Phone +1 815-713-4110 | ||
Address 6644 W White Eagle Rd, Leaf River, IL 61047, USA Hours Open today · 8AM–9PMTuesday8AM–9PMWednesday8AM–9PMThursday8AM–9PMFriday8AM–9PMSaturday8AM–9PMSunday8AM–9PMMonday8AM–9PM Similar White Pines Ranch, White Pines Forest St, Stronghold Camp & Retreat C, White Pines Inn, Rock River Christian Camp‑Off Profiles | ||
A flyover camp kupugani summer camp virtual tour illinois il
Camp Kupugani is a multicultural summer camp for young women and young men, in girls-only, boys-only sessions and recently added blended session, with an emphasis on teaching them to recognize and eliminate stereotypes. It is located in Leaf River, Illinois and is the only private, residential summer camp facility in the United States under black ownership. It is also an American Camp Association member.
Contents
History
The area of White Eagle Camp was originally timberland and included a mill, built in 1837 and now on camp property. In 1951 the 4-H Camp of Northwestern Illinois purchased 110 acres (later expanded to the present 124 acres) and created the campgrounds.
Owner
The camp's owner and director is Kevin Gordon, the Canadian-born son of Jamaican immigrants. He has a degree in psychology from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He has been involved with camping since 1990; before coming to Kupugani he worked at camps in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and California. His wife Natasha Jackson is the food service manager.
Program
Kupugani, located at Camp White Eagle, serves children age 7 to 15. It offers 2-week and 4-week sessions for girls only, 2-week and 4-week sessions for boys only, and a 2-week "blended" session for both boys and girls. The camp also offers a family camp, a mother-daughter weekend, and a parent-child weekend experience. It was founded as a girls' camp; sessions for boys were added in 2009, and the blended session piloted in 2016.
An important feature of the camp's philosophy is its diversity education program, designed to allow children from diverse cultures and backgrounds to form a community while having fun, being empowered, and learning critical social skills. In addition to traditional camp activities such as hiking, water activities, and sports, the curriculum focuses on team-building and accessing different cultures to self-expression and self-esteem. Like most summer camps, it is "tech-free", with campers not allowed to use cell phones, computers, or iPods. Kupugani has been widely recognized in the media, including features in Ebony Magazine, on the Tavis Smiley Radio program, and on WCPT Chicago radio, as well as articles in "Afrique" and "Insight News".
Membership
The camp draws its population from a wide range of children. In addition to campers from as far as Japan, Spain, and England, others have joined them from California, Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Georgia, and Wisconsin, in addition to children from the camp's region of Northwest Illinois. The campers' ethnic backgrounds are a mix: including Caucasian, Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latina, Asian, South Asian, and Biracial, including of Native American and Middle Eastern descent.