We’re proud to share that Experience Camps is a 2025 Nike Community Impact Fund #NCIF grantee! With this funding, we’ll help power the future of youth sport in the Atlanta area through our Playing Through Grief program.
Experience Camps for Grieving Children
Individual and Family Services
Westport, Connecticut 3,108 followers
We give grieving children experiences that change their lives forever
About us
Experience Camps is a nonprofit that champions the nation’s 5.6 million children who will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. We run a network of no-cost camps that help grieving children thrive. Our summer camps in California, Maine, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia provide a safe environment where kids can explore their grief, break the isolation they may feel with their non-camp peers, and have a whole lot of fun. They have the opportunity to meet and connect with kids who are coping with similar challenges, while getting all of the benefits of the traditional summer camp experience. Through team sports, individual challenges and community living they learn about leadership, confidence and cooperation. Under the guidance of professional bereavement staff, campers have the opportunity to share stories and remember the one who died, while exploring skills that will help them after camp.
- Website
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http://www.experiencecamps.org
External link for Experience Camps for Grieving Children
- Industry
- Individual and Family Services
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- Westport, Connecticut
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2008
- Specialties
- Mentorship, Education-Through-Sport, Grief Support and Counseling, and Social Growth
Locations
Employees at Experience Camps for Grieving Children
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Jon Deren
Owner and Director at Camp Manitou | Entrepreneur | Mentor
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Sara Deren
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Eric Solomon, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO; CMO; Chief Brand Officer; Board Member; Speaker; Author (ex-YouTube, ex-Instagram, ex-Spotify)
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Georgia Rucker
Freelance Art Director, Graphic Designer, Illustrator with Publishing Expertise
Updates
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HELLO, TEXAS! 1 in 13 Texas children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. That's why, in 2026, Experience Camps is launching its first-ever camp location in Texas! We're hosting our free, one-week grief camp at Camp Champions in Marble Falls, Texas. If you want to get involved, you can fill out our interest form here: https://lnkd.in/enZyE4sn
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Last week, our team had the honor of attending the annual National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG) Symposium, the longest-running and most comprehensive Childhood Bereavement Symposium offered in the United States. Our team presented, met with incredible childhood grief partners, and shared all about our programs and offerings. Thank you for hosting National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG), and we look forward to our continued work together.
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We're hiring a Social Media Associate who will be responsible for planning, creating, and posting engaging content that raises awareness of childhood grief, which impacts millions of kids. The ideal candidate will have experience with brand storytelling, community management, content creation, and have top-notch graphic design and video editing skills. While the topic is heavy, our work involves helping grieving kids rediscover joy and build resilience. https://lnkd.in/eETCuDNq
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Experience Camps for Grieving Children reposted this
We’re hiring a Senior National Clinical Manager (SNCLM)! This position is responsible for executing all aspects of Experience Camps’ clinical programming, with a focus on the day-to-day coordination, support, and guidance of clinical staff and services. This role ensures the consistent quality and effectiveness of clinical experiences across programs by overseeing program development, applying clinical policies and protocols, and supervising clinical personnel. The SNCLM also leads the management, coaching, and development of both year-round and seasonal clinical teams. This dynamic role enables mission-driven professionals to bring initiative, passion, social-emotional skills, and clinical expertise to a growing national organization. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/ev3uEYQK
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We’re hiring a Senior National Clinical Manager (SNCLM)! This position is responsible for executing all aspects of Experience Camps’ clinical programming, with a focus on the day-to-day coordination, support, and guidance of clinical staff and services. This role ensures the consistent quality and effectiveness of clinical experiences across programs by overseeing program development, applying clinical policies and protocols, and supervising clinical personnel. The SNCLM also leads the management, coaching, and development of both year-round and seasonal clinical teams. This dynamic role enables mission-driven professionals to bring initiative, passion, social-emotional skills, and clinical expertise to a growing national organization. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/ev3uEYQK
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We're looking for medical professionals (nurse or physician with an appropriate license) for our free, one-week overnight summer grief camps. As a camp nurse, your job is to support the whole program medically throughout the week of camp, and in doing so, change the lives of grieving kids. As a nurse, you will: - Conduct health checks and administer medication. - Care for ill or injured campers. - Work alongside the full medical team Interested? You can apply on our website here: https://lnkd.in/dGC2s_zj
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"It's not about having the perfect words. It's about having intention."
I hear it all the time: “How can I be there for my friend who is grieving?” Turns out, it’s simpler than you might think. In the weeks since my dad died, I’ve been on the receiving end of extraordinary kindness. Certain moments have carved themselves into my memory - not because they were grand gestures, but because they were so deeply human. I’m sharing this list in the hope that it inspires others to show up. This is what it looks like to show up for someone who’s grieving: After I texted my friend Rachel the day after my dad died, she appeared in my driveway seven minutes later - just to give me a hug. Colleagues and board members came to the funeral and Shiva, wrote heartfelt notes, made donations, sent food, and checked in again and again. They weren’t there for me as a CEO - they were there for me as a friend. My friends, Amy and Roseanne, left a home-cooked meal on my doorstep with a note saying they had spent the morning cooking and talking about my dad (who they’d never met). My 16-year-old - usually not one for big emotions - wrapped his arms around me and held on for five full minutes while I sobbed. My husband, Jon, picked up every dropped ball: the kids, the broken dryer, the million little pieces of life - so I could just grieve. My unofficial grief sherpa, Lexie, curated the most thoughtful care package: my favorite caramels, a massage, wind chimes, a fuzzy blanket. Every item was chosen with intention, each one whispering, “I see you.” So many friends (and strangers) went beyond “I’m sorry for your loss.” They spoke about my dad’s warm smile, mentioned something they had read in his obituary, and shared reflections that made him feel real to them, too. Two rabbis created meaning through ritual - even for someone like me, who isn’t particularly religious. One even brought her baby over (at my request) so I could get some snuggles. My mom’s friends and neighbors promised to look after her - giving me peace in knowing she wouldn’t be all alone. Michelle, my mama-bear colleague, reminded me to go outside, put my face to the sun, and let me ramble about spirituality and shared consciousness without judgment. Danny, my board chair, sent me jokes every day. I forwarded every one to my mom - because laughter felt good. Three different friends brought me shoes to the funeral because I packed the wrong ones. And the list goes on. I know I live in a uniquely grief-informed world because of the work I do. But still, I was struck by how meaningful even the smallest gestures could be. You don’t need to be an expert in grief to show up for someone who’s grieving. It’s not about having the perfect words. It’s about intention. These big and little acts of kindness helped me feel less alone - wrapped in love during the hardest moments of my life. They reminded me that community can hold you up when you can’t stand on your own. (Especially when you pack the wrong shoes.) And I’ll never forget how my people showed up for me.
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Congratulations to our very own Sr. Manager Annual Giving and Events, Margurite Karp, who will be joining a class of 50 nonprofit executives at the New Strategies Program, an advanced leadership education program conducted by Georgetown University's Business for Impact. The program is designed to help nonprofits generate and manage financial growth. We are grateful to New York Life Foundation who has made it possible for us to participate. We look forward to hearing and learning from leaders in the nonprofit and philanthropy fields.
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Dr. Deborah Brooks Lawrence, City Research Scientist at the NYC Administration for Children's Services, has been named to the Board of Directors of Experience Camps, an award-winning national nonprofit that transforms the lives of grieving children through summer camp programs and innovative, year-round initiatives. https://lnkd.in/eJmg7y_S
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