IN THE NEWS

The Ties Shoppe...Gifts That Change Lives!  The Shoppe is OPEN!!

IDENTITY BUILDING  From Life Books to Facebook--Traveling into MYSpace

Amazon.com Helps World Ties Buy anything, anything at all on Amazon.com via our link below to help with humanitarian aid projects in your child's country of birth. The pricing is the same. Only YOU make a difference by shopping with purpose.

What Age is the Right Age? Our most frequently asked question

Extra Special Resources (ESR)  Help when you need it.  Linking you with just the right person to talk through issues that are important to you.

Spotlight: The Evan B. Donaldson Institute

Heritage Journey Workshops Learn about the topics, Request a speaker

Places We'll Be--Meet our Staff

Culture Camps Awesome Experiences

In the News and In the Know--Great Articles

Traveling to Adopt Adding to your family

Links we Like And think you will too!

THE TIES SHOPPE!

Gifts from The Ties Shoppe....

• Celebrate world cultures!
• Are unique, lovely, interesting!
• Benefit orphanages and maternity homes in your country of birth or that of a child you love.

As Ties families travel, we come across so very many places in need of help to buy food, medicines, cooking and heating fuel, education and all the many, many things we take for granted.  The sale of items at The Ties Shoppe gives us an ongoing source of funds to help with those much needed expenses of caring for children around the world. 

So, as you shop, please know that a child somewhere in the world will receive a more nutritious meal, is getting better health care or is sleeping in a warmer bed because you too see the beauty of shopping with a purpose!

Visit our Shoppe!

From Life Books to Face Book—Traveling Into My Space
         (How a Heritage Journey Helps Build a Strong Sense of Identity in Kids)

By:  Bea Evans, Co-Director, The Ties Program

Cameras flashed as Dave and Jody arrived home from China with their infant daughter.  Scores of pictures were taken at Sam’s first birthday party, just days after he arrived from Guatemala. Video tape captured Rose’s soccer game, the cameras still rolling twelve years after adopting her from Vietnam.

Pictures help parents recall memorable moments shared with their children.  These images, the basis of a “lifebook,” form a visual timeline of a child’s life.   As each picture is worth a thousand words, the tales that accompany the pictures are told over and over again.  Eventually, as the stories are internalized, a child begins to weave them as their own. 

Stories take on a different flavor each time a new storyteller begins.  Further, kids create new anecdotes, recalling important events that they are now able to tell about themselves.  The movement from “lifebooks” to “face book” is symbolic of the transition from hearing one’s story to telling your own.

Telling a story about a remembered event is clearly easier than retelling one you’ve heard.  As a children retell information they’ve heard about themselves, questions arise, sometimes accompanied by a desire for further information.  For children who joined their family through international adoption, these questions reflect not only curiosity but also loss.

What is it like in the country where I was born?   Do I look like people who live there?  What kind of houses do people live in?   Do people wear the same kind of clothes that we do?  Do kids go to school?  Where was I born?  Does anyone remember me?  Does my birthmother think of me?  Do I have any brothers and sisters living there?  Do they know about me? 

For many kids, there is a longing to echo Paul Harvey in saying “And now you know the rest of the story.”  

The opportunity for a child to visit his or her birth country helps fill the gaps by providing a stronger sense of story, self and identity. Jenny Bailer, an adoptive mom who has traveled to Korea with her kids states, “In my humble opinion, a trip like this is a MUST for kids to fully form their identities and begin to understand where they fit in a world that includes two cultures.”

Traveling Into My Space via a Heritage Journey

With increasing frequency, families formed through international adoption are returning to visit the country where their child was born.  Often referred to as a heritage journey, this journey back is also a journey forward.     The experience adds to the sense of story, and nurtures a sense of self.

Here’s how.

Sense of Beginning -  Internationally adopted kids have few if any pictures of themselves or their life before joining their family.  Because little concrete evidence exists of that time, kids often feel their life began as they joined their adoptive families. Intellectually they know this is not true, creating unsettled feelings. Returning to the place where their story began seems to acknowledge that time period and validate one’s presence in it. As 15 year old Theresa points out after her journey to Peru, “You will know your own history from experience.”

Sense of Information – Each time a different person tells the same story the emphasis, importance, and recollection of details vary.  When it comes to telling their own story, children need to gather information about and assign importance to the details of their life.  Participating in a heritage journey encourages children to think about the beginning of their life and explore what missing pieces of information are important to their rendition of their story.  Some of those missing pieces may be sought and found when traveling.  Or perhaps different threads to one’s story are discovered.    And sometimes it is the lack of information that leads to the acceptance of one’s story.

Sense of Place --   Kids living in a country other than where their life began straddle a bridge between “over here” and “over there.”  Learning about their birth country through their parents’ memories, exposure to information, and participation in culture camps and other events creates an awareness of similarities and differences.   The opportunity to visit the place where life began moves awareness to ownership and pride.  Upon her return from Cambodia, 10 year old Jesses writes, “I can’t believe I came from here. It’s so cool.” 

Sense of Belonging – Several years ago, Greg and his mother traveled to Chile, Greg’s country of birth.  They returned to the Massachusetts Cape during the height of the tourist season and frustrated by the slow moving traffic, Greg told his mother it was time for the tourists to go home.  Mom reminded Greg that just a week ago they were tourists in Chile and no one asked them to go home.  Greg quickly responded “You might have been a tourist, but I was a native.” The conviction of this statement gives voice to the strong feelings of belonging kids experience after visiting their birth country.

Those feelings are a direct result of meeting, interacting, and being accepted by people they meet while traveling.  As Emily wrote after visiting Paraguay, her country of birth, “I can say with pride that I have two countries to call home.”

It is important to recognize that feelings of “loss of place and belonging” are part and parcel of identity building.  Thirteen year old Lucy described her loss in these words: “I learned that even though I was born in Paraguay, I have not lived here and experienced their culture so I am therefore not a TRUE Paraguayan.”  Interestingly, on the very same trip, 18 year old Jesse adds, “Paraguay is what makes me “ME”.  It is those conflicting pieces that when added together help a child find “self.” And that’s a good thing!

Sense of Connection – A heritage journey provides kids the opportunity to discover links, or connections, with their country of birth.   For some, like Amy, these links are intangible.  During her stay in Korea, she and her parents visited the clinic where she was born.  While in the waiting room, 11 year old Amy flitted from one chair to the next pausing momentarily to sit in each one.  Although her parents observed this behavior as boredom, Amy later announced she had sat in the same chair as her birth mother. And indeed she had since she sat in each and every chair.  She was connecting in a way that worked for her.  I have often pondered that day for Amy, being so thankful that she was able and willing to share with her parents what might otherwise have gone forever unnoticed, an intangible connection cloaked in what seemed like disinterested behavior.

