We’ve proudly partnered with Brave Trails since 2022. And while Pride Month is the perfect time to spotlight their impact for youth in the LGBTQ+ community, our support for their work extends well beyond June.
Brave Trails’ programs focus on helping LGBTQ+ youth find what they need most to thrive: their people, their place, and their passion. They create a safe space for youth to see what is possible for their futures and take their experiences home to make meaningful change.
We chatted with Kiersten Short, Camp Registrar, on why Brave Trails feels like home – from being a camper parent to seeing that same camper grow into a Brave Trails camp counselor… and being a staff member!
We also cover allyship, why safe spaces like Brave Trails are so important in our current climate, and finding optimism. Read on!
TOAD&CO: Tell us about Brave Trails – what programs do they offer in the summer and year-round?
KIERSTEN: Brave Trails is a national non-profit organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth leadership. We offer accredited summer camps, backpacking trips, family camps, mental health services, meet-up groups, and year-round leadership programming.
All of our programs focus on helping LGBTQ+ youth find what they need most to thrive: their people, their place, and their passion. Nothing makes us more proud than seeing our youth take the skills they gain in our programs and use them to create meaningful change in their communities. Our summer camp program is for youth ages 12-17.
TOAD: We also know that making camp accessible is super important to the team. Can you share more about the scholarships and financial aid that Brave Trails offers?
KIERSTEN: Thanks to many generous donations and sponsorships, we are able to provide many campers with the financial assistance they need to be able to come to camp. One of the most important parts of our mission is making sure our camps and program are accessible to all LGBTQ+ youth. We proudly offer at least $100,000 in financial assistance funds every year.
TOAD: Tell us about how you got involved with Brave Trails – from being the parent of a camper (now staff member) to your role with the company.
KIERSTEN: I discovered Camp Brave Trails in 2017 when my child googled “gay camp” and asked if they could apply. They went to camp that summer and returned as a camper for 5 consecutive summers (including a weird and oddly wonderful virtual session during the summer of 2020).
Once they had aged out of the camp program, the executive directors reached out to me to see if I would be interested in taking on some administrative tasks for their rapidly growing organization. This will be my fourth summer as the camp registrar. And my adult child will be returning for their third summer as a cabin counselor.
To say that Brave Trails feels like ‘home’ would be an understatement! My background in non-profit work in the LGBTQ+ community and my life-long love of summer camp make this job a really great fit for me personally. But my passion for this work is deeply rooted in appreciation for what Brave Trails has given my kid and my desire to help other young people have that experience.
TOAD: Let's talk a little more about your camper's experience over those summers. What did their time at Brave Trails teach you?
KIERSTEN: Each summer, I watched Montana return home more confident, more passionate and with a heart full of stories to tell. It was as if each camp session added a new layer to them, helping them to embrace their authentic self. The skills they learned at camp helped our whole family navigate them coming out as nonbinary. Montana’s time at Brave Trails helped form them into the incredible adult they are today.
Kiersten and Montana
TOAD: What does Brave Trails mean to you now? And equally, what does it look like to be a good ally? Whether that's a friend, neighbor, concerned citizen, parent, classmate... the list goes on.
KIERSTEN: For me, it has always been rooted in loving my kid and wanting to have them in my life. My personal work is centered around helping other kids and their parents find community like we have at Brave Trails. But good allyship also looks like simply supporting queer and trans-owned businesses, donating to mutual aid and grassroots groups, especially those focusing on serving the most under-represented.
Today it also looks like showing up for actions and gatherings that center liberation. It is also amplifying the work of organizations that center the liberation of LGBTQ+ folks. Perhaps most important, is speaking out against anti-trans legislation, book bans, school censorship and the like.
TOAD: Thank you for helping to create a safe space during a very volatile time in history. Can you speak toward why safe spaces like Brave Trails are so important right now and what they mean to the community?
KIERSTEN: This is a really difficult time to be a young, queer person. The messaging of our current political climate is so targeted against them. Safe spaces like Brave Trails are more important than ever right now. Having a space, even for a brief 10 days, where these kids are surrounded by adult members of the LGBTQ community is invaluable. Our campers interact with incredible adults who are living big beautiful lives outside of camp. Many of these folks take their vacation time and volunteer to work at camp.
Brave Trails creates a space where young people can see what is possible in their futures. And so many of our campers take that experience home and make the real world a little more like camp.
TOAD: We know it’s crucial for campers to feel safe at camp as well. How does Brave Trails advocate for the safety of their campers?
KIERSTEN: Our year round staff works tirelessly to ensure the safety of our campers and summer staff. Some of the ways we keep our campers safe are:
TOAD: What would you recommend doing to help support and advocate for the safety of the LGBTQ+ community right now? We know many feel stuck between raising their voices and overwhelm right now.
KIERSTEN: Support queer and trans owned businesses, speak out against anti-gay and anti-trans legislation, remind the folks in your social circles that homophobia and transphobia are unacceptable. Check in on your friends who are members of the LGBTQ+ community.
TOAD: Relatedly, what can we do to become more involved and support the LGBTQ+ community and/or Brave Trails?
KIERSTEN: Brave Trails runs on donations and grants from the generous individuals and corporations who support us. The easiest answer to that question is to make a donation on our website.
If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community and would like to volunteer to work at a camp session, our staff applications open up in November and we encourage you to apply. There are many ways to be involved and contribute to the work of Brave Trails.
TOAD: Hope has power – what is currently bringing you hope or optimism right now?
KIERSTEN: We have enrolled 400+ youth for 5 incredible sessions of camp for summer 2025. We are hosting our FIRST ever camp session in the Southeast (GA). Even in this current political atmosphere, we have been able to give away over $100k in financial assistance.
What gives me hope and optimism right now is the real time observation of the tenacity and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community and those who support them. Leaning into that and not giving much energy to the ugliness that is loud right now is giving me hope. I work with the most incredible group of humans who are aligned in our mission to celebrate queer youth and create safe spaces for them to grow. That in itself feels hopeful right now.
TOAD: Finally, summer camp is just around the corner! What are you most excited about for this year's camp season?
KIERSTEN: I am excited for the new campers to discover the magic of Brave Trails, I am excited for the returning campers to be reunited with the campers and staff members they connected with in the past. I am really excited about our expansion into the Southeast and the response we’ve had from that community.
Preparing for this camp season has been challenging but I am so proud of our team and super excited for the 2025 camp season to begin.
For the month of June, we'll double your donation impact when you choose "Brave Trails" as your organization to support at checkout.
