May 5, 2026
If you’ve been a part of the United Way of Northern Arizona community for a while, you are already familiar with what KinderCamp™ means for scores of preschoolers.
You’ve heard how this targeted intervention program, provided free to families, helps prepare 4- and 5-year-olds with little to no preschool experience so they are ready for that first day of school.
It’s the difference between a child walking into kindergarten ready to learn – and one who feels overwhelmed.
KinderCamp returns this June in Flagstaff, Williams, Holbrook and Pinetop-Lakeside.
Besides learning their letters and numbers, KinderCampers get a preview of everything that’s involved in going to school – how to behave in a classroom setting; what’s it like to eat in the cafeteria; how to work cooperatively with other students.
The biggest transformation? Parents say it’s their children’s increased sense of confidence and excitement about starting school. Here’s what they’ve told us:
- This was the best experience for our son who had not attended day care or preschool. It really helped see how the public school system works and tremendously helped prepare our son and us as parents for kindergarten. We are so thrilled with how the whole experience went.
- My daughter loved KinderCamp. She was excited to show me everything she made in class and happy to teach her little brother the letter she learned that day.
- He has been enjoying sharing his lessons and testing us on the things he learned. He loves numbers but his math seems to have improved along with his pencil control. He got the chance to interact with a larger social group, and we are hopeful it will give him the soft transition into a full-time classroom.
- My daughter loved all of it and is sad she doesn’t have school for the rest of the summer. I think this is a great thing to prepare kids for kindergarten.
KinderCamp is open to four- and five-year-olds who have had a year or less of preschool and are eligible for free or reduced-priced meal programs at their school. Additional factors can also be considered for eligibility in the program, including whether the child has special needs.
If you have any questions about KinderCamp or any of UNWA’s initiatives to promote early childhood education and positive youth development, please contact Kristen Strauss, our Manager of Youth Programs and Initiatives. You can reach her by phone at (928) 773-9813 or via email at kstrauss@nazunitedway.org.