Other times the links are much more tangible and recognizable.  For example, while in Peru, three girls sharing the journey each carried a plastic bag while visiting ancient ruins.  As they boarded the bus one day, the guide noticed the bags were full of sticks, stones, bottle caps, and assorted other “finds”.    She asked the girls if they planned on taking home this “junk”.  Incredulously the girls replied, “Junk?!?  These are pieces of our ancestors.” Time and again, we have seen kids collecting soil from their birth country, bringing home bits and pieces of a country they want and need to stay connected with in order to move forward.

The Journey Continues
From Life Books to Face Books – Traveling Into My Space can be viewed as a metaphor to describe child development.  It recognizes that a child’s sense of self is initially described by a parent, eventually grows to include outside influences, and continues to be a work in progress.  The opportunity to visit their country of birth enables the international adoptee to interact through concrete experiences to their heritage and story.  Empowered by the messages of journey—belonging, pride, and understanding—the journey “into my space” continues as kids build a strong sense of who they are. 

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“Please know that a child somewhere in the world is receiving a more nutritious meal, is getting better health care, or sleeping in a warmer bed at night because you too saw the beauty in this project.”

Amazon Helps World Ties

Amazon.com is helping World Ties efforts around the world by donating a portion of their proceeds to Project Kindness—helping children in your (or your child’s) country of birth.

ALL purchases on Amazon.com will help if you enter their site using the link above. Amazon sells pretty much everything and there is NO additional charge to you!  
 
With school starting, how about buying textbooks on Amazon?  Or get your kids set up with Kindle….the newest thing in reading!  Think I-pods, school/office supplies, a mini fridge or microwave for the new college student. Help ready your kids for the ACT. And send them a little fun—Zumba might be just the thing. 

So many possibilities. So many children to help.

Click here or above to get started being part of the solution: 

Amazon Helps World Ties

Spread the word...

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Traveling to Your Child’s Land of Birth
What Age is the Best Age?

By

Becca Piper
Founder/Director
The Ties Program—Adoptive Family Homeland Journeys
A collaborative article for  Wide Horizons for Children

Even as parents are making plans to adopt an internationally born child, most are already thinking about the day when they will return to their child’s country of birth as a family.  More and more, parents are realizing that a heritage journey is one of the most significant factors in the identity building process of internationally adoptive children. 

With increasingly more preparation being done by adoption agencies who understand the importance of post adoption services, families are realizing that in time, their children will benefit from embracing their birth culture first hand.  In putting together the pieces of their identity, it is important for kids to make a connection with their place of birth or founding, the orphanages where they lived, their caretakers and perhaps birth family. 

But in how much time?  What age is the “best” age for a homeland journey?

Realizing it or not, what parents are really saying is:

“I want my child to become a warm, wonderful, genuine person integrating all of who they are…..at what point in their lives will a homeland journey help my child do that? And, what is it about a homeland journey that does that anyway?”

In my mind, those are the real questions. 

The journey is about giving kids the experiences, the information and the tools they need to get comfortable with who they are.  More than comfortable.  The journey is about giving kids what they need to become self confident, emotionally healthy, productive people. Experiences that encourage a strong two-culture identity.
 
The Ties Program has long maintained that the single most important message children receive on a homeland journey is that the people with whom they share their heritage are warm, wonderful, genuine people.  In receiving that message, kids are given a significant and meaningful piece of their identity.  We have found that given opportunities, kids of any age take in the message, and use it throughout the rest of their lives.

Ian Hagan is proof positive that kids can “get it” from an early age…..

Many years ago, I was standing on a street corner in Seoul with Ian and his family…Mom, Dad and three “stair step” kids ages 7, 9 and 11.  Ian was the youngest of the three Korean born children, and we were having chops made, Korean signature stamps.  As adoptive families tend to do when traveling, we were drawing some attention.  A crowd of Korean men took an interest in what was happening, and as they watched, they would talk, then laugh.  It was the kind of laughter that made you feel comfortable, the kind of emotional warmth most adoptive families feel the world over.  

We knew whatever was being said was coming from gentle hearts and kind souls.  The scene continued—a circle of talking and laughing.  Finally, one man who could hold back no longer, walked toward Ian, gently tussling Ian’s hair.  As he made this magical gesture, we again heard the warm laugh.  It was at that point that little Ian turned to me with a HUGE smile and said, “Mrs. Piper, aren’t Korean’s NEAT!!!” 

Over the years, I have replayed that moment in my mind many times. It was almost as if you could feel the message float through the air. What a gift for a young child to reflect on as he integrates the life he was born into with the life he lives in his adoptive family.  I know, some of you are saying, “But he won’t ever remember the details of the trip.”  It may surprise you to hear I agree. Kids of any age (and even the adults) forget the details but remember the feelings the details created.

In feeling the messages, the imprint is deep, lasting and useful in the “work of identity building.”

Kids on a homeland journey are “imprinted with positive messages” by interacting with people in their birth country. One young Vietnamese adoptee recently relayed this story to me.  “I never felt pretty before I went to Vietnam.  But then, I was in a shop, and a Vietnamese woman came up to me and said, ‘Oh what a beautiful girl you are.’  It felt so amazing to have someone who was really Vietnamese think I was pretty.” 

It was a fleeting moment with a profound impact.  A homeland journey is full of such moments.  The experiences become even more profound as we visit places of birth or founding, the orphanages where the children lived, meet caretakers and sometimes birth family. On Ties Program evaluations, nearly all kids say these visits were the most meaningful part of their journey. Children of all ages secure those moments into their hearts and souls to be used in the life long work of identity.

But the journey’s significance is deeper yet because it allows kids to grieve the losses of adoption, heal and move forward.  No parent ever wants to see their child hurting, but if they are hurt, we would all like to see them heal.  A homeland journey allows for healing by giving kids a chance to grieve in the ways kids grieve, which is almost always a different experience than what parents expect.  

Most kids do not go through the trip overflowing with tears. In fact, on a typical Ties trip, kids (and parents) are singing on the bus, laughing hysterically, and enjoying the sense of “being” in their birth country with other kids who share a similar history.

When grief comes in the outward and “traditional sense” it comes in waves and bursts.  But for most kids, it comes in ways that go pretty much unnoticed by all around them.  It comes in linking—the finding and holding on to points of connection. 

When our 15 year old son Michael died of leukemia recently, I couldn’t help but draw parallels to the depth of loss adoptees feel at a core level.  Grief stricken myself in the very “adult stereotypical way” I was very aware that our teenage son Joe was reacting very differently.  Distraught with loss, he “linked” to his brother in ways that brought him comfort and healing.  He wore his brother’s favorite sweatshirt every day, took to sitting in his brother’s chair, and even tried out for and got a part in the high school musical…something Joe would never had done, but Michael would surely have been a part of.  Through these connections, these “links”, Joe is working through his loss, something we all need to do for our souls to be mended.

