Camp Rise Up

Adventure, fun and learning. Camp Rise Up is very special experience.

Held on the lush 250-acre rural campus of Camp Ramapo in the Hudson Valley, Camp Rise Up is for young people, ages 12-15, and free to families living in homeless shelters, domestic violence safe houses and other temporary housing.

During a fun, activity-packed week, campers stretch their minds and their bodies. Camp Rise Up is all about exploration and discovery, offering youth the opportunity to learn about their physical development and emotions as well as important practical skills to help them to stay in school and gain employment.

This year’s camp curricula includes workshops, outdoor games and activities designed to foster personal strength, self-esteem and other essential life skills:

Wellbeing and personal care including nutrition
Healthy eating and exercise, adolescent and sexual health
Relationship building and social integration, social
media, peer pressure and bullying
Emotional management skills
Social justice
Basic financial literacy

Counselors in training learn higher-functioning interpersonal skills such as management, empathy, listening, negotiation, etc., that help prepare them for employment.

For information about attending Camp Rise Up, contact Dr. Meghan Miller: mmiller@thefloatinghospital.org

Dr. Meghan Miller, The Floating Hospital’s director of health education, has also appeared on PIX11 News to discuss Camp Rise Up. Watch here!

Register a camper

FAQs

Support a camper

Camp curriculum

Camp Rise Up’s curriculum includes three tracks that students will complete with each returning year.

Year 1: Trek topics (intro to life skills/sexual health)

Courses are designed to provide campers with critical life skills such as self-esteem, consent and healthy communication about sexual activity and choices. First-year campers on this track can also expect to gain in-depth knowledge about sexual health, including anatomy, puberty, and STIs/HIV.

Year 2: Climb topics (social and emotional learning)

Second-year campers focus on social and emotional learning, learning to better understand themselves and their emotions through courses such as mental health, body image, financial literacy and a sexual-health refresher mini course.

Year 3: Rise topics (leadership and professional development)

Third-year campers can expect to cover topics such as empathy, critical thinking and behavior management. This year prepares campers to return as staff at Camp Rise Up and work toward an internship/employment track.

SOAR

Support. Optimism. Acceptance. Resilience.

The Floating Hospital’s new day camp program, SOAR, presents the first year of our Camp Rise Up curriculum entirely in Spanish.

Campers attend morning classes on self-esteem, consent and healthy communication about sexual activity, which are followed by afternoon field trips around New York City.

The week of learning and development will encourage campers to build their proficiency in English so they can join our sleep-away camp the following summer and continue their journey of self-knowledge and growth.

For more information, or if you are interested in registering a camper, contact Natalia Aguilar

“SOAR was designed to “provide a space for newly migrated teens to connect with each other and assimilate to US culture while acknowledging their journeys and experiences. As a migrant child, I want to share my experiences and connect with the migrants in our area.” Luna Canola, senior health education specialist

“It brought tears to my eyes when my group referred to me as their big sister. It helped remind me that I can do something important.”

– Camp Rise Up alumna and head counselor, KiAnna Wilson

To donate to Camp Rise Up, please click here or contact Ann-Louise Lipman at alipman@thefloatinghospital.org.

Enjoy this selection of images from Camp Rise Up!

slideshow image showing campers with the word Joy superimposed

slide show image showing a camper canning

slideshow image showing campers and a counselor

slideshow image of campers hiking in the woods

slideshow image of campers smiling with the word "Sunshine" superimposed

Teachers and Counselors

KiAnna Wilson She/her
Head Counselor

Hi, I’m KiAnna! I’m from the Bronx, New York. I love spending time in nature and listening to music. One of my favorite topics at Camp Rise Up is “healthy relationships” as it teaches campers about the ethics of a healthy relationship (which is so important).

One of my favorite camp memories is the campfire gathering we hold at the end of camp. It’s very beautiful to see how much we’ve bonded together after only a week! I started as a camper and now I am head counselor. This is my seventh year with Camp Rise Up and my fourth as a counselor. I am super excited for the years to come.

Meghan Miller, Ed.D., MPH She/her
Camp Director, Director of Health Education

I’m Meghan, I grew up in New York—very close to Rhinebeck, where camp takes place. My fun fact is that I do aerial silks (think cirque de Soleil) as a hobby. My favorite topic to teach at camp is contraception and my favorite activity is the zipline.

I love meeting all the new campers and seeing all the returning campers. I love seeing new friendships starting, the amazing discussion we have during classes, the happy tears at the campfire and ll the laughs throughout the week. I’ve been there since the beginning, seven years and counting!

Meghan Miller, Ed.D., MPH. Camp Riseup Director, Director of Health Education

Jose Miranda He/him
Camp Counselor

I'm excited to be back for my sixth year at Camp Rise Up as a camp counselor. It's an incredible opportunity to see campers grow and have a great time during their time with us. I look forward to guiding the next generation and creating an atmosphere of adventure and fun. Camp Rise Up is a special place, and I'm grateful to be a part of it once again.

I love meeting all the new campers and seeing all the returning campers. I love seeing new friendships starting, the amazing discussion we have during classes, the happy tears at the campfire and ll the laughs throughout the week. I’ve been there since the beginning, seven years and counting!

Leah DeFusco She/her
Health educator

Hey, I’m Leah and this will be my third year at Camp Rise Up! My favorite part of camp last year was the campfire at the end of the week. It was wonderful to see what everyone had learned and eat s’mores. I’m originally from Connecticut but I’ve lived in New York since 2019. In my free time I love to read, hike, and hang out with friends!

My favorite topics to teach at camp are puberty and sexual health. I’m super excited to see our returning campers and meet all the new folks who will be joining us.

Luna Canola She/they
Camp Counselor

Hi, I’m Luna I am originally from Colombia but grew up in Florida and now live in NYC. In my two years here I have lived in three of the five boroughs and recently got a dachshund puppy I named Turnip. I am passionate about migrant health, mental health and love to go out for runs. I cannot wait to experience camp this year.

Natalia Aguilar She/her
Health educator

My name is Natalia Anguilar. I was born in New Jersey but, moved to Baltimore to study public health at Johns Hopkins University and finally moved to New York City two years ago.

My hobbies include knitting, crafting and loving my elderly cat. I am fluent in Spanish and English. This year is my third at camp! I’m looking forward to meeting all the camper and parents!

Kate Lammie She/her
Health educator

I’m from Atlanta, Georgia. My favorite lessons to teach at camp are pregnancy and puberty. I love high ropes activities and loved our trapeze class in 2020!