Camp Tibet Summer 2025
Camp Tibet began as a dream that young Tibetans growing up in North America have an overnight summer camp their very own — where they can explore their shared culture and the natural world together, while making friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.
First envisioned as part of a new initiative devoted to strengthening the connections young Tibetans have to their cultural identity, communities, and peers, the Office of Tibet worked with North American Tibetan community associations and the Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture to seek out young Tibetans from families across North America, eager to learn more about their history and culture, and courageous enough to take part in a new and exciting adventure.
The first session of Camp Tibet was held in the summer of August 2025.
On August 11, 2025, 33 campers aged nine to fifteen arrived from seven American states and one Canadian province, ready to leave their cell phones and devices behind, for six days of fun and five nights sleeping under the stars in tents and cabins perched on the shore of a remote island on a lake deep inside the 6 million acre wilderness preserve of the Adirondack mountains in upstate New York.
With guidance from experienced program leaders, such as the founders of Tanager Lodge’s fondly-remembered Tibetan summer camp and Sera Mey’s Geshe Lobsang Dhargey, Camp Tibet’s staff and six Tibetan counselors led campers through a week of educational and recreational, connection-building and compassion-centered, nature-based programs.
Each morning on the island began with a hearty breakfast and an outdoor class about Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and the life and teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, given by special guest Geshema Chopa Tenzin Lhadron, an esteemed member of the trailblazing first class of Tibetan Buddhist nuns to be awarded a Geshema Degree.
Campers then attended daily Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning (SEE Learning) sessions, based on the program created by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Emory University to help young people develop and strengthen their skills in self-awareness, compassion, and community engagement. Camp Tibet was honored to welcome two experienced Tibetan facilitators from Toronto to lead these groundbreaking sessions, under the direct supervision of Tenzin Sonam, PhD, from the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion Based-Ethics at Emory University.
Before a healthy lunch, campers exercised their minds and bodies by trying out two different, challenging, and fun outdoor summer camp activities. They bonded during hikes, arts and crafts projects, learning to canoe and kayak, mastering wilderness skills, playing camp games like capture the flag, and much more.
Each afternoon campers headed to the waterfront to swim, play team sports, and put their new boating skills to the test, or take time to practice the quiet reflection they learned in their SEE Learning sessions. Thanks to Eagle Island’s warm, welcoming, and expertly-trained professional camp staff’s dedication to providing an inclusive and safe environment, every camper passed the long summer days immersed in the beauty of the trails, woods, beaches, fresh air and cool water of Lake Saranac.
After sharing a delicious dinner, campers gathered for a series of special, interactive presentations on Tibetan culture, history, language, and arts, led this year by story-teller and Tibetan calligrapher Lobsang Chomphel and Tibetan cultural consultant Dechen Kelden, as well as a special screening of short films by Tibetan filmmakers, including artist and filmmaker Tara Lobsang, curated by the internationally-renowned Tibet Film Festival.
This extraordinary first group of campers was so inspired by their time together that they requested and organized their own celebration of Lhakar, with traditional dress, Tibetan music, and a camp-wide Gorshey dance.
Enjoying s’mores by the campfire, and playing games.
And, on the last night of Camp, campers, counselors, and staff sang songs and made “s’mores” together over a campfire on the beach. The friendships made over the course of the week, and the memories made during these two moments — one a classic camp experience, and the other something that could only happen at Camp Tibet — will last forever.