That’s what kids do with adoption related grief and loss, and we see it time and time again as we travel. 

Just a few days ago, I was once again reminded of Amy Anselmino.  Now a young adult, she was standing in our office, retelling her story of grief and connection….something that happened when she was just nine years old traveling with The Ties Program.

Amy and her family were visiting the clinic where Amy had been born.  They were scheduled to meet the doctor who delivered her.  After their visit, Amy’s Mom came to my hotel room, crying.  She said the visit had been awful.  “Amy couldn’t have cared less.  While we were in the waiting room, she was all over the place, first sitting in one chair, then another.  She really didn’t care about being there.” 

We hugged and talked about visits not always being what we dreamed about.  Mom left and I was sad. 

About 30 minutes later, there was a knock on my door again. It was Mom. Through her tears, she said, “Amy just told us  she sat in every chair in the waiting room so that she would be sure to sit in the chair where her birth mom must have sat.”  Linking.  At nine years old.

In Peru, three young adoptees found plastic bags and as we traveled, collected what appeared to be insignificant “stuff.”  But when asked what they were doing with that “stuff” they replied, “Stuff?  These are pieces of our ancestors!”  Linking.

After her trip to China, Libby came home and returned to her life and friends.  At a casual glance, her China trip is a past moment.  But look carefully into Libby’s room, and you will see a picture from the trip, or a gift she was given in China (perhaps by an orphanage caregiver or foster mom), or a souvenir she purchased along the way.  Try and move those treasures, those precious links that continually allow her to connect, and you will find how deep the emotion goes. 

So, when you ask, “What age is the best age?” and hope for a chronological answer, perhaps the best answer comes in the form of questions. 

• At what age would I like my child to know that the people with whom she shares her heritage are warm, wonderful, genuine people? 
• At what age would I like him to create links that will help him heal? 
• At what age would I like to give my child the experiences and tools she needs to form a healthy identity, integrating the culture she was born into and the culture she lives in?

There is no question that as children become older, most kids can cognitively process the experiences in a more adult way.  But they can feel the messages at all ages. 

The important “stuff” of a homeland journey doesn’t come with a magical chronological age, but rather with experiences taken in by an open heart.

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You may be planning to travel several years from now, in the next year, or perhaps you've already experienced a homeland journey.  At each stage, there are unique issues and questions.  We are excited to launch a program that will provide families and adult adoptees with resource professionals who:

• Have traveled extensively on adoptive family homeland journeys so they understand the unique issues of homeland travel
• Have their Masters degree in Social Work
• Have extensive personal and professional experience with adoption
• And, are enthusiastic and passionate about helping you prepare for and process this amazing experience

Some of the MANY important questions…. 

• What can we do to prepare for a homeland journey?
• What age is the “right” age?
• What kinds of adoption exploration is possible?
• How can we explore our adoption in a healthy way?
• What is "adoptee loyalty" and how might it impact our family?
• What if we have difficult information? How might we explain that to our child? Or, if you are an adult adoptee, you might be wondering, "How much do I want to know and what will I do with the information if I find it?"
• How do does poverty affect the journey?
• What might it like to meet birth family?
• What if we search, but don’t find out anything?
• What if we have or find information for one of our children, but not all of our children? 
• How do kids and families continue to process a birth country experience?
• What is reverse culture shock and how does it impact us?

How to get answers that are based on extensive experience by trained professionals?  

Email us indicate your interest in talking with an ESR professional.  We will connect you with an ESR professional so that you can arrange a convenient time to talk.  It’s that simple! 

Consultation fee:  $75 per hour, payable by check or credit card to The Ties Program, 10520 W. Bluemound Rd., Wauwatosa, WI  53226.

If you would like to pay by credit card, please use this Google Checkout option:

Each and every day, it seems we run across organizations that are making a positive difference in our world.  To acknowledge, applaud and share the good things we are seeing, we are pleased to present our Spotlight Series. 

Introducing....

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute is a unique, independent, national nonprofit organization that tangibly improves the lives of children and families like yours across the United States and around the world. The Institute provides leadership for better laws, policies and practices through sound research, education and advocacy. Supporting the Institute helps those touched by adoption and foster care and -- most important – helps boys and girls in need of safe, loving families. No other organization is committed to such sweeping, ethics-based, change-the-world work.   

To get a sense of the breath and impact of the Institute’s work, please go to www.adoptioninstitute.org.

Here’s a very small sampling of the Institute’s current and upcoming initiatives:

• Shaping better international adoption policies to better serve children, including being able to provide timely responses to situations that arise, as we have seen recently in Haiti and Russia.
  
• Preparing adoptive parents to deal with the developmental and mental health needs of their children. 
  
• Training educators, corporations and professionals to improve treatment of all who are touched by adoption.
  
• Expanding adoption for children in foster care, especially those who are older or have special needs.

BEYOND CULTURE CAMP:

PROMOTING HEALTHY IDENTITY FORMATION IN ADOPTION

The Study by The Evan B. Donaldson Institute

The Evan B. Donaldson Institute study titled “Beyond Culture Camp: Promoting Healthy Identity Formation in Adoption” is gathering lots of interest. While 468 adopted adults participated in the study, the findings focus on 179 respondents who were born in Korea and adopted by two Caucasian parents, and 156 Caucasian respondents born in the United States and adopted by two Caucasian parents.  In essence, the study found that while activities like culture camps and festivals are important, they are “insufficient in helping children adopted across racial and national boundaries develop a healthy, positive sense of self.”

As part of the study’s central findings, the report states:

“Positive racial/ethnic identity development is most effectively facilitated by "lived" experiences such as travel to native country, racially diverse schools, and role models from their same race/ethnicity. Adoptees offered practical suggestions to adoption professionals about actions that would have helped their shift in identity from White to Korean-American. Travel to the country of their birth topped the list. They also noted the importance of attending racially diverse schools and having child care providers, teachers and other adult role models of their race/ethnicity.”

The Ties Program Response:

The Ties Program annually circulates a newsletter encouraging families to attend camp, because unlike when adult adoptees attended camp (if there was a camp option as they were growing up) more and more camps are now addressing the important issues this study refers to.

We agree with the Donaldson Institute that camps are important. And while their way of looking at the next step comes from “study” and ours comes from “experience” we concur that adoptees need “lived experiences” beyond camp, and more and more, families are acting upon that need.

How camp provides a foundation….

