For More Than Four Decades, Holt’s Adoptee Camp Has Created a Place Where Adoptees Belong 

Annual Oregon camp brings together young adoptees from across the country for connection, community and self-discovery. 

EUGENE, Ore. — While summer camps often focus on outdoor adventures and lifelong friendships, Holt International’s adoptee camp offers something many adoptees rarely experience: the opportunity to be surrounded by peers who share a similar life story. 

This July, adoptees from across the United States will gather at Camp Lutherwood in Cheshire, Oregon, for Holt’s annual adoptee camp, a six-day experience designed specifically for adopted youth ages 9-17. Now in its 43rd year, the camp combines traditional summer camp activities with opportunities for adoptees to connect, build confidence, and explore questions of identity and belonging in a supportive environment. 

For many campers, it is the first time they have spent significant time with other adoptees. 

“For many adoptees, camp is the first place where they realize they aren’t alone,” says Elliot Bliss, adoptee camp director. “They don’t have to explain why certain conversations, questions or emotions feel familiar because the people around them already understand. That sense of belonging can be incredibly powerful, and it’s something many campers carry with them long after the week ends. This is a camp for adoptees by adoptees.”  

Throughout the week, campers participate in swimming, sports, arts and crafts, campfires, team-building activities and cabin life. They also engage in conversations and activities designed to help them explore their adoption stories and connect with others who understand the unique experiences that often come with being adopted. 

“For many adoptees, camp is the first place where they realize they aren’t alone. They don’t have to explain why certain conversations, questions or emotions feel familiar because the people around them already understand. That sense of belonging can be incredibly powerful, and it’s something many campers carry with them long after the week ends. This is a camp for adoptees by adoptees.”  — Elliot Bliss, Adoptee Camp Director

The camp is led by trained staff members, many of whom are adoptees themselves. These counselors serve as mentors and role models, helping campers feel seen, understood and supported while fostering meaningful connections that often continue long after camp ends. 

Research has shown that adoptees can benefit from opportunities to connect with peers who share similar lived experiences. By creating a space where adoption is understood rather than explained, Holt’s camp helps participants develop confidence, strengthen their sense of identity and build lasting relationships. 

“Holt Adoptee Camp is about more than just having fun — it’s about finding community,” says Bliss. “When young adoptees are surrounded by others who share similar lived experiences, they gain confidence, build lifelong friendships and discover that every adoption story is unique, yet they don’t have to navigate those experiences alone. Holt Camp follows the mirrors and windows concept — that when campers look around, they see people that look like them and they can see peers and role models reflected back at them.” 

For some campers, the experience becomes a defining part of their childhood. Many return year after year, eventually serving as counselors and mentors for the next generation of adoptees. 

This year’s camp reflects Holt International’s ongoing commitment to supporting adoptees beyond placement and throughout their lives. Through camps, support groups, educational resources and post-adoption programs, Holt seeks to create opportunities for adoptees and families to find connection, support and community. 

As campers arrive this month, they will come together from different backgrounds, cultures and adoption experiences. But for one week, they will share something many say is difficult to find elsewhere: a place where they don’t have to explain what it means to be adopted. 

“Everyone deserves to feel like they belong. For many adoptees, camp is one of the few places where they can simply be themselves without having to explain their family, their identity or their experiences,” says Bliss. “Our hope is that every camper leaves knowing they are seen, valued and part of a community that will always welcome them.”