Filipino/​Indonesian/​Pacific Islands Heritage Camp

The Filipino/​Indonesian/​Pacific Islands Heritage Camp is one of a handful of camps around the country designed especially for families with children adopted from the Philippines, Indonesia, Micronesia, Samoa, Marshall Islands and other Pacific island countries. Committed to exploring both the cultural and the adoption aspects of growing as an adoptive family, it is one of 13 camps facilitated by the highly respected Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families, Inc. FIPI 2016 is going to be another great year as we return to Golden, Colorado and the American Mountaineering Center, which has proven to be so much fun and such a great venue for camp the last few years. Our incredible Filipino community volunteers will return with us to cook delicious food, entertain, teach, and interact as counselors and adult role models with our kids. We are also excited to be reaching out to new community volunteers from Indonesia and the Pacific Island countries!

As always, we will explore the unique gifts and challenges that come with being transracial adoptive families. As our children grow, they will be dealing with issues faced by every child of color, no matter their country of birth. At camp, our children are with families just like theirs and they are surrounded by campers, counselors and community members who look like them. We enthusiastically celebrate their birth county, and we also celebrate adoption as a culture of its own. The impact and importance of being with families “just like theirs” at camp cannot be understated. It creates bonds between our children and our families that may not easily found in our communities and other areas of our daily lives.

Hotel lodging at a group rate will be available for those traveling to Colorado from a distance. We will also be spending time at the Filipino American Community of Colorado’s wonderful cultural center, which is about 15 minutes away.

Please join us as we explore our theme of “Island Celebrations,” such as learning about the different festivals in the Philippines, Indonesia, Marshall Islands and other islands throughout the Pacific Ocean. We’ll learn about the food often served at these celebrations, history and the traditions of our various Pacific Island cultures, while finding the deeper meaning in our FIPI identity.