Camp hours are 9 am - 3:30 pm daily. Dropoff begins at 8:45 am, and pickup ends at 3:45 pm.

Sample Camp Schedule

The camp week begins with a Monday morning light breakfast and opening ceremony. Families are encouraged to attend to meet camp leaders and learn more about what their children will be doing at camp. Each day after this, camp begins with a daily warm up time where campers sing fun songs and learn about the daily theme.

In the morning, campers participate in fun and educational classes that teach about the teachings, culture, values, important figures, etc. of various world religions as they relate to the week’s theme. For example, when our camp theme is superheroes, campers learn about the various important figures in each religion and their moral teachings. When our theme is “Let’s Celebrate,” campers learn about different religious holidays.

After lunchtime, campers participate in afternoon activities including art, music, and teambuilding games. These activities put the week’s theme into action through movement, creativity, and harmony and encourage campers to work together and build friendships.

At the end of the day, campers have the opportunity to gather with others from their religious tradition (including non-religious campers) for prayer and reflection time led by an adult or older youth from that religion. Prayer and reflection time looks different for each faith group. Some groups participate in traditional prayers (including Dhuhr for Muslim campers) while others might sit quietly in meditation or journal.

On Thursday, campers will take a field trip to a local destination that aligns with the week’s theme or introduces a local place of worship. Past field trips have included Radha Madhav Temple, St. Andrew’s Catholic Cathedral, Congregation Agudath Achim, Madina Institute, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, the Arkansas House of Prayer, and the Museum of Discovery.

On Friday, the week concludes with a closing ceremony where family and community members are invited to gather and hear campers’ musical performances, view a photo slideshow, and hear campers reflect on what they learned.

Friendship Camp is a program of The Interfaith Center and is under the leadership of Sarah Hyndman (Program Director) and Patricia Matthews (Executive Director) as well as a team of dedicated volunteers. Our 30 member planning team consists of Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Unitarian Universalist, and non-religious members, most of whom are also very active in their own congregations. This team works for 6+ months to plan and prepare camp activities, and many have been active since Friendship Camp began in 2016!

During camp, campers are assigned to small groups that travel together to their daily activities. These groups are led by camp counselors whom we call “shepherds” and assisted by two high school volunteers. Daily activities are led by our planning team members, many of whom are also educators in their professional or volunteer lives.

The Interfaith Center believes deeply in respectful, curious, and compassionate interfaith dialogue. Friendship Camp is a place where children can learn about the teachings, cultures, values, important figures, etc. of other religions while also deepening their connection to their own spiritual path.

In our morning world religion classes, campers learn from experienced religious educators about the values, stories, celebrations, traditions, and more of different world religions with the goal of developing campers’ religious literacy.

During daily prayer and reflection time, campers have the opportunity to gather with others from their religious tradition (including non-religious campers) for prayer and reflection time led by an adult or older youth from that religion. Prayer and reflection time looks different for each faith group. Some groups participate in traditional prayers (including Dhuhr for Muslim campers) while others might sit quietly in meditation or journal.

Non-religious campers are welcome and respected wholeheartedly and make up a significant portion of our campers each year.

Proselytizing is strictly prohibited at camp, and our leaders take seriously the goal of education without indoctrination. We seek to develop mutual understanding between people of different religions and do not permit any efforts toward conversion or persuasion toward or away from any religion.

The primary goals of Friendship Camp are respectful education, interfaith friendship building, and providing campers with the tools necessary to stand up to bullying they may encounter in the wider world.

Friendship Camp began with a group of religiously diverse adults who were dedicated to building a program that fostered interfaith friendships, religious literacy, confidence, and inclusion among children. After more than a year of conversations and preparations, the first camp was held at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in 2016. Every year since, campers and adults alike have gathered for a week every summer to grow their religious literacy, make new friends, and have fun!

Each year, Friendship Camp adopts a theme, which serves as a lens through which children can learn about different religions and their traditions. From superheroes to holidays, “Just Imagining” a better future for all to “Make Some Noise,” each theme offers glimpses into each religious tradition through their cultures, practices, and stories.