ZUNI, N.M. (Aug. 19, 2026) — When the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project redesigned its Summer Camp schedule this year to give children more time to engage in each activity, the staff hoped the new structure would create deeper learning experiences and stronger relationships. Four weeks after camp drew to a close, community feedback suggests the new approach worked.
ZYEP’s 18th Annual Summer Camp served 120 children ages 6-12 from June 22 to July 17, with an average of 100 youth attending each day. Twenty-two counselors guided eight groups of 12 to 14 children through six core activity areas: Traditional Dance, Traditional Art, Zuni Culture, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Free Time.
Post-camp surveys showed that 91.6% of campers said Summer Camp was fun, and Zuni Culture educator Willard Zunie earned the highest satisfaction rating of any camp activity at 87.9%. Nutrition and the popular Camp Store — where children could cash in earned tickets for prizes — followed at 80.8% each, with nearly 80% also indicating that free time and hanging out with friends were among their favorite parts of camp.
Families reported strong results as well. Nearly 99% of parents and guardians who responded agreed or strongly agreed that their child had fun and became more physically active through Summer Camp. More than 97% said camp helped improve their child’s self-confidence and overall health, and 96% said it helped their child make new friends.
“My camper enjoyed making new friends and getting out of his comfort zone,” one parent shared. Another wrote, “They came home excited every day.”
Those findings were especially meaningful in a year when ZYEP intentionally adjusted the camp schedule. Instead of rotating through three activity areas each day, campers participated in two, giving them more time to settle into their activities, ask questions, practice new skills and connect with their leaders, counselors and fellow campers.
Even Free Time served a purpose. Counselors played board games, created art, organized playground activities and spent time with their groups, learning what interested the children and building relationships with them. That unstructured time proved nearly as popular as the organized activities.
ZYEP Operations Manager Josh Kudrna took the Summer Camp reins this year from departing Youth Development Coordinator Kiara “Kiki” Zunie. Youth Development Leader Rani Yamutewa and new Youth Development Coordinator Janessa Bowekaty-Harker provided vital support.
“This summer was filled with fun, new friendships and meaningful memories,” Kudrna said. “We’re thankful to the campers, families, counselors, activity leaders, Zuni Public School District staff and Zuni Education and Career Development Center team, who all came together to make it such a great experience. We’re proud to have been able to provide this for the community, and we’re looking forward to 2027.”
Zuni culture was the heartbeat of camp. During Willard Zunie’s popular sessions, participants explored Zuni taboos and dreams through stories, conversations and their own “My Taboo Book” notebooks. Zunie encouraged the children and counselors to ask questions and share their experiences, emphasizing that specific practices and protocols can vary among families and clans.
The lessons followed children home. One parent reported that their child enjoyed learning about taboos and “talked for days” about the lessons. Another noted how valuable it was for campers to hear Zunie’s stories and suggested that future camps incorporate even more instruction in Shiwi’ma, the Zuni language.
Other activities gave campers opportunities to learn by doing. In Traditional Art, younger children explored weaving with colorful yarn and paper plates while older youth tackled more intricate basketry projects. In Nutrition, they prepared boba drinks with natural ingredients, fruit rainbows, vegetable sushi rolls and blue corn parfaits. And Physical Activity kept them moving through games such as kickball and flag tag, with archery emerging as a clear favorite.
Then there were the Friday field trips and bonus activities. In partnership with A:shiwi A:wan Museum & Heritage Center, A:shiwi Tribal College, Zuni Fish & Wildlife, Zuni Senior Center and Albuquerque’s Explora Science Center, ZYEP Program Manager Tara Wolfe-Quam coordinated two Fun Fridays, allowing youth to spend time with elders, explore local resources and learn about potential career paths.
“From listening to Mr. Zunie, making sushi rolls, doing archery and everything in between, there was something for everyone to enjoy at Summer Camp,” said Bowekaty-Harker, who joined the ZYEP team this year. “This year’s counselors displayed great leadership. Their determination and ability to connect made a world of difference for themselves and their campers.”
Summer Camp culminated July 17 with the End of Camp Celebration at Shiwi Ts’ana Elementary School. Campers and counselors performed the Navajo, Hunter, Butterfly and Basket dances they practiced during camp’s Traditional Dance activity; this was the first year Summer Camp participants performed the Navajo, Hunter and Basket dances.
The celebration wrapped up with a Harvest Dance led by counselors and open to everyone. Children, families and elders joined in, bringing multiple generations together on the final morning of camp.
For Yamutewa, who once served as a ZYEP camp counselor herself, reaching the program’s 18th year offered an opportunity to reflect on how much has changed.
“It’s unbelievable that we’ve hit 18 years,” she said. “This year, I stumbled upon some old memories of my time as a counselor, and it’s amazing to see all the changes — and all the progress ZYEP has made. Kiki’s transition this year was definitely a beautiful challenge in the whole process, but we made it through another safe and fun Summer Camp.
“We’re always grateful to be with the kiddos,” she continued. “And this year, I had fun running the Camp Store with our lead counselors, Jada Kallestewa and Kioko Banteah-Yuselew.”
Today’s counselors are continuing the cycle ZYEP started when it launched the first Summer Camp in 2009. In their own post-camp surveys, they repeatedly identified relationships, leadership and serving as role models as the most meaningful parts of their experience.
“My favorite things are being a role model to the younger generation and learning about the culture,” said one counselor. Another said their favorite part was “being able to see the campers have fun, and making new memories with the group.”
This year, ZYEP moved its traditional counselor retreat from the beginning of summer to the end, giving the young adults time to relax, reflect and celebrate together after their work was done. Counselors hiked Pyramid Rock near Gallup, New Mexico, participated in a formal camp debrief and explored Bluewater Creek together.
The retreat provided a fitting conclusion to a season centered on relationships — among children and counselors, counselors and leaders, children and elders, and families and community partners. As Bowekaty-Harker observed, “Summer Camp is where these collective lived experiences transform into memories that we carry on.”
ZYEP’s 18th Annual Summer Camp was made possible through the support of the Colorado Plateau Foundation, McCune Charitable Trust, New Mexico Department of Health, New Mexico Health Care Authority’s Behavioral Health Services Division, New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund, Newman’s Own Foundation, NoVo Foundation, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Santa Fe Garden Club, Seventh Generation Fund, Zuni Education and Career Development Center, Zuni Public School District and ZYEP donors from across the country.
To learn more about the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and its programs, and for information about making donations, partnering with ZYEP and volunteering, call (505) 782-8000 or visit zyep.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest news and events, follow the nonprofit youth organization on Facebook (/zuniyouthenrichmentproject), Instagram (@zuniyouthenrichmentproject), YouTube (/ZuniYouth) and TikTok (/zyep09).
Founded in 2009, the nonprofit Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is dedicated to promoting resilience among Zuni youth so they will grow into strong, healthy adults who are connected with Zuni traditions. ZYEP fulfills its mission by providing positive role models, enriching programs, and nurturing spaces that contribute to the healthy development of Zuni youth. ZYEP strives to provide every child with the encouragement and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
