Wayfinders

Wayfinders (formerly Bruce Irons Camp Fund) is a transformative non-profit program serving low-income students in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County through a comprehensive three-component model. The program combines residential summer camp experiences, year-round enrichment activities, and long-term mentoring relationships (5-8 years per scholar) to provide holistic support for selected students from 4th through 12th grade. New scholars are identified in 4th grade through partnerships with Communiti Wayfinders (formerly Bruce Irons Camp Fund) is a transformative non-profit program serving low-income students in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County through a comprehensive three-component model. The program combines residential summer camp experiences, year-round enrichment activities, and long-term mentoring relationships (5-8 years per scholar) to provide holistic support for selected students from 4th through 12th grade. New scholars are identified in 4th grade through partnerships with Communities In Schools (CIS) based on strong academic effort, leadership potential, and good character, and the entire program is completely free for participating families. The residential camp experiences are age-appropriate and progressively challenging: Explorers (grades 4-6) participate in 2-3 week outdoor adventure camps in the North Carolina mountains featuring activities like kayaking, rope climbing, horseback riding, and swimming; Adventurers (grades 7-9) attend 1-3 week residential camps at college campuses with options for academic, leadership, or outdoor adventure focus; and Navigators (grades 10-12) transition to career development through job shadowing, internships, and opportunities to serve as camp counselors. Beyond summer camp, scholars engage in year-round enrichment including virtual specialty camps in coding, medicine, finance, culinary arts, and entrepreneurship, plus workshops in STEM, social-emotional learning, college preparation, and financial planning. Wayfinders goes beyond typical camp programming by providing comprehensive wraparound support: the organization supplies camp packing lists, first-year camp trunks and sleeping bags, reusable water bottles, books, and free shopping days for clothing and bedding. Each scholar is paired with a dedicated adult mentor who meets with them at least every other month and maintains monthly contact via phone, text, or email, providing guidance on academics, extracurriculars, and college preparation. The program represents an investment of approximately $5,000 per year per student (over $60,000 per scholar from 4th-12th grade), funded entirely through donations and grants with no cost to families.