In the 17 years we have been doing adoptive family homeland journeys, we have often noted that kids who have attended culture camp experience their birth country through "a wider lens." As we travel, the food is more familiar, as are traditions, language, and the look and feel of the country.  Further, kids with camp experience have more likely been around lots of other families who share a similar background. And because more and more camps are drawing on local ethnic communities to help with camp, the kids are more likely to have interacted with people from their birth country.

All in all, as they take the huge step in visiting their homeland, camp kids are usually able to experience their birth country with more confidence.

For more information on the study and LOTS of other important work being done by the Institute, please see www.adoptioninstitute.org.

Are you hosting a culture camp, conference or event?  Looking for a GREAT speaker, with a MEANINGFUL topic?  The Ties Program proudly offers the following topics.  If you are interested in a speaker for your event, please contact The Ties Program or use our Speaker Request Form.

Here are a few of the topics we present:

____TRAVELING TO YOUR CHILD'S LAND OF BIRTH--A JOURNEY BACK, A JOURNEY FORWARD A heritage journey is one of the most significant factors in the identity building process of internationally adoptive children.  So, what's the journey all about?  What age is the best age? How can families prepare?  What role does "adoptee loyalty" play in the journey? What are the pros and cons of group vs individual travel?  What adoption exploration is possible in country?  How do the kids react before, during and after the trip?  
 
____ HOMELAND TRAVEL--REACTIONS OF THE KIDS  Over the years, country after country, we have seen similar reactions of the kids as they explore their birth country.  This workshop will give you a window into the things kids are processing, beginning with the first step off the plane. We’ll look at the role language plays, how kids deal with dual identity and the importance of “blending.” We will discuss things that “validate” your child and how identity is addressed by exploring the answer to “Why?”  We will talk about the reaction of kids when their sense of beauty is expanded to include THEM. And finally, we will explore reverse culture shock and the after effects of the journey.  At each step along the way, we will hear excerpts from the kids themselves, explaining their feelings as they traveled, and how the experience impacted them. 

____FROM LIFEBOOKS TO FACEBOOK--TRAVELING THRU MYSPACE  A Heritage Journey Helps Build a Strong Sense of Identity in Kids   With increasing frequency, families formed through international adoption are returning to visit the country where their child was born, an experience that builds family bonds and nurtures identity.  This workshop looks at the five factors of a homeland journey that help a child build a strong sense of identity as they work toward finding a comfortable and meaningful "self."
 
____HOMELAND TRAVEL: BENEFITS AND COMPLEXITIES (Taking off the rose colored glasses!)  The benefits of birth country travel are straightforward and universal.  The topic is beaming with positive aspects:  Identity Building, Pride, Belonging, Validation, Answering Why? and the “Settling Effect.”  But journeys as emotionally charged as this one come with challenging aspects families need to consider.  This workshop will discuss the benefits as well as the challenges.  We will explore complexity around preparation, complexity that arises because no one knows where the road leads, complexity around search and around the “best age to travel.” 

____ YOUR CHILD'S COUNTRY OF BIRTH: WHERE GEOGRAPHY & IDENTITY MEET A child’s birth country is more than a place on a map. It is the foundation upon which international adoptees create their identity. Each of us begins identity building within a geographical sphere that begins with our place of birth and the circumstances of our conception.  Throughout our lifetime, that sphere expands to all the places we’ve been, integrates all the people who have touched our lives, and continues for a lifetime.   This workshop looks at the critical pieces of a homeland journey that help a child recapture as many of the original pieces as possible,* giving children a strong foundation  as they work toward finding a comfortable, meaningful  and grounded self.      *We will also discuss how “not finding pieces” plays into identity building.

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The Ties Program staff & Speakers Bureau speaks often at culture camps, adoption conferences and events.  We look forward to meeting you at one of these many venues:

Places we'll be soon:

Chinese Heritage Camp
Colorado Heritage Camps
Becca Piper, Founder The Ties Program & World Ties
Sept. 3-6, 2010
Fraser, CO

LAAF-WI 7th Annual Fiesta
Latin America Adoptive Families of Wisconsin
Washington County Fairgrounds
Saturday, October 2
2:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Places we've been recently:

KAMP Multicultural Weekend
Becca Piper, Founder, The Ties Program & World Ties
August 7-8, 2010
Cedar Falls, IA

La Semana
Becca Piper, Founder, The Ties Program & World Ties
August 3-4, 2010
Lakeville, MN

Our Camp China
Jaclyn Skalnik, MSW, Ties Program Social Worker
August 6, 2010
North Carolina
www.ourcampchina.com/

Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia Camp (REECA)
Colorado Heritage Camps
Bea Evans, Co-Director, The Ties Program & World Ties
July 22-25, 2010
Fraser, CO

Cambodia Heritage Camp
Colorado Heritage Camps
Becca Piper, Founder, The Ties Program & World Ties
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Fraser, CO

Filipino Heritage Camp
Colorado Heritage Camps
Becca Piper, Founder, The Ties Program & World Ties
July 15-18, 2010
Winter Park, CO

Catalyst Foundation Vietnam Camp
Bea Evans, Co-Director, The Ties Program
Friday, July 16, 2010
St. Olaf's College, Northfield, MN

Bethany Christian Services Picnic (BCS)
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Kettle Morraine, WI

Chinese Heritage Camp II (Colorado Heritage Camps)
Bea Evans, Co-Director, The Ties Program & World Ties
June 24-27, 2010
Denver, CO

Families for International Children (FFIC) Camp
Jaclyn Skalnik, MSW, Ties Program Social Worker
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Grand Rapids, MI

Korean Heritage Camp (Colorado Heritage Camps)
Becca Piper, Founder, The Ties Program & World Ties
June 17-19, 2010
Fraser, CO

Families Through Korean Adoption
Private Gathering
Madison, WI
Friday, May 21, 2010

Korea Culture Camp
Wide Horizons for Children (WHFC)
The Loar Family, speaking on our behalf (Thanks!)
Saturday, April 24, 2010, Marlborough, MA

37th Annual New England Adoption Conference (ACONE)
"The “Why, What & How” of Identity Building via Homeland Travel'
Heather Ames, MSW, Ties Program Speakers Bureau & Social Worker
Saturday, April 17, 2010, Bellingham, MA

China Culture Camp
Wide Horizons for Children (WHFC)
Mary Fournier, MSW, LCSW, Ties Program Speakers Bureau
Saturday, March 27, 2010, Marlborough, MA

Russian New Year's Party
Children's Home Society and Family Services
Bea Evans, Co-Director, The Ties Program & World Ties
January 16, 2010

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To see where we were in 2009, click here. (coming soon)
To see where we were in 2008, click here.

