95% of parents recommend Change Summer camps to other charter school parents.

97% of campers want to return to Change Summer camps year after year.

95% of staff feel that Change Summer camps accomplish their goal of developing campers’ independence, responsibility, confidence, and curiosity.

“Camp is not only fun, but I also learned how to be very independent. I got to learn new things and experience new things as well.”
- Change Summer camper

“Thank you for recognizing that students in our neighborhoods need and deserve opportunities like these. Being away from home should not begin at college - this is a step in the right direction in building independent, thoughtful, and adventurous scholars!”
- Change Summer family

"Camp Uncommon has impacted my life by giving me the confidence to take on the world. Lessons I learned from the campers and counselors will stay with me for life, and I dream I can become a counselor when I’m older.”

- Change Summer camper

"This was my child’s first sleepaway camp and first time away from home for more than a day. This was an experience of a lifetime and one that he will cherish forever. The friendships and bonds he made is what makes me so happy. Having that social time after the pandemic is so important.”

- Change Summer family

Uncommon Schools’ mission is to close the achievement gap and prepare low-income students to graduate from college. In order to accomplish that mission, they believe it is critical that their scholars have the necessary social, emotional, and non-cognitive skills to get to and through college. That was the main impetus for founding Camp Uncommon.

Achievement First's mission is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America’s children, and they believe that an effective education encompasses far more than just classroom learning. AF Camp is an equitable opportunity for Achievement First’s students to experience challenges, adventures, teamwork, and personal growth during the summer months and is an essential part of the Achievement First student experience. 

KIPP DC schools educate and support students in the District of Columbia who have historically had limited access to quality educational options. KIPP DC’s mission is to prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. Camp KIPP DC supports this mission and KIPP DC’s belief that an effective education encompasses far more than just classroom learning.

Camp Beyond partners with multiple schools across the Northeast to offer the camp experience to their students.

Camp Canopy partners with multiple schools across the Washington, D.C. and Indianapolis regions to offer the camp experience to their students.

Josh Phillips, Founder and CEO

Josh attended Camp Naticook in New Hampshire as a child and worked as the Head Boys Counselor at Camp Laurel in Maine for several summers. He founded Camp Uncommon in 2016 and Change Summer in 2018. Formerly, he served as Uncommon’s Chief Operating Officer, Managing Director of Rochester and Troy schools, and Chief of Innovation and School Operations. He was previously the Co-Director of Roxbury Preparatory Charter School in Boston. In 2007, Roxbury Prep’s 8th graders had the highest math MCAS scores in the entire state of Massachusetts. Prior to leadership at Roxbury Prep, Josh served as the Enrichment Coordinator and sixth grade World History teacher. He was also a history teacher-intern at the John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science while earning an EdM in Teaching and Curriculum from Harvard University. Josh received his B.A. in political science from Colgate University and his M.A. in political science from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is a Pahara Aspen Fellow and currently serves on the Boards of Trustees of the American Camp Association of NY/NJ and Rochester Prep Charter School.

Mike Callahan, Lead Director Change Summer | Director of Camp Uncommon

Mike is in charge of every aspect of Camp Uncommon. He manages all staff, campers, and family relations. Mike is a proud husband and father as well as a musician, champion of lawn games, and holder of the highest batting average in the history of Camp Uncommon’s Tennis Baseball League. He earned a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Rutgers University and a Master’s in Social Work from NYU. Mike’s camp career started as a camper at Camp Kingsley Pines, continued as a camp counselor at the Montclair YMCA Day Camp, and later as Assistant Director of Camp Sunshine at the Westfield YMCA. Next, he helped to found the Better Days Foundation to serve families who lost a parent or loved one on 9/11/01. He also served as the Assistant Director of Camp Better Days for 10 years. In 2013, Mike joined Uncommon Schools as a school Social Worker at North Star Academy’s West Side Park Campus. In 2016, Mike co-founded Camp Uncommon. He is currently a member of the American Camp Association of NY/NJ Tri-State Conference Committee.

Briana Michele Mitchell, President of Strategy and Operations

A master of the bucket brigade and expert at capture the flag, as a camper, Briana spent her formative summers at a camp in Pennsburg, PA where she built strong, lasting friendships that carried well past those summers. She later continued her camp career as a counselor and activities director at an all girls camp in Honesdale, PA.

Joining Teach For America in 2008, Briana was placed in Houston where she taught sixth and seventh graders reading and writing for four years. Following her time in the classroom, she has worked with several nonprofit organizations all aimed at helping students reach their full potential. Most recently, Briana was a Director of Operations within a charter school network in Newark, New Jersey.

Briana holds a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in Spanish from the University of Southern California (Fight On!). Moreover, she holds a certificate in nonprofit management from the Leadership Institute for Nonprofit Executives at Rice University. When she isn’t color coding spreadsheets or singing camp songs, Briana can be found reading Young Adult fiction with her rescue pup, Pickles.

Briana co-founded S'more Melanin, a destination for resources, historical context and connectivity centered around the BIPOC experience in the camp world.

