We find ways to keep the fire of hope burning throughout the year.

Project Kindle’s Life Skills Retreat is for youth ages 16-20 who are impacted by HIV/AIDS. This program was created to continue to serve those campers who have “aged-out” of the Camp Kindle program. Youth who attend do not need to be former campers of Camp Kindle. The Life Skills Retreat incorporates a variety of activities and seminars over a long weekend in June. The retreat is held at a college campus in order to allow the participants to get the feeling of dorm living and cafeteria food. Seminars include: Applying for College, Resume Writing, Dealing with Stress, Effective Communication, How to apply for FAFSA Funding for College, Interview Skills and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Each day the participants choose seminars that they feel would be the most beneficial for them to attend. In the evenings, participants are given the opportunity to explore the college campus and the surrounding town.

Project Kindle’s goal for the Life Skills Retreat is to continue to serve those campers that feel connected with Camp Kindle but have grown out of the program. At the end of the retreat, the participants leave with new tools and confidence to succeed in the path they have chosen.

Project Kindle administers The Students Affected by AIDS Scholarship Fund, or Kindle Scholarship, which is made available to any student directly infected with HIV or AIDS or who has a parent or sibling infected with HIV or AIDS or has lost a sibling or parent to HIV or AIDS illness. The student must be admitted and pursuing a degree at an accredited post high school or university. This includes, 4-year universities, 2-year junior colleges or universities or vocational-technical school. The individual must have or be within a year of obtaining a high school diploma or equivalent degree to apply or be a students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate course of study and have one or more years of school remaining. Any scholarship granted will not be awarded until proof of either a high school diploma or equivalent degree and proof of admission to the post secondary school is submitted. All granted scholarships would be considered gifts. The scholarship must be used to pay for tuition, books or housing. To assure this, the check will be made out directly to the school/university on behalf of the recipient. Scholarship amounts will be based on funds secured by Project Kindle each year. Project Kindle will distribute up to 5 scholarships gifts each year, depending on funding and needs. Scholarships can range from $100.00 to $1,000.00 per student per year. The amount granted will be based on scholastic achievement, community and school involvement and financial need. Project Kindle will notify each recipient of the amount they have been granted.

The grant applications are due: March 1st (Fall Grant). The grant applications are reviewed at our board meetings.

For more information please contact the Executive Director, Eva Payne at 877.800.2267 ext. 702 or eva [at] projectkindle.org.

Kindle helps to oversee a group of nonprofits that operate camp programs, with a common mission to serve those with serious illnesses, disabilities, and other challenges. This Camp Network provides one another with ideas, best practices, sharing of resources and knowledge. We meet three times a year in Los Angeles, CA. We also keep in touch throughout the year by way of conference calls and emails. We believe in the spirit of collaboration. The Camp Network is free to join and open to any nonprofit currently with a camp program or with the hopes to begin a camp program in the future. All we ask is that you are willing to share your knowledge with other like-minded programs.

If you are interested in getting more information about this group, please contact us.

Project Kindle provides year-round support to the Kindle campers through social media networks, birthday cards, holiday gifts, yearbooks, mini camp sessions, and phone calls. Kindle also attends sporting events, plays, graduations, and other events of campers as schedules permit. It is critical to the success and support of the camp programs for the campers to stay connected throughout the year.

Camp Kindle holds year round mini-sessions for its campers. These sessions are held in Southern California and give campers a chance to experience the great things Los Angeles has to offer! Mini-sessions are for campers of Camp Kindle. Our mini-sessions are held over a long weekend.One mini-session is held during UCLA’s Dance Marathon. This gives campers a chance to meet those individuals who are fundraising for them to come to camp each year.

Campers also get to go to local theme parks (Knotts Berry Farm, Magic Mountain) and local attractions (Hollywood Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, 3rd Street Promenade). This long weekend is a fun filled time that campers get to just have fun. Campers are hand picked for these mini-sessions based on their good behavior at camp and SPEAK OUT participation.