CULTURE CAMP:  THE FOUNDATION
     FOR A GREAT IN-COUNTRY EXPEREINCE

The Ties Program is pleased to be able to post information about culture camps. We think that you’ll find participation at camp is a great way to prepare for the time when your family travels with The Ties Program. Culture camp and similar programs provide a big piece of the foundation kids need to have successful in-country experiences. A few years ago when talking with Pam Sweester of Colorado Heritage Camps she remarked, "The way I see it, culture camp brings the country to the families and The Ties Program brings the family to the country!" That pretty much sums it up!

AFRICAN AMERICAN/CARIBBEAN
African/Caribbean Heritage Camp
July 22 – 25, 2010
Augustana Lutheran Church
Denver, CO
www.heritagecamps.org
Directors:  Morgan Richards & Bette Kidane
African/Caribbean Heritage Camp (ACHC) celebrates its 12th year in 2010 and remains one of the only camps of its kind in the country. This year's camp theme is "Living Transracially: It's not Black or White."  The mission of this camp is to celebrate the heritage of all adopted children of the African Diaspora. Our children hale from the United States, Africa and the Caribbean. We may be viewed outside our community as families of black and white people together, with no immediate understanding of our blended cultures and heritage. Our 2010 camp and presenters will help us explore the unique gifts and the challenges that come with our mostly transracial adoptive families and how we can inspire others to see our families differently, hopefully beyond color.

Ethiopian Camp
July 22-25, 2010
Harrisonburg, VA
www.heritageandculturecamp.org
This four-day camp will have lots of fun activities, while offering educational and self-improvement opportunities for all. Families are encouraged to take advantage of all the activities available, which are all age-appropriate and will appeal to parents, as well as youngsters. In addition to language and cultural awareness classes, we will also have seminars and conferences designed to help parents in raising children in a multicultural environment. Our seminars provide longer sessions allowing for plenty of time for Q&A or further discussion among participants. There will also be programs for the entire family - such as singing, dancing (Eskista), camp fire, a special movie, and group meals. By popular request, both the Gebeya (market) and the outdoor Ethiopian coffee ceremony have been expanded. We built-in free time for exploring great outdoor activities, such as canoe rides, volleyball, swimming, etc., or just relaxing with family and friends. Once again, we will have the ever popular Ethiopian banquet and cultural dance, to be held on Saturday, featuring professional Ethiopian dancers and musicians.

UMOJA Camp
October 22-24, 2010
Green Lake Conference Center
Green Lake, WI
Umoja@focol.org or (920) 373-0192
www.umojabhe.com
We are a camp for the entire family that offers both educational and cultural sessions.  Each evening is a celebration of the black culture by dancers/drummers/art.  Throughout Saturday there are numerous sessions broke up into age groups.  Programming starts at age 3 and goes through adult.  Babysitting is provided for children 2 and under.

CAMBODIA
Cambodian Heritage Camp
July 15 – 18, 2010
Snow Mountain Ranch
Fraser, CO
www.heritagecamps.org
Directors:  Tracey McBrayer & Fred Dulin
Even among the unique group of culture camps that comprises the Colorado Heritage Camps family, Cambodian Heritage Camp stands out. Now in its ninth year, it is the only culture camp in the U.S. that is specifically geared toward Cambodian-born adoptees and their families. Despite the relatively small number (approximately 1800) of Cambodian children adopted by Americans in the past 15 years, Cambodian Heritage camp normally fills up quickly with over 100 families who travel from throughout the U.S. to attend this very special event. We have a huge “extended family” of Cambodian-Americans from the Denver area who give their unwavering support to our camp every year, and an astounding network of Cambodian-American volunteers who regularly come from California and the east coast to participate as camp counselors, workshop leaders, and program speakers.

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CHINA
China Culture Camp
Wide Horizons for Children (WHFC)
Saturday, March 27, 2010, 9:30a to 3:30p
Marlborough High School
Marlborough, MA
www.whfc.org/events/EventRegister.htm?EventId=304
Contact:  Cherry Fenton at cfenton@whfc.org
Join us for a cultural & educational experience for adoptive families with children from China (K-12), including traditional dance performances, cultural marketplace of vendors, meet families of similar heritage & a Chinese lunch.  Please check our website for additional information and to register.

Chinese Heritage Camp II
June 24 – 27, 2010
Augustana Lutheran Church
Denver, CO
Directors:  Barbara Goldman & Patty Gustafson
www.heritagecamps.org
Chinese Heritage Camp II is one of few camps of its kind in the country, specifically designed for families with adopted children from China. Committed to exploring both the cultural and the adoption aspects of growth as an adoptive family, it is one of ten camps facilitated by the highly respected Colorado Heritages Camps, Inc. Chinese Heritage Camp Too is held at Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver, Colorado, Augustana is centrally located in Denver with easy access to and from Denver International Airport and the major interstates that serve the Denver area.

Camp Friendship China
July 19 – 23, 2010
Stirling, NJ
Camp Friendship China is a one-week day camp for Chinese-born adoptees and their siblings entering grades kindergarten through eighth. This year camp is held at the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling, NJ.  The campers learn about the Chinese culture through music, cooking, dance, art and language.  To learn more please visit our website at www.campfriendshipnj.com

Chinese Culture Weekend for Families
August 27-29, 2010
Common Ground Center
Starksboro, VT
www.cgcvt.org, info@cgcvt.org 
An intergenerational family camp celebrating Chinese Culture since 2006, we welcome people of all ages, ethnicities, lifestyles and abilities. Extended families (grandparents, relatives, and friends) are welcome too. Kids under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. While some activities are aimed specifically at preschoolers and some are aimed at adults most of the fun is multi-age.  Activities might include juggling, ribbon dancing, Chinese cooking, campfires, Mah Jongg, Chinese knot tying, wading in the creek, tai chi sword, Chinese singing, hiking and much, much more. Healthy, plentiful, vegetarian food will be served. Our site is available for rent as well. Contact us for a brochure.  Common Ground Center, 473 Tatro Rd., Starksboro, VT 05487,  Phone: 800-430-2667; FAX: 802-329-2051

Chinese Heritage Camp
September 3 – 6, 2010
Snow Mountain Ranch
Fraser, CO
Directors:  Dawn Hinsvark, Jan Hite & Wendy Hanophy
www.heritagecamps.org
Chinese Heritage Camp was one of the first camps in the country exclusively created for families with children adopted from China. It is one of the ten camps facilitated by the highly respected Colorado Heritage Camps. Chinese Heritage Camp offers programs for infants through middle school. This will be the 13th year families from across the country meet in Colorado to gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture and share their adoption stories.

