Vote “YES” on the FUSD School Bond
Support Camp Colton and education in Flagstaff through the FUSD School Bond.
Friends of Camp Colton supports the Flagstaff Unified School District School Bond and encourages you to vote “yes” to create better learning environments for our kids. This bond includes roughly $5 million for improvements at Camp Colton, FUSD’s outdoor environmental education center. At Camp, kids are immersed in nature and inspired to learn about themselves and the world that surrounds them. With updated facilities and space, Camp Colton will not only continue the tradition but grow to reach more children through new outdoor experiences.
“Camp Colton provides student-centered experiential learning and discovery. Students are given the opportunity to apply their learning to real-world situations in nature. Through the Camp experience, students deepen their relationships and build a stronger learning community.”
– Carrie Jenkins, 6th Grade Science Teacher
Learn more about the FUSD School Bond.
A community tradition
Camp Colton’s off-grid campus on the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks is an integral part of what it means to grow up in Flagstaff. Over the last 51 years, the residential 6th grade program has introduced more than 45,000 students to the wonders of their local environment. For many, this is their first-time camping, sleeping away from home, and practicing self-reliance. Campers continuously engage with their environment and each other; and ultimately grow in confidence and affinity for nature.
“The Camp Colton trip was by far my favorite middle school experience. It took me out of my comfort zone and made me feel connected with nature in a way that I hadn’t been before. I learned tons of new information and made friends with people I didn’t think I would ever become friends with. Camp is an experience that I will remember for a lifetime.”
– Molleigh, 2012 Camp Alum
Learn more about Camp history and programs.
Camp Colton facilities
To preserve, enhance, and adapt this tradition, it is vital that the much-loved and worn facilities are improved. A much-loved and worn campus of a log-cabin lodge with a small multi-use eating area, a separate bathhouse with a stubborn water heater, 16 seasonal canvas tents on wood platforms, and two accessible cabins create the current setting for our environmental learning experiences.
Many weeks have upwards of 100 students in attendance, necessitating multiple shifts of anything that occurs inside the small lodge, including all meals and activities like square dancing. Water, bathrooms, and the kitchen, still operating on a wood-burning stove, are all pushed to their limits. As this site has operated with minimal improvements since the program began, major upgrades and replacements are needed for Camp Colton to continue for another 50 years. New structures will make Camp more accessible to all students and, as an off-grid site, emphasize sustainability.
Support Camp Colton
As Camp alumni and current Friends of Camp Colton board members, we are passionate about Camp Colton. With your help, this treasured rite of passage for the kids of our community will continue and thrive.
Aisling Pomeroy King: My husband and I were lucky enough to attend and now we have had the pleasure of sending our first born! I remember the anticipation and excitement before going and my son actually invented a new word, “scarecited” to describe his combined feelings of being excited and a little scared. However, I knew how amazing Camp would be for him. When he came home after Camp telling us all of the wondrous experiences he had, I couldn’t help but remember my own experience and how it fostered such new confidence and independence in me.
Heidi Wolford: I attended Camp Colton in the early 90s with my 6th Grade class at Marshall Elementary. I was so excited to be paired up with Sechrist Elementary and meet new friends before coming together at Flagstaff Junior High. It was my first experience spending time away from home and I was buzzing from years of anticipation. I remember being worried about the two minute max cold showers (maybe an urban legend from prior campers) so I practiced timed cold showers for months in advance. I don’t actually remember any cold showers from camp, and have nothing but warm memories. The campfire experience was the most memorable, sitting with new and old friends, singing camp songs and laughing late into the night. I want this Flagstaff treasure to remain available for generations to come! My two daughters will be attending camp over the next few years and I am thrilled that they get to experience this rite of passage!
A “YES” vote on the FUSD School Bond will preserve this community tradition and realize a bright future as we reach more students, make Camp more accessible and inclusive, expand our programs, and model sustainable living. A “YES” vote is a vote for Camp Colton and a vote for education in Flagstaff.
“Camp Colton was one of my most favorite experiences! I liked exploring the lava tubes and I learned how trees fight bark beetles with their sap. Camp is adventure, learning, and fun.”
– Harper, 6th Grade Camper, 2022
More ways to support Camp Colton.
Blog by Heidi Wolford and Aisling Pomeroy King, Camp alumni and Friends of Camp Colton board members
