LIFE AT CAMP
Activities, Leadership & Finding Your People
Picture Yourself Here
Imagine spending your day learning the art of drag, trying archery, making something with your hands, and discovering how to create change in your community. Then picture ending it cheering on your friends at a talent show or dancing together under the stars. At Brave Trails, those moments belong in the same day.
Our LGBTQ+ overnight summer camp brings together creativity, outdoor adventure, leadership, and the joy of being yourself. Along the way, you’ll build friendships, explore your interests, and find new reasons to believe in what you can do.
Come find your people, place, and passion.
How Activities Work
Your Interests Help Shape Your Summer
Camp offers a mix of activities you choose, shared community experiences, and opportunities to develop skills over time. Most activities welcome all camper ages, with a few designed specifically for older or younger campers.
Choose tomorrow’s adventures at dinner.
Each evening during dinner, campers sign up for the next day’s Leadership Workshops and Free Choice activities. Each block typically offers four to five options, with a changing lineup throughout the session.
Everyone gets a turn.
We rotate which cabin signs up first each day so everyone has opportunities to choose their favorites. Many programs are offered more than once, so if something fills up, a similar activity may be available later in the session.
Try something new with support.
A second choice can become an unexpected favorite. As a leadership camp, we practice “challenge by choice,” encouraging campers to explore new experiences while respecting their boundaries and access needs. Our staff help campers navigate their options and work with them to support participation and accommodations. Have questions about participation or accessibility? Contact our team so we can talk through your camper’s needs.
Leadership Starts Here.
At Camp Brave Trails, we hold a firm belief in the limitless reservoirs of resilience and creativity inherent in LGBTQ+ youth. Our aspiration is to guide our campers toward recognizing themselves as potential leaders and to harness their exceptional talents in shaping a more positive world.
A Typical Day at Camp
This is a sample daily schedule. Timing and activities vary by session, location, and special events. Want to know more about cabins, meals, packing, and preparing for camp? Explore our Camper FAQ.
8:00 AM Rise & Shine
8:15–9:00 AM Breakfast
9:00–9:20 AM Flag Raising
9:30–11:00 AM Passion to Action
11:10 AM–12:40 PM Build On
12:40–1:40 PM Lunch
1:40–2:55 PM In-Cabin Chill Time
3:00–4:30 PM Leadership Workshops
4:30–6:00 PM Free Choice
6:00–7:00 PM Dinner & Program Sign-Ups
7:00–8:00 PM All-Camp Community Chill Time
8:00–9:30 PM Evening Program: Variety Shows, Dances, & More
9:30–10:30 PM Get Ready for Bed
10:30 PM Lights Out
Four Ways to Explore, Connect, and Lead:
Passion to Action
Turn What You Care About Into Change
Passion to Action gives campers tools to explore the issues they care about and turn their ideas into meaningful action. Through activities and conversations, campers develop skills in organizing, advocacy, and community leadership while considering the change they want to make in the world. Whether they want to strengthen their school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), speak up about an unfair policy, or bring people together around a cause, campers practice using their voices and identifying steps they can take at home.
Build On
See What Happens When You Stick With Something
Build On programs give campers time to explore an interest in depth, build confidence through practice, and discover what they can create. Campers choose one program at the start of the session and return to it daily, developing their skills and ideas alongside others who share their curiosity. With guidance from staff, campers have opportunities to experiment, collaborate, work through challenges, and see their progress over time. Whether they’re stepping onto a stage for the first time or exploring a longtime passion, each camper brings their own perspective to the experience. At the end of the session, our Build On showcase brings the camp community together to celebrate what campers have been working on. Through performances, art displays, and hands-on demonstrations, campers share their creativity, learning, and accomplishments while cheering each other on.
Offerings may include programs like:
Drag: Explore queer history and the art of drag. Develop a character, try creative challenges, and prepare to perform solo or with a group.
Outdoor Education: Learn camping skills like pitching tents and building fires. Show off your new skills at the showcase.
Theater: Explore storytelling, performance, and creative expression. Bring characters to life and collaborate on a showcase presentation.
Craftivism: Discover how crafting can be an act of resistance. Create art about issues you care about and share it at the showcase.
Music Production: Learn to mix music using professional equipment. Experiment with sounds and create a mix that reflects your style.
Poetry: Discover how queer people have shared their stories through poetry. Play with language and write poems inspired by your own experiences.
Every session’s offerings reflect the talents and interests of our staff. There’s room to start as a beginner and grow from there.
Leadership Workshops
Learn From People Making a Difference
Leadership Workshops connect campers with inspiring trailblazers, educators, and community leaders who share their experiences and tools for creating change. Through topics such as knowing your rights, campers explore new perspectives, ask questions, and develop skills they can use to advocate for themselves and others. Campers choose six to eight workshops throughout their session, giving them opportunities to follow their interests, learn alongside their peers, and discover new ways to lead in their communities.
What Will You Explore?
Identity & Queer Community
Explore who you are and the histories and experiences that connect us.
LGBTQ+ History • Identity & Gender Exploration • Coming Out Support
Advocacy & Social Change
Understand the issues, speak up, and help build more inclusive communities.
Anti-Racism • Know Your Rights • Intersectionality • Environmentalism & Sustainability
Well-Being & Self-Discovery
Ask questions, explore your needs, and practice caring for yourself.
Body Positivity • Affirming Sex Education • Mindfulness
Leadership & Your Future
Build practical skills to bring your ideas into the world.
Public Speaking • Starting an LGBTQ+ School Club • College Planning
These are examples of past workshop topics. Offerings vary by session and facilitator availability.
Free Choice
Follow Your Curiosity
Free Choice gives campers time to explore activities they enjoy, discover new interests, and connect with friends through the fun of camp. With a changing lineup of options such as swimming, archery, arts and crafts, and more, campers can choose a familiar favorite or try something for the first time. These standalone programs offer opportunities to play, express creativity, and build confidence, whether campers are aiming for a target, making something by hand, or spending an afternoon in the pool.
Every session’s offerings look a little different based on the facility and staff hired. Here are some of the programs we offer:
#MakeItLikeCamp
Your Leadership Continues Beyond Camp
The skills campers practice at Brave Trails travel home with them, into classrooms, friendships, school clubs, and communities.
Campers have shared stories of putting their leadership into action:
Advocating for Inclusive Schools
Brave Trails campers have brought their voices to conversations with the mayor of Chicago, advocating for gender-neutral bathrooms in public schools.
Stepping Into Student Leadership
One camper ran for student body president as their school’s first openly gay candidate, bringing a commitment to inclusion into their campaign.
Making Space for LGBTQ+ Community
Campers have petitioned a school board in a small Oklahoma town to establish LGBTQ+ clubs at local high schools.
Speaking Up for Fair Treatment
Campers have used their own stories to advocate for fair and equitable treatment of transgender and non-binary students in public school sports.
Leadership also shows up in everyday moments: welcoming someone new, asking for what you need, sharing an idea, or standing beside a friend. Camp gives you opportunities to practice and confidence to keep going.
Plan Your Summer
Your Next ADVENTURE Starts Here
Join LGBTQ+ youth ages 12–17 for a nine-day overnight camp experience in California, Georgia, or Pennsylvania.
Find new interests, build your leadership skills, and make memories with people who are excited to get to know you.
Explore session dates, learn about tuition and financial assistance, or start your camper application.
