Camp Fire - Heart of Iowa

Summer Camp - Camp hantesa has been offering youth day Camp experience in central Iowa in the des moines river valley for nearly 100 years. Our programs range from a few nights of Camp for our youngest campers to four weeks of intense leadership training for our high school aged youth called the apprentice program. Most youth attend for a week, where they are able to experience swimming, canoeing, kayaking, shooting sports, horseback riding, environmental studies and much more. The Camp is co-educational, and open to all youth no matter their background or membership in Camp Fire. Youth at Camp hantesa learn leadership and citizenship skills as well as learning self-reliance through hands on activities.

Community centers- Camp Fire has conducted subsidized, low cost, full day day camps at des moines community centers since 1992. We provide both intensive summer programming and year round programs at the following sites: pioneer/columbus community center, four mile community center, and madison elementary school. These programs provide structured learning activities in a safe environment for low-income youth 5 days a week from 7 am to 5:30 pm, when youth are out of school. Campers participate in literacy and stem education,combating summer learning loss with proven positive outcomes. For many families, this care is the only care they can afford. The programs are on par with full cost programs we offer. Meals are provided each day to ensure proper nutrition through the summer.

Youth development - these consist of four programs, each with their own unique niche and duration, serving school-aged children during the time they are out of school. The programs are: Camp Fire club, school day off and before and after school programs, summer day camps and outdoor education. Our programs enrich the academic learning that happens at school and home with skills that help youth to thrive and reach their full potential. In a very real way, Camp Fire's extended learning programs pick up where schools leave off by providing quality out of school opportunities for students from 1st grade through middle school and even into high school. These programs have proven effective in reinforcing and enhancing learning, literacy, self-confidence, and strengthening family involvement and connections.