Building the Future Together: Brave Trails’ Next Chapter
A LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Brave Trails Community,
We know that LGBTQ+ youth are hearing messages of hate across the country. At Brave Trails, our response is to double down on love, leadership, and joy. Here, every camper knows they belong, and together we’re shaping a world that looks more like camp. Ten years ago, we planted a seed: a camp where LGBTQ+ youth could breathe deeply, be fully themselves, and discover their power as leaders. That seed has grown into a movement—one that has touched thousands of young people, families, and allies across the country.
But today, I see an even bigger horizon.
By 2027, Brave Trails will open the doors to our Forever Home: a permanent space where we can expand our programs and our reach. This home will allow us to launch college-age leadership programs, create more family camps, expand young adult initiatives, and deepen our impact in regions like the Southeast where affirming spaces are desperately needed. It will make Brave Trails sustainable for generations to come.
And that’s not all. We are thrilled to share a bold new step in our commitment to the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth: a partnership with The Relational Center, which will add capacity to our mental health program, offering additional flexibility, referral service, and reduced wait times. Together, we will offer sustainable, affordable, and affirming therapy to queer youth and their caregivers—ensuring that mental health care remains a cornerstone of our mission. This partnership officially launched on September 15th, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Our vision is simple but radical: make the world like camp. A world where LGBTQ+ youth feel safe, celebrated, and emboldened to create change. Every camper who leaves Brave Trails carries that vision into their community—becoming artists, advocates, lawmakers, teachers, and leaders who reshape the world in their image of joy and justice.
We see the results every day. As our campers head back to school this fall, they carry with them the courage, confidence, and leadership skills they built at camp. They return to their classrooms and communities not only as students, but as empowered individuals who know their worth and their power to create change.
Because of you—our donors, volunteers, and community—we’ve reached incredible milestones:
🌟 400 youth from 38 states and 6 countries joined us at camp last year
🌟 1,600 hours of affirming mental health care provided, doubling our impact from the year before
🌟 Our first-ever Family Camp and full summer camp session in Georgia
Still, the need has never been greater. Funding is harder to come by, and our young people face rising hostility in the world around them. That’s why I see you—our donors and community members—not just as supporters, but as partners in leadership. Together, we can finish building the Forever Home, expand life-changing programs, and ensure no young person is turned away for lack of resources.
Ten years in, I could never have imagined how far we’d come. And yet, the greatest impact is still ahead of us. In the months to come, I’ll be sharing more updates about our Forever Home, expanded mental health initiatives, and new opportunities for you to be part of this vision.
I’m eager to stay connected, so please don’t hesitate to reach out with any thoughts or questions—I’d love to hear from you.
With deep gratitude and camp spirit,
