Camp Echo is a coed, residential YMCA camp on a Long Ryerson Lake near Fremont, Michigan, amidst 492 acres of woodlands and wetlands. In the spring and fall we serve schools and adult groups, many from the local communities and surrounding counties. Each summer we serve about 1,000 different campers age 8 to 17 for one- and two-week sessions, and about 100 different families at our four Family Camps.

Camp Echo has always reflected the ideals of the communities we serve. The Y-USA Diversity Initiative and Y-USA Character Development Mission Strategy are our pledge that persons of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome at Camp Echo, and that the values we teach cross all boundaries. Every day we remind ourselves that we must strive to be caring, accept responsibility, show respect to all others, and be honest in all we do.

At Camp Echo, our objective is to create and maintain an environment where everyone is respected and included. One of the YMCA’s four core values is respect. Respect means we treat others as we would like to be treated, and as they in fact want to be treated. Respect means we value ourselves, and others, including those who are different. We value diversity because diversity is inclusive, not exclusive.

Camp Echo’s success is linked to the unique contribution of the many individuals that make up the camp community, representing the various dimensions of diversity. A diverse community fosters cooperation and innovation, creating a better experience; that’s what keeps campers coming back to camp, filling camp year after year … everyone wins!

As a department of the McGaw YMCA in Evanston, Camp Echo is also committed to participation in YMCA Activate America, a bold approach to directly address the nation’s health crisis, reaching out to engage all those who seek well-being of spirit, mind, and body.