Latin American Heritage Camp

Latin American Heritage Camp in Colorado is one of the few camps of its kind in the country, designed specifically for families with children adopted from Central and South America, as well as those of Hispanic heritage adopted within the United States. It is one of 12 camps facilitated by the highly respected Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families non-​profit organization. Hispanic counselors serve as role models and mentors to the children as they participate with them in cultural classes while adult family members attend cultural and adoption related workshops ranging from Latin American cooking and customs to the blessings and challenges inherent in our adoptive families. Every year at camp we incorporate the roots of Latin American culture into our programming for all ages, exploring different aspects of this vast and amazing culture each year, while highlighting the distinct countries and regions where the children at camp were born.

We will explore the unique gifts and challenges that come with our mostly transracial adoptive families. We realize that as your children grow, they will be dealing with issues faced by any child of color, no matter their country of birth. At our camp, they are with a sea of families who are like theirs, and with children who are in the majority for a few days. Though we enthusiastically celebrate and highlight the different birth countries at this camp, we also celebrate adoption as a culture of its own. The similarities of being with other families “just like theirs” is what really bonds the children and their families so immediately at our camps.

This year our theme is Pasen a la Cocina, “Come into the Kitchen.” With this theme, we will focus on Latin food and the sense of community that is nurtured in the kitchen! We’ll explore simple things like preparing or sharing a meal, to the elaborate celebrations that build a family’s “heart” and embeds it in a larger context. Our already amazing cooking offerings will be expanded at every level, from our pre-​schoolers to our parents and from the kitchen to the campfire. Our focus on building community will also be expanded to include more opportunities for gathering and sharing during camp. Our camp mealtimes will be enhanced with some welcoming perks, and a coffee table will be offered up for conversations during our busy camp day. Sessions will focus on ways to create or enhance meaningful family traditions.