Monia Johnson, Director of Camp Beyond

As Camp Director for Camp Beyond, Monia brings operational excellence and systems-building to joyful camp programming. Through her work at Change Summer, Monia aspires to build robust social-emotional learning opportunities where campers can discover their strengths, test their limits and learn new skills while having fun.

Monia developed her affinity for the outdoors during family camping trips where she fell in love with the adventure of open- water swimming and climbing trees, the connection fostered over community meals and campfire songs, and the overwhelming peace of being in nature. She spent three consecutive summers at Camp Mendocino in Yountville, CA, where she became an archery master and later served as a Junior Camp Counselor.

Prior to joining Change Summer, Monia earned a Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Georgia State University, serving as a core community Clinician for teens. She then took a risk and ventured abroad to South Korea to teach English to children ages 7-13. Following her experience abroad, Monia transitioned to the private sector, bringing her educational and leadership prowess to JP Morgan Chase’s Learning and Organizational Development team. In 2018, Monia decided to return to her first passion: serving, mentoring, and inspiring the next generation of leaders. She then joined Uncommon Schools as the Director of Operations at Brownsville Collegiate Charter School, where she combined her business acumen with love of program development.

Monia previously served as Change Summer’s Senior Advisor. She is passionate about kickball, and strives to deepen her impact by stretching learning experiences beyond classroom walls and into the great outdoors. She finds deep joy and purpose in sharing camp experience with campers and counselors who look like her.

When Monia isn’t raining jumpers on campers and counselors in 3-on 3 basketball, she can be found fishing on her family boat or snuggling with her beloved 12-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, Roxy. Monia is a proud graduate of Spelman College and currently resides in the Bay Area.

Paige Moffett, Head of Operations

Paige is a camp person through and through! Her camp journey started as a camper at a Spanish Immersion overnight camp. Camp was extremely formative, moving her towards the education field and the Spanish language, which eventually brought her to Guatemala, where she spent 3 years volunteering, teaching, and working in curriculum development. In 2018, she moved back stateside to open a Spanish Immersion camp in Chattanooga, TN. Since then, she has remained in the camp industry, and education field, in a variety of roles, and spent her first summer with Change Summer in 2021. 

She has a Bachelor of Science in Literacy, Learning, and Leadership from the University of Arizona, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. 

Paige believes that the magic of camp is in the moments with campers and team members that remind her that camp can truly be a place that fosters community, unity, empathy, love, and connection. And she wants to be part of creating these spaces and moments. As the Head of Operations, she plans to support Change Summer in continuing to create clear, collaborative processes to make it easier for our teams to focus their time on creating life changing moments for our campers.

When Paige isn’t creating another spreadsheet, she can be found joining in for the camp song, acting in her Improv Comedy Troupe, hanging out with her cat, Zuko, or at the climbing gym. 

Tony Wong, Director of Camp KIPP DC

As a proud native Floridian with island roots Tony is passionate about youth development, motivation, and the life lessons that can be learned through camaraderie and the outdoors. As an educator for 10 years Tony is excited and about the youth of today and the world that’s in front of them. He has dedicated his life to provide the space for our kids to feel joy and success, all while being challenged to step outside of their comfort zone. 

Prior to joining Change Summer Tony spent the last five years teaching 7th/8th grade math, as well a holding several leadership and community liaison roles. Before that he spent five years in South Korea teaching English to learners of all ages. With a rich international experience in combination with community service, he fostered his love and passion for social and emotional wellness. 

With family values centered around education, Tony holds two Master’s degrees (Md.E and MAT), and a Bachelor’s in Business Management from the illustrious HBCU, Florida A&M University. All of his experience and accomplishments are owed to his elders and education. 

A proud father and husband you can find Tony spending his free time with his family cooking, creating, or exploring a new apple orchard. Tony believes that growth lies outside of your comfort and the more we venture the more we discover. He is elated to be doing this work to not only change summer but change lives. 

Ijeoma Duru, Director of Camp Canopy

Ijeoma’s love for camp was rooted in the summertime opportunities granted through her middle school, Uncommon’s very own Roxbury Prep. Due to life changing summer scholarships, she had the opportunity to discover her love and passion for theater, the outdoors, dance, and poetry all through summer camps! Having had such amazing camp experiences at such a young age, Ijeoma learned how integral yet unattainable these spaces were to children who looked like her. In her exciting new role as the Director of Camp Canopy, Ijeoma wishes to provide more spaces for kids to thrive in their own element, find their tribe, develop their passion and experience Kid Magic! And what better place to do that than camp!

Before joining the Change Summer family, Ijeoma graduated from Pace University in 2014 with a B.A. in Biological Psychology and her Masters in the Art of Teaching from the Relay Graduate School of Education in 2016. She began her teaching career in Brooklyn, NY as a Math teacher at Uncommon Collegiate Charter School where she served kids for 6 years as an instructional leader, grade level lead, and Dean of Students. In 2019, Ijeoma took on the role of Principal of Roxbury Preparatory High School; heading back home where she took charge in leading her school in