About Queer Camp

Our mission is to create an accepting, loving, and community building environment for LGBTQIA+ teens and their allies. It is our desire that every student who needs a connecting point can find one. We provide services and activities for students, helping them feel cared for, seen, and loved. Our target  is to foster a space where queer teens are able to relax, play, make friends, connect to one another, and find community among queer youth and adults. We want our students to know that they are not alone and have a strong group of people standing behind them and fighting for them. Our plan and hope for Queer Camp is to continue to serve LGBTQIA+ youth in Northwest Arkansas. We hope to have both the week of camp itself as well as additional events throughout the year to provide other connecting points to the queer community.

We’ve seen students come out of their shells and express themselves for what may be the first time. From Viking cosplayers to closeted and scared teens, all are welcome at Queer Camp. We have watched friendships bloom and community grow, as students embrace their identity. We provide a dedicated staff of volunteers, comprised of almost entirely LGBTQIA+ members. The dynamic of queer children getting to work with queer adults provides a unique experience of acceptance and understanding between staff and campers. We have heard countless times from our volunteers, “if only there had been something like this when I was a child, maybe my growing up experience would have been different.” Our success lies in the hope that through providing a safe space, each child leaves Queer Camp with new connections, a greater understanding of self, empowerment, and acceptance within the community.

The cost per camper is $150 dollars for the week. This includes all activities offered, a tee-shirt, a daily group empowerment session with a licensed therapist, and lunch each day of the week. Campers will have a range of activities to choose from ranging from gaming, recreation, and gardening to hair and makeup, theater, and fine art.