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Our Story

Crafting a better world since 1924.

In 1924, the residents of Carroll County banded together to purchase 30 acres of land on the banks of the Tippecanoe River. They dreamed of a place where kids could explore the outdoors, build life-long friendships, discover their best selves, and develop the character, compassion, and confidence necessary to lead the next generation.

Nine decades later, Camp Tecumseh has grown into one of the largest YMCA Camps in the country while staying true to our founding principles. With over 660 acres and 36,000 guests annually, Camp Tecumseh’s year-round programs shape kids and adults who use their Tecumseh experience to build better families, better communities, and a better world.

“Putting Christian Principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.”

The I’m Third Motto

God is first. The Other person is second. I’m Third.

Easy to remember and life-changing when applied, the I’m Third motto is the heart of our philosophy.

God is first. A relationship with Him is the most important part of our lives. Our faith isn’t something that divides or separates, but calls us to love Him and love others. We believe that God is always there for us and no matter what happens, nothing can separate us from Him.

The other person is second reminds us that God calls us to love and to serve others. It reminds us that our responsibility isn’t to ourselves or our own well-being, but to the world around us; not just our friends and neighbors, but those we don’t even know. Its more than just a call to open doors and throw a few coins in the donation basket. It calls us to to participate in and build up strong communities. It calls us to be respectful, responsible, and compassionate.

That leaves us “third,” with the knowledge that we have the greatest and most fulfilling cause: to love God and to love others.

Life-Changing Impact

Bending trajectories toward faith, love, and service.

Every Friday night during the summer, we gather our oldest campers around the fire to talk about what their Tecumseh experience means to them. As they clutch their Torchbearer candles, voices choked with tears, they tell us that Camp Tecumseh is where they feel closest to God. They tell us that they make their best friends here. They tell us that they feel accepted, that they can be themselves, that they feel loved, that they feel happy.

As every good mariner knows, a course correction of even a single degree on a long enough journey can result in unexpected destinations. For so many, a Tecumseh experience acts as a course correction. It alters the trajectories of lives, quietly and unassumingly, and often by only minutes and degrees, but in the long run, that’s enough. For thousands of campers and staff, Camp Tecumseh has changed lives, bending their trajectories toward love, faith, and service.

To read individual stories of how Camp has changed lives and altered trajectories, check out the Torchbearer Chronicles on the blog.

Vicky Miles

Joseph Scales

Taylor Byrd

Ben Needham

Claire Edelman

Brit Davis

Joey Mayfield

Tatum Parker

Ryan Holladay

Jill Frank

Sarah Jones

Meghan Alexis

Mission & Vision

Camp Tecumseh’s Mission & Vision

The Mission of Camp Tecumseh YMCA is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.

The Vision of Camp Tecumseh YMCA is a world where people thrive and grow in harmony with others and the outdoors.

We believe that camp should be much more than just fun. Through innovative programs and intentional relationships, campers learn new skills, build lasting friendships, and discover their best selves. We strive to instill campers with the values of trust, respect, joy, initiative, faith, and friendship so they can go back home into their communities and make a positive difference.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Building a culture through the love of Christ

Camp Tecumseh YMCA’s vision is to provide people of all backgrounds and ages with the finest camp experience in the country. Compelled by our vision, and by our motto to Live Third, we aim to actively and continuously seek ways to include and equitably serve and celebrate guests.

We strive to cultivate a welcoming environment at Camp Tecumseh, but recognize that without intentional learning and action in regards to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, abilities, socio-economic backgrounds, and more, we won’t serve our vision to the best of our ability.

It is because of our Christian background – our focus on loving like Jesus loved – that anything less than a full effort to address, learn, and improve upon all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Camp Tecumseh would go against the very essence of our organization’s existence.

Accreditation & Association

An Independent YMCA Camp

As an independently chartered YMCA Camp, we’re proud to be a part of a broad and diverse network of YMCA Camps across the U.S. We were founded as a YMCA Camp in 1924, and to this day we remain closely aligned with the Y’s core values (caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, and faith), and its areas of focus:

Youth development – Nurturing the potential of every child and teen.
Healthy living – Improving the nation’s health and well-being.
Social responsibility – Giving back and providing support to our neighbors.

Accredited by the American Camp Association

We are also proud to be accredited by the American Camp Associated (ACA). The ACA’s rigorous accreditation process ensures our programs operate at the highest levels and meet or exceed the established standards to ensure that campers and staff stay safe and healthy. Visit the American Camp Association to learn more about our accreditation.

Camp Tecumseh Staff

Meet the architects of the Tecumseh experience

With decades of experience across a range of industries, Camp Tecumseh’s full-time staff is composed of individuals dedicated to innovation, improvement, and impact.

Jobs

Join a team of change-makers at Camp Tecumseh

At Camp Tecumseh, we’re idealists. We believe that a world that looks more like Camp would be a much better world. We strive to improve continuously. We’re not afraid of hard-work, long-hours, or tough conversations. We work to build deep relationships and maintain a strong community. If you’re ready to join the crew, check out the opportunities we have available.

Jobs at Camp Tecumseh

Board of Directors

Meet the volunteers dedicated to Camp Tecumseh’s future success

Alysa Christmas Rollock Board President West Lafayette, IN	Matthew Lerzak Board Vice President West Lafayette, IN	Lindsey Schiesser Board Treasurer Fishers, IN
Jay Andrew Lafayette, IN	Cadi Bien West Lafayette, IN	Dick Bradshaw Delphi, IN	Tracy Brown Lafayette, IN
Susan Conrad DeLong Rossville, IN	Rob Culross Wesley Chapel, FL	Marc Elliott Zionsville, IN	Don Fry West Lafayette, IN
Grant Gernhardt Lafayette, IN	Mike Gibson Lafayette, IN	Steve Gloyeske Lafayette, IN	Peg Minnicus Delphi, IN
Cathy Scott West Lafayette, IN	Sandy Welch Winnetka, IL	Dave Williams Lafayette, IN	Jim Andrew Board Emeritus Lafayette, IN