INDIA
Camp Masala        
Indian Culture Camp
June 11-13, 2010
University of St. Thomas
St. Paul, MN
www.campmasala.org
info@campmasala.org
Camp Masala is a weekend camp for children of Indian heritage and their families. Our goal at Camp Masala is to facilitate our children’s education about Indian culture within a fun environment.  Your child will be surrounded by other children who look like them and other families who are built like yours.  Camp Masala is held at the University of St Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. We look forward to meeting your family this summer!     Each year we celebrate a different region of India.  This year, 2010, we will focus on South India.
Please visit our website for additional information.

Indian/Nepalese Heritage Camp
July 8 – 11, 2010
Snow Mountain Ranch
Fraser, CO
www.heritagecamps.org
For sixteen years, families from across the country have gained a fuller appreciation of South Asia's vast and beautiful culture at Indian/Nepalese Heritage camp (INHC). Friendships are created, strengthened and renewed each year - friendships that endure across the miles. Indian/Nepalese Heritage Camp is a family camp with programming for each member of the family. Campers from age 3 to 18, plus their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and even family friends participate in classes and workshops taught by cultural community members, adoption professionals, and even some of our talented and industrious parents!

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KOREA
Korea Culture Camp
Sponsored by Wide Horizons for Children (WHFC)
Saturday, April 24, 2010, 9:30a to 3:30p
Marlborough High School
Marlborough, MA
www.whfc.org/events/EventRegister.htm?EventId=305
Contact:  Cherry Fenton at cfenton@whfc.org
This exciting day will celebrate Korean culture and heritage and will offer cultural resources to adoptive families.  The culture camp will include a Korean cultural performance, crafts and activities for children, workshops for parents, family connections and networking opportunities, a Korean lunch and, of course, vendors and exhibitors.

Korean Heritage Camp
June 17 – 20, 2010
Snow Mountain Ranch
Fraser, CO
www.heritagecamps.org
Directors:  Mimi Moore, Laurie Ross, Scott Wong & Sharon Wilson
Korean Heritage Camp is the flagship heritage camp, entering its 19th year! We are proud to be one of many camps held around the country for Korean adoptees, but we are slightly different than most. The majority of Korean Camps are for kids only.  Our camp is for the entire family, from infants through teens, and for parents!

Camp Choson
July 4 – 9, 2010
Hudson, WI
www.campchoson.org
Camp Chosôn is an annual, week-long, Korean culture camp primarily serving MN and WI, specifically designed for Korean-American children, their families and friends.  Camp Chosôn convenes at a location every year in or near the beautiful St. Croix River Valley and is typically held close to the Fourth of July week.  Camp Chosôn is a place where the physical being is not in conflict with the inner spirit.  Social interactions, culture classes and group physical activities build self-esteem and promote a sense of belonging...... to family, to friends, to humanity.  Our campers establish many new friendships based on self-esteem and mutual respect, while taking their family relationships to a new level of awareness; one that strengthens the family bonds as peace for the inner spirit becomes possible.  Siblings of any ancestral origin are encouraged to attend and share the enriching experience.  Special programs are offered for parents during the day making it truly an experience for the whole family.  For questions, please contact us at info@campchoson.org.

Kamp Kimchee
Korean Culture Camp
July 12 - 16, 2010
Baxter/Brainerd, MN
www.kampkimchee.org
info@kampkimchee.org  
Kamp Kimchee is a Korean culture camp for Korean adoptees and their families. Classes are offered for 4-year olds through 12th grade.  Classes offered include: Korean social studies/culture, Hangul (Korean Vocabulary), Korean Music, dance, Tae Kwon Do, artistic expression and self esteem.

Camp Friendship Korea
July 12 – 16, 2010
Stirling, NJ
Camp Friendship Korea is a one-week day camp for Korean-born adoptees and their siblings entering grades kindergarten through eighth. This year camp is held at the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling, NJ.  The campers learn about the Korean culture through music, cooking, dance, art, Tae Kwon Do, drumming and language.  To learn more please visit our website at www.campfriendshipnj.com

K.A.M.P. (Korean Adoption Means Pride)
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
August 4 - 8, 2010
Julie Burns, President, IIA
kamp@iiakampretreat.com
http://www.iiakampretreat.com/
By and large, we serve families with Korean children - however, we also have families with children from Guatemala, Russia, Vietnam, Haiti, China and India. Families that have been blessed with children from other countries and biological siblings are all welcome and encouraged to participate.
Our KAMP is a family-style camp which is housed on the grounds of a bible camp along the Cedar River.  Families can choose from campsites, cabins, or to stay off-site in nearby motels or hotels.  Our program is designed to focus on Korean culture through the first 3 days - and then connect with other cultures on our International weekend.

Korean Culture Camp of Eastern Michigan
June 21 – 25, 2010
St. Thomas Aquinas School
East Lansing, MI
www.koreanculturecamp.org
lakmsw@juno.com
Korean Culture Camp of Eastern Michigan is celebrating its 21st year!  We offer a variety of activities to teach Korean culture including language, music, art, dance, drumming, TaeKwonDo, and more.  Anyone with an interest in Korean culture is welcome to join us!  Volunteers are needed, too.  For more information, please visit our website above.

Camp Moo Gung Hwa
Raleigh, NC

"Children's Day Celebration"
May 1, 2010 Saturday, 3pm-5pm
Come dress-up in Korean hanboks and enjoy Korean culture and food.

"Day Camp"
July 21-24, 2010 Wednesday-Saturday, 9am-3pm
info@koreanculturecamp.net
www.koreanculturecamp.NET
Camp Moo Gung Hwa is a day camp designed to enhance adopted Korean-American children's knowledge of Korean culture and to promote their self-esteem. Classes and activities, taught by members of the Korean community and adult adoptees include history, language, literature, dance, Tae Kwon Do, music, cooking and arts and crafts. Introducing the children to their native culture helps them build a sense of identity and encourages healthy self-esteem. The camp began with luncheons in 1994 and progressed to a 3-day camp (known as Camp Hodori) in 1995. In 1996, the camp incorporated and changed its name to Camp Moo Gung Hwa. Moo Gung Hwa is the Korean national flower, whose nearest American equivalent is the Rose of Sharon. The camp has been held every year from 1997-present.

Camp MuJiGae
Korea Culture Camp
June 27-30, 2010
Albany, NY
www.mymujigae.com  
In 1986 some brave parents began planning the first Camp MuJiGae as a way to bridge culture with their children's birth country. Since then our camp has grown considerably.  We now offer a 3 night 4 day program for our campers entering the 6th grade through 18 years old, two half-day programs for campers kindergarten through fifth grade, and a 1/2 day program for campers infant through five years of age.  We also celebrate a Family Day which includes cultural festivities, entertainment, Korean food, and socializing for the entire family.  Program classes are instructed by students from Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, South Korea and volunteers from the Korean Presbyterian Church of Albany. Some of our classes are Korean crafts, cooking, music, language, history, folklore, and Korea today.

