the camp's region of Northwest Illinois. The campers' ethnic backgrounds are a mix: including

Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Anthropology *Anything from the Caucasus region ** ** ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region * * * Languages * Northwest Caucasian l ...

, Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latina, Asian, South Asian, and Biracial, including of Native American and Middle Eastern descent.

References

External links

Camp Kupugani
- official site {{coord, 42.146944, -89.469722, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-IL Kupugani Buildings and structures in Ogle County, Illinois Youth organizations based in Illinois