Summer Camp Provides Courage and Resilience to Young Burn Survivors

By Tori Smith

“It is often the place where our burn survivors stop identifying themselves solely as burn survivors and begin to see themselves as the amazing and resilient individuals they are,” said Rex Albright, CEO of the Arizona Burn Foundation. Albright is talking about one of the foundation’s camps for burn survivors: Camp Courage. 

The Arizona Burn Foundation was founded in 1967 with a mission to “improve the quality of life for burn survivors and their families in Arizona, while promoting burn prevention advocacy and education.” 

Through support from the Burton Family Foundation and other supporters, the Arizona Burn Foundation is able to host an annual week-long free camp, Camp Courage, that supports Arizona children and teens. Camp Courage is in its thirty fourth year. 

The camp takes place in Prescott and supports burn survivors aged 6-19 and aims to “help survivors build confidence, resilience and lifelong friendships,” said Albright. The camp helps build these skills through activities like horseback riding, kickball, archery, rappelling, ropes courses, biking, arts and crafts, team-building exercises and more. 

A particular moment that stood out to Albright during this year’s camp was when two young girls found courage with one another.

“This year, I witnessed one of our six-year-old campers climbing a 30-foot ladder on the ropes course, and an eight-year-old camper right behind her. The course, designed to build trust and connection, had both girls harnessed in with a team of safety volunteers on hand. The younger camper was nervous, but the team let her take her time as those below cheered her on. 

After several minutes of building up the courage, the two girls reached for each other’s hands and embraced in a bear hug until they were lowered to the ground. There wasn’t a dry eye in sight. While there was no expectation or pressure for either girl to complete the activity, the focus was on encouraging and cheering them on, demonstrating that they have the courage to conquer difficult challenges, just as they did when they were injured.”

The organization’s director of client care services, Kelsey Stryker, said that the skills developed during the camp go beyond what the eye can see – specifically pulling on the example of the ropes course. 

“While waiting in line at a rope’s activity, we help the kids practice breathing exercises, tell each other jokes, and teach them about nature. Soft skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and emotional regulation can be used by campers when they feel scared at school or have a hard time at home, she said. “Sometimes it can be hard to see these skills being taught when you look at pictures from camp, but if you hang out at a ropes course, you’ll see a variety of soft skills being taught and practiced!”

The effectiveness of Camp Courage just doesn’t stop when the attendees are young, either. The foundation regularly sees campers who start attending at age six, move to the Leaders in Training (LIT) program when they are 16, graduate from that program when they are 19, and then become camp counselors or attend the foundation’s camps for older burn survivors. The LIT program is for individuals aged 16-20 who have attended Camp Courage.

A significant percent of the camp’s volunteers have been coming there for decades, and many of their current volunteers take off a week for work to attend (some even as far away as the East Coast.)

Cailynn, once an attendee, is now a camp volunteer herself. 2025 was her eighth year of attending Camp Courage. “The best part of Camp Courage is being part of unforgettable moments, forming lasting friendships, and feeling a genuine sense of belonging — all while helping make camp just as magical for the kids as it was for me when I was a camper.”

The most popular activity during Camp Courage is Friday’s Firefighter Day. During that day, more than a dozen fire departments come to camp, prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the campers. Everything results in a huge water fight. 

“No one is safe–if you enter the field, you are going to get wet,” said Albright. “...the support of our donors and sponsors is critical to making Camp Courage and all our camps possible. Additionally, the success of our camps would not be possible without the dedication of our volunteers and staff who pour everything they have into creating a thoughtful curriculum, exciting activities, and a supportive environment for our campers.”

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To learn more about the camps the Arizona Burn Foundation hosts, visit azburn.org.

Photo courtesy of Arizona Burn Foundation.