Who we Serve
For over 145 years, The Fresh Air Fund has provided life-changing summer experiences in the outdoors to children living in NYC’s underserved communities.
Communities 
Families 
of participating families would recommend our Summer 2022 programs to family and friends
Youth 
ages of youth who will participate in The Fund’s 2023 summer programs
Investing in our Youth
The Fresh Air Fund expands opportunities for New York City youth from underserved communities by investing in a child's journey to learn, grow and thrive through new experiences in the outdoors. All programs are free of charge.
Our 2022 Summer Program Participants Gave Us:
96%
of participating families would recommend our Summer 2022 programs to family and friends
Layla, 13, Fresh Air Fund participantMy favorite part of camp is making new friends and trying new things that I never expected to like. I love my counselors – they’re role models to me. Camp is a place where we can all talk to each other and express our feelings without feeling judged.
THE POWER OF SUMMER
In summer 2022, The Fresh Air Fund offered six programs which supported healthy childhood development, addressed summer learning loss and provided children with opportunities to strengthen social-emotional skills.
Sleepaway Camp
88%
of parents / caregivers said their child learned important skills at Camp
87%
of parents / caregivers said their child is more confident after attending Camp
Friendly Towns
99%
of youth said they spent more time outdoors than usual during their visit to Friendly Towns
91%
of NYC parents / caregivers said that their child was more open to trying new things after their visit to Friendly Towns
Fresh Air Teen Academy
88%
of teens said that they got better at working with a team after participating in the Summer Teen Academy
86%
of teens said they found new things that they were good at – that they did not know they were good at
Fresh Air Summer Spaces
92%
of youth felt that Summer Spaces helped them feel active and healthy
89%
of youth felt that they got better at meeting people and making friends
Fresh Air Family Wellness
97%
of families felt more connected as a family after their Family Wellness Trip
93%
of families felt they had a greater desire to spend more time outdoors
Youth Enrichment
91%
of teens felt more responsible after participating in Youth Enrichment Programs
87%
of teens said they got better at overcoming challenges
Leadership in Action
The Fresh Air Fund has a long history of providing leadership and professional development opportunities for young people. In a typical summer, The Fund employs over 500 seasonal staff. In summer 2022, we employed 265 youth ages 18-24. 63 of the youth employed are alumni of Fresh Air programs.
Zamaris, 16, CITAs a CIT, I learned communication and problem-solving skills. This summer showed me the importance of being open-minded when trying new things. Camp is a new experience for some campers, and being a leader to whom they felt comfortable expressing their emotions made an impact on me.