Unlocking Youth Potential Through Experiential & Creative Learning
Every kid deserves a summer to remember.
One week. A lifetime of belonging.
The Challenge & Solution
Access to summer camp and outdoor education is increasingly out of reach for lower-income families. While wealthy peers gain confidence, leadership skills, and exposure to nature, marginalized youth face a summer gap in enrichment—limiting their personal growth and personal agency.
We empower youth aged 11-15 from under-resourced communities across the Puget Sound to choose their own path with a life-changing week away at summer camp—because every child deserves to thrive, explore, and have fun.
Your Impact
Camp Champion
$167/mo ($2,000/yr):
Delivers a core scholarship + gear/supplies for 1 student.
Pathway Partner
$835/mo ($10,000/yr):
~5 students
Trailblazer Sponsor
$1,670/mo ($20,000/yr):
~10 students
“Every child deserves to explore beyond the walls of home and school—
and cost should never be the thing that stops them. ”
Leadership
Hue Dao
Founder & Executive Director
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Hue brings 15+ years of expertise in major gifts fundraising, relationship development, and youth empowerment. She served as the Director of Community Outreach at Against The Grain Productions, then as Relationship Development Officer at Treehouse.
She is a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant, and adoptee. Reflecting on a profound summer camp experience at 13, she founded The Summer Camp Project, focused on providing access to summer enrichment for youth ages 11-15 whose families can't afford it. All kids should have the freedom to choose the exact camp that fits their passions and interests.
She is deeply committed to paving a path to a thriving future for diverse young people like her.
Read her essays of personal reflections, family legacies, and childhood ecosystems that inspired the founding of Summer Camp Project on the blog.
Emilio Muniz
Board Member
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Emilio aka Milo joins the Summer Camp Project with a wealth of creative expertise and digital brand strategy. As the Post Production Photography Manager & Studio Producer at Tommy Bahama, he specializes in leading creative teams and managing visual brand identity. An avid outdoor enthusiast and musician, Emilio plays hand drums with his band, the Low Hums, and can often be found exploring the forests and waters of the Pacific Northwest alongside his Australian Shepherd, Hank. He leverages his sharp artistic eye and visual storytelling strengths to help expand outdoor education access and create impactful camp experiences for children across the Puget Sound.
Howard Szeto
Board Member
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Howard brings deep technical knowledge with strong business acumen to Summer Camp Project. As the Founder and Solution Architect at Devma, he leads teams to solve complex challenges, helping businesses build platforms for growth. He holds an MBA in Finance from Carnegie Mellon University. Having worked with over 100 customers across industries, he’s known for creating practical, results-driven solutions that make operations more efficient and scalable, optimizing technology with real-world business needs. An outdoor enthusiast and world traveler, he leverages his operational leadership experience to help expand outdoor education access and create fun and life-changing growth experiences for kids.
Jennifer Le
Board Member
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Jennifer joins The Summer Camp Project with a wealth of leadership experience rooted in operational excellence and team empowerment. As a District Manager for Saatva, Jennifer specializes in scaling large-scale operations, fostering mentorship, and building high-performing, values-driven teams. She translates her corporate strategic expertise into community-driven action, ensuring the nonprofit's programs are organized, sustainable, and impactful. Deeply committed to the mission, she leverages her organizational strengths to help expand camp access and create memorable, life-changing growth experiences for every child.
Kendra Reiser
Development Chair
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Kendra brings a rich background in community engagement, educational equity, and grassroots fundraising to The Summer Camp Project board. As the Senior Program Manager at Seattle Jobs Initiative, she specializes in designing workforce programming and securing grants for Opportunity Youth initiatives. A Leadership Tomorrow Fellow, Fulbright Scholar at Notre Dame, and Camp Lead at Camp Lucy, Kendra’s commitment to the mission is deeply personal. As a summer camp alumna herself, she is driven to remove financial barriers and expand camp access for all young people.
Sandra Lewandowski
Board Member
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Sandy brings 50 years in education, including 16 years as Superintendent of Intermediate District 287, which serves students with the highest mental health and special-education needs across 11 Hennepin County school districts. Under her leadership, District 287 became the first district in Minnesota to institute a formal Social Emotional Learning program, and she led a partnership with trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry that helped make District 287 the state's first trauma-sensitive, healing-centered school district.
In 2015, she was the Minnesota Superintendent of the Year.
In 2017, she made the controversial decision to remove school resource officers from all schools and replace them with safety coaches trained in relationship-building and de-escalation — a model later shown to sharply reduce student arrests. Her work supporting children with mental illness earned her NAMI Minnesota's Educator of the Year award, and the Minnesota Association of School Administrators recognized her with the 2020 Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award for leadership and concern for students.
In the final year of her tenure, a deadly shooting occurred near her school. She testified before the Minnesota Legislature in support of additional mental health funding for special education programs, drawing on her decade of advocacy for trauma-informed school security — work she has said she'll continue well past retirement.
Strategic Priorities / FAQ
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We serve youth ages 11-15, families will be asked for the following in a simple application (Google Form) that takes <30 minutes to complete:
Fast-track verification of low-income with SNAP/TANF/Free or Reduced Lunch letter.
Age/Date of Birth verification.
Insurance or Medical Records: A recent health insurance summary page, Medicaid enrollment letter, or an official immunization chart showing the child’s name and date of birth.
School Portal Printouts: A screenshot or printout from your school district's official student portal (like PowerSchool, Infinite Campus, or Canvas) displaying the child's profile details.
4-part video pledge by youth with commitment to stay in school, respect others and the environment, pay it forward, answer prompt “why they want to go to camp?”
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As long as it’s a camp that provides a screen-free environment , and is of the youth’s choosing. Please note SCP will issue funds directly to the camp up to $2,000. We are looking to establish partnerships with camps to negotiate better tuition rates.
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Yes. The Summer Camp Project is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are fully tax-deductible as allowed by law. Federal EIN 41-3590142
The “Why”
Most campership programs are tied to a single camp or religious organization—which means the kids who need options most get the fewest.
We do not run a camp, nor do we represent one. That independence is intentional. It means the kids we serve get access to the full range of summer camp experiences, chosen for fit, not affiliation.
At Summer Camp Project, we believe in the healing power of community and youth agency.
Equity means giving a kid the freedom to choose the exact camp that fits their passions—whether that’s a STEM camp in Seattle, a wilderness survival camp in the Cascades, or an arts program on the Sound.
Nurture Curiosity
Every child deserves a week to explore, discover, and simply be a kid.
Join The S'mores Society — give $167/month, and over the year you'll send one child to a full week of overnight camp.
[Join The S'mores Society →]
Get in Touch
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!