Korean Culture Camp – NE Ohio
July 13 - 17, 2010
Avon, Ohio
Brenda and Paul Hartman., pahartman99@yahoo.com
http://afsaohio.org/korean-culture-camp/
Five-day, four night camp open to children ages 7 (who have completed first grade) through 17 years. Its purpose is to develop a positive self-image among Korean-American children. Through participation in games, crafts, and music, and exposure to the foods, language, and history of Korea, campers will develop a greater understanding and appreciation of their cultural heritage. There will be plenty of regular camp activities such as hiking, sports, and a Saturday night campfire. An adult staff of at least 14 is planned: approximately 9 Korean-American counselors and 5 Adoptive Families Support Association parents. All campers sleep in dormitories with adult supervision, and all meals are provided.

Camp Sejong
August 8-14, 2010
Hardwick, NJ
The campers will learn Drumming, Cooking, Art, Writing, Culture, Tae Kwon Do, as well as enjoy outside activities such as swimming, boating, zip line, climbing wall, and more.  This sleep away camp is for ages 6-15.  Contact:  Linda Priore at lpriore2@optonline.net.

Camp Pride
July 26 – 30, 2010
Itasca, IL
Day camp with activities and classes for adopted Korean children and their siblings ages pre-K through high school.  Come join the fun!  For additional information, or to register, please contact Lisa Puccinelli, (847) 367-7862 or Patti Palumbo, (630) 495-4403.

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LATIN AMERICA
Mi Pueblo
June 21-25, 2010
Cleveland, Ohio
Bill Gruber – contact person
GRUBERWL@aol.com
www.CONCERNFORCHILDREN.org
Mi Pueblo is in its 18th year as an annual, one-week, Latin American Culture Camp for children adopted in Latin America and their siblings, sponsored by Concern for Children Inc., a nonprofit adoption support group.  The camp is a day camp for children entering kindergarten thru 9th grade, and includes a day care for young children, and teens and young adult volunteers.

La Semana
August 2 – 6, 2010   
Lakeville, MN
www.lasemana.org
In it's 29th year, La Semana will again offer a week long culture day camp for children in grades K-7 plus high school 'ayudantes’. La Semana means 'the week' in Spanish and we make it an extraordinary one for hundreds of children adopted from Latin American countries. La Semana is held annually in July/August in Minnesota and attracts adopted children from across the U.S. and even internationally.  We have adopted Latino children and teens from several countries.  We finish La Semana with a big Fiesta on Friday night.

Latin American Heritage Camp
June 24 – 27, 2010
Snow Mountain Ranch
Fraser, CO
www.heritagecamps.org
Directors:  Patrice Clark, Gina Heumann & Diana Castellion
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 Latino heritage adopted within the United States. It is one of ten camps facilitated by the highly respected Colorado Heritage Camps, Inc.
Latino American 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 Latino cooking and customs to the blessings and challenges inherent in our adoptive families. LAHC also encourages young adult Latino adoptees to join us as counselors to gain a deeper understanding of their culture while sharing their own adoption stories with each other and their younger counterparts.

Mis Amigos
July 25-July 30, 2010
Silver Spring, MD
http://www.lapa-ncr.org
Mis Amigos Culture Day Camp is for adopted children of Latino heritage and their siblings. This annual summer camp is a celebration of their birth cultures and of the adoptive families to which they belong. Children who have attended Mis Amigos in past years say that the camaraderie with other adopted Latino kids and the great classes make this one of their best camp experiences of the summer.

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PHILIPPINES
Camp Mabuhay
August 6 – 8, 2010
Kokomo, IN
Coordinators: Gail Pendergrast, (706) 651-8550
 & Paddy Gordon, (410) 997-3308 
campmabuhay@yahoo.com
Camp Mabuhay is a culture camp for families who have adopted children of Philippine heritage. As parents of children born in the Philippines, we realize the importance of bringing the rich culture of the Philippines into our children's lives. Camp Mabuhay Indiana began in September 2004 as an extension of the original Camp Mabuhay in Columbia, Maryland.

Filipino Heritage Camp
July 15 – 18, 2010
Winter Park Mountain Lodge
Winter Park, CO
www.heritagecamps.org
Directors:  Lorial Crowder & David Slattery
The Filipino Heritage Camp is one of a handful of camps designed especially for families with children adopted from the Philippines/with Filipino heritage. Committed to exploring both the cultural and the adoption aspects of growing as an adoptive family, it is one of ten camps facilitated by the highly respected Colorado Heritage Camps, Inc.

Camp Mabuhay North
Sept. 24-26, 2010 
Woodstock, CT
Please contact Bunny Lewis at bunnylew@comcast.net for more information or go to our website at www.afteryouadopt.org/campmabuhaynorth/

ROMANIA/RUSSIA/EASTERN EUROPEAN
FRUA Washington's 2010 Eastern Europe, Russian and Central Asia Heritage Camp Weekend
August 22-22, 2010
Camp Lakeview, Graham, WA
After years in the works, we are very excited to offer camp this year and are in the early planning stages.  FRUA members and non-members alike can find out more information and register on our website at http://www.orgsites.com/wa/frua-inc/.  If you have questions, please contact Debbie Erickson at (425) 739-0664 or debbie@ericksonconnection.com, or Terry Mandeville at (425) 823-8018 or terrymand@aol.com.

Celebrate Romania Retreat/Reunion
June 25-27, 2010
Radisson Hotel
Bloomington, Minnesota
www.celebrateromania.com
Jack & Cindy Woodcock @ jcwoodcock@embarqmail.com
Karen Tweto @ ktweto@blueearth.k12.mn.us
The theme this year is “The Next Generation.”   A new generation has come of age, shaped by years of attending the original Celebrate Romania retreat with their families.  This group of young people has grown up with each other through community.  They are now taking on the planning and execution of Celebrate Romania to make it their own.  Devoted to its success and optimistic for its future, they plan the retreat to be educational but social, addressing their multicultural backgrounds, and reflecting the outlook, lifestyle and social/political issues of “The Next Generation.”

Russian/Eastern European/Central Asian (REECA)
Heritage Camp
July 22-25, 2010
Snow Mountain Ranch, Fraser, CO
www.heritagecamps.org
2010 Directors:  Pam Bassett, Barbara Everhart
Russian/Eastern European/Central Asian Camp (REECA) is one of the few camps of its kind in the country, specifically designed for families with children adopted from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Our acronym is a mouthful - REECA, but our campers are coming from a variety of countries; Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and more and we want to acknowledge that and assure you that everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend! This inclusiveness has made for a very culturally rich heritage camp indeed. It is amazing to eat Russian food, sing Ukrainian folk songs, learn dances from Belarus, enter an entire room devoted to the Kazak culture, and much more, all in one long weekend! REECA is one of ten camps facilitated by the highly respected Colorado Heritage Camps, a non-profit organization, which has been conducting heritage camps for adoptive families for 16 years.

