I wanted to remind you of the great opportunities available at EFY and other BYU summer camps. It may be a little late to register for some of the programs, but the experience is worth looking into. I am sure that many of you have fond memories of attending EFY or another program that BYU offers.
As you may know EFY stands for Especially For Youth. It is a five-day program that offers youth a chance to meet other LDS youth outside of the area in which they live. Friendships are made, and a lot of fun happens at an EFY camp. The EFY camp has become so popular that they offer them at several college campuses across the United States, so you can find one not too far from you. The counselors are trained at BYU and travel across the country. I took a quick look, and it looked like most of the slots were filled up.
I am the oldest of six children, and five of us have attended the different camps available at BYU. I attended one called Summer Scholar’s Academy, which was a lot like EFY, but some of the classes I got to attend were taught by real professor’s at BYU. It is a little bit more serious than EFY, but still a lot of fun. My sister, Ruthann, is into singing and the performing arts, so she attended the performing arts camp, and focused on singing while she was there. My sister, Sarah, went to EFY with my cousin (at least I think she did). My brother, Bob, and my youngest sister, Mary, both attended the cross-country camp.
The sports camps are a little different because there are a lot of nonmembers there. But it was a great opportunity for my brother, because his roommate asked a lot of questions about the church, and he took the Book of Mormon my brother offered him. The sports programs really do help you improve in whatever sport is offered. There are also dance programs available.
You can learn more by clicking here. My husband has several stories about EFY. He went two or three years. And I look back fondly at my experience. I was really shy, and ended up homesick for the first half (when I went Summer Scholar’s was ten days long). If you can afford to send your children, these really are great programs for your youth.