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Encampment for Citizenship (EFC)

The Encampment for Citizenship (EFC) was a summer youth program founded in 1944 by Algernon Black, a leader of the New York Society for Ethical Culture (NYSEC), and Alice Politzer, as an opportunity for “young adults of many religious, racial, social and national backgrounds” to learn “the principles and techniques of citizenship in a liberal democracy through lived experience.” Black was inspired by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).

The program began in response to World War II and the Hitler Youth Brigades, with the idea that young people could be a positive force in their communities if they could develop critical thinking skills, youth activism, leadership qualities and the courage to break free from stereotypes.

The Encampment experience taught young people to take responsibility and work toward establishing personal goals and leadership. Encampers established their own camp governments and were guided toward socio-political activism, a sense of civic responsibility and volunteerism—all in an environment that supported tolerance and diversity. Encampers for any one program came from around and outside the U.S., from a variety of social and economic backgrounds, and from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Eleanor Roosevelt, a long-time member of the NYSEC board of directors, was an early supporter of the program and often hosted Encampment workshops at her Hyde Park estate. When the program was attacked as “socialistic” by McCarthyite forces in the early 1950s, she defended it vigorously. The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was a later supporter.

The Encampment curriculum had three main focus areas: • ideological clarification • understanding public issues • community participation and political action

The first Encampment was held in 1946. By 1971, 54 Encampments had been held with more than 4,500 campers and sites including the New York City area; Puerto Rico; Berkeley, CA; Arizona; Louisville, KY; Mexico; Great Falls, MT; Denver, CO; Washington, DC; and the Adirondacks. Location often influenced the focus of a given Encampment—the Adirondacks program emphasized conservation and environmental issues, for instance, while the Denver and White Plains Encampments focused more on urban social change. The program also evolved from enrolling college students to high-school students.

The Encampment continued into the late 1990s, but has not been held for several years, due to financial and other issues. EFC alumni are looking into the possibility of reviving the program in the future.

Various studies have shown that the program succeeded in inspiring its participants in many ways. Over the years, many EFC alumni have fulfilled the goals of the program by going into politics, community service, civil rights, education and other areas of leadership and service.

The NYSEC hosted an EFC reunion in 2009. In 2010, a group of EFC alumni and former staff, several of whom attended the 2009 reunion, formed the EFC Alumni Association and will hold a reunion on May 29 and 30, 2010, at the NYSEC. Encampers, staff, guest speakers and supporters are all welcome to attend. Details are at: 

The EFC Alumni Association is operating under the 501(c)3 umbrella of BOSS so that donations may be tax-deductible. Details are at www.efcalumni.com.

For further reading, see: * Algernon D. Black, The Young Citizens: The Story of the Encampment for Citizenship (New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1962). * Clyde Hart, “Applications of Methods of Evaluation: Four Studies of the Encampment for Citizenship,” Public Opinion Quarterly, volume 27, page 663. * The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, “Encampment for Citizenship.” Teaching Eleanor Roosevelt, ed. by Allida Black, June Hopkins, et al. (Hyde Park, NY: Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, 2003).

Submitted by Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, EFC Alumni Association member and webmaster, and White Plains, NY, 1970 Encamper