Youth Camp
Homeward Youth Camp is a three-week summer experience in New York City for teenagers who grew up on the mission field. It runs each July on a university campus near the city, and it is free for qualified families: Homeward covers housing, meals, activities and round-trip airfare.
What camp is
Section titled “What camp is”Campers live in residence halls and spend their days on crash courses and workshops — programming, biology, robotics, art and music theory — with weekend outings into the city. Jesus is at the center of camp, but it is built around fun and learning rather than being a Bible camp, and no camper is expected to arrive with a particular faith.
The staff are members of the Alabaster Group volunteering at their own expense.
Who it is for
Section titled “Who it is for”Camp is for young people who fit three things:
- aged 13 to 18 at the time of camp;
- children of missionaries, with parents rooted in Christian ministry to the unreached and poor;
- fluent in English, since all teaching and activities run in English.
There is no faith requirement for campers themselves.
How to apply
Section titled “How to apply”Applications are reviewed by the Guest Relations team, and processing takes a few weeks, so apply early. The Apply now button on the Youth Camp page opens the application form in a new tab.
Questions before you apply
Section titled “Questions before you apply”Every Youth Camp page has an Ask Guest Relations button, which opens a message already addressed to the camp team. Use it for anything the page does not answer — whether your teenager is within the age range, what to pack, or how the airfare cover works for your family.
Once your application is accepted, your place follows the same attendance lifecycle as every other gathering: acceptance is the review decision, and registration is what confirms it. See Applying and requesting an invitation.
After acceptance
Section titled “After acceptance”Registered campers get a private attendee guide with their housing, assigned activities and anything Homeward needs from their family before travel — see Your attendee guide. Travel documents and health information are entered on the camper’s profile beforehand; see Travel documents, health, and emergency contacts.