VIETNAM
Vietnamese Heritage Camp
July 29 – August 1, 2010
Estes Park, CO
www.heritagecamps.org
Vietnamese Heritage Camp is one of a handful of camps in the US specifically designed for families with children adopted from Viet Nam. Committed to exploring Vietnamese culture and growing as adoptive families, it is sponsored by the highly respected Colorado Heritage Camps, Inc.
In this, Vietnamese Heritage Camp’s 12th year, we’ll be checking out what’s “Hot in Viet Nam: Vietnamese Pop Culture.” Collaborating with volunteers from the Vietnamese-American community, including Vietnamese adult adoptees, we plan to having a grand time, exploring the hip music, games, shows, entertainments, fashions, and foods of Viet Nam today!

Catalyst Foundation-Vietnam Culture Camp
Catalyst Foundation's Vietnam Culture Camp has two purposes: to enhance self-esteem for children adopted from Vietnam and to establish an appreciation of Vietnamese heritage and culture through interactive experiences.  Since 2000, over 500 different families from all across the country (and Canada, Ireland, and England) have join us at Culture Camp.  We hope you can join in on the fun!
 
Northfield, Minnesota - July 15-18, 2010
at St. Olaf College (www.stolaf.edu)
located just 45 minutes south of Minneapolis/St. Paul
 
New Haven, Connecticut - July 30 - August 1, 2010
Southern Connecticut State University (www.southernct.edu)
Register today at: http://catalystfoundation.org/culture_camp.htm
 
For more information contact:
Caroline Nguyen Ticarro-Parker
Co-Founder & Executive Director
caroline@catalystfoundation.org
Phone: 507-213-8448   Fax: 866-623-1464

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MULTICULTURAL
Camp Connection
May 28 – 30, 2010
Sponsored by Australian Families for Children Inc.
Point Wolstoncroft
Kanangra Drive, Gwandalan NSW
1 hour drive North of Sydney
www.australiansadopt.org
info@australiansadopt.org
Camp Connection is an annual weekend camp that provides a context where meaningful connections are nurtured among those who share the experience of intercountry adoption.  The weekend includes a balance of fun organized recreational activities and opportunities to celebrate the diverse cultures represented at camp.  Ample time is set aside for informal social contact as well.  Camp is staffed by a team of trained and skilled volunteer adults with experience in intercountry adoption.  Please visit our website for additional information.

Families for International Children (FFIC)
Heritage Camp
June 22-25, 2010
Grand Rapids, MI
www.fficgr.org
heritagecamp@fficgr.org
We are a day camp for children from preschool age to teens. Sessions include the language, arts, customs, clothing, games, and foods of campers’ birth countries. This year, sub-camps are available for Eastern European, Chinese, Latin American, Korean and Multi-cultural groups. Nearly 150 volunteers make this camp possible for 300 children each year.

Forever Families Weekend
for Jewish Families Touched by Adoption
June 11 - 13, 2010
Camp Nah-Jee-Wah
Milford, PA
Debbie Schwartz (203) 622-1881
http://njycamps.org/families/html/forever_families.html
Join other Jewish families touched by adoption for a weekend of community-building, recreation, education, and fun! Whether your family was formed in part or in whole through domestic or international adoption, Forever Families weekend will bring you together with other families like yours to share experiences, learn from experts and each other, and enjoy each other’s company.

Hands Around The World Culture Camps
July 26-30, 2010
Roselle, Illinois (near Chicago)
HANDSATW@aol.com
www.handsaroundtheworld.com
Hands Around The World sponsors six culture day camps: African American, China, Eastern European, KISS (a Korean, Indian, Southeast Asian Spectacular) Latin American, and a multicultural experience for teens called The Cutting Edge.  Our culture camps promote healthy identity development by giving adoptees an opportunity to immerse themselves in self-discovery with peers, experience positive mentoring and friendships, share their common experiences, support one another, and learn about their rich heritage and traditions through specialized hands-on activities and classes in ethnic cooking, arts and crafts, native animals, music and dance, puppetry, language, martial arts, ethnic games and more.  Come join in the fun! 

Camp Kupugani Multicultural Camp for Girls
June 20 – July 3 and July 4 – July 17, 2010
Leaf River, IL
Kevin Gordon 866 471-4616 or kupugani@gmail.com
www.campkupugani.com
About 90 minutes west of Chicago—in Leaf River, Illinois—our multicultural residential program for girls called Camp Kupugani focuses on diversity and communication skills in a fun atmosphere—uniting girls of varied backgrounds and providing them with empowerment and community-building skills, so that girls aged seven to fifteen expand comfort zones and build self-esteem. They enjoy activities like rock climbing, river walking, canoeing, playing under waterfalls, and night hikes under the stars, plus carefully designed group activities and games so that fun and personal growth coincide.

Celebration of Nations: Adoptive Family Weekend
June 4 – 6, 2010
YMCA Camp Minikani
Hubertus, WI
http://sites.google.com/site/adoptivefamilyweekend/
Carmen Knight at adoptivefamilyweekend@gmail.com
Come spend time with your family and other adoptive families for a fun, informative weekend at YMCA Camp Minikani, located 20 minutes north of Milwaukee on the shores of Amy Belle Lake. 
Activities and programs throughout the weekend include: Archery, boating, a camp fire, the climbing wall, cultural activity booths, cultural wellness activities sponsored by local YMCA’s, Family Olympics, guest speakers, informative discussions, jumping off the Minikani Tram-pop-oline, swimming, and so much more!
So whether you’ve adopted from China, Korea, Peru, Chile, Paraguay, India, Vietnam, Russia, Romania, the Ukraine, the Philippines, the United States, Guatemala, Cambodia, Columbia, Ethiopia, Colombia, Kazakhstan, or ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD you're invited!  To register go to www.minikani.org and look under camp happenings.

K.A.M.P.
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
August 4th - 10th, 2010
Julie Burns, President, IIA
kamp@iiakampretreat.com
http://www.iiakampretreat.com
We have families with children from Guatemala, Russia, Vietnam, Haiti, China and India. Families that have been blessed with children from other countries and biological siblings are all welcome and encouraged to participate.  Our KAMP is a family-style camp which is housed on the grounds of a bible camp along the Cedar River.  Families can choose from campsites, cabins, or to stay off-site in nearby motels or hotels.  Our program is designed to focus on Korean culture through the first 3 days - and then connect with other cultures on our International weekend.

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