Mojo Village, a new summer camp in Utah, arrives in the Uintas this year. Along with providing teens the outdoor experience typical of many other camps, organizers say they also want campers to build confidence and become emotionally resilient.
Co-founders Elizabeth Seeley and James Ure met last summer when Ure helped with the Uplift Family Camp that Seeley runs in Oregon. The Uplift curriculum includes things like mindfulness (which Seeley describes as being present at the moment), polarities (which she describes as balancing seemingly opposite attributes — like knowing when to be cautious and when to be courageous), and discovering an inner compass (which she says helps people be their own leaders and make decisions). Ure, co-founder of Williamsburg Learning and Elevation Outdoors, and Seeley began discussing teaching similar lessons in a camp for teens.
(Find more info about the founders and their backgrounds at themojovillage.com.)
“So we just combined our efforts and our backgrounds to create this opportunity,” Seeley says. “Having the peer-shared experience can be so amazing. And then if you layer on top of that good mentors, adventure and fun — all of a sudden it’s kind of a magical combination,”
While Seeley has worked extensively with teens who have experienced trauma in the past, she said the camp isn’t exclusive to teens with any particular background. “At the end of the day, this is really about giving teens a space where they just get to show up,” Seeley said. “Our tagline is ‘Be you. With us.’ It gives teens this space to just show up as themselves, to feel seen, to feel stretched, to feel supported.”
In addition to emotional growth, organizers promise the fun outdoor camps are known for. The campground has a lake for paddle boarding, kayaking and swimming. Teens will also be able to take part in rock climbing, challenge courses, archery, stargazing and making s’mores around a campfire. “Kids will come away having had a really fun time,” Seeley said.
They will also be away from screens. Seeley says the camp doesn’t have cell reception and while no one will be forced to leave a phone behind, they will have trouble getting service.
“They just get to unplug and totally be present,” she says.
Parents can contact the camp at any time through an emergency line.
Mojo Village hopes to enroll 75 campers ages 14–18. The camp will run from July 30 to Aug. 2. The $797 cost per participant includes meals, lodging and camp activities.
As for the logo with three llamas wearing sunglasses?
“We chose the llamas because they’re a little quirky, a little bold and built for adventure — just like the teens we serve,” Seeley said. “The sunglasses? That’s our reminder not to take ourselves too seriously. And having three llamas? That’s the village. Because raising great kids takes a whole crew — peers, mentors, community. Mojo is about that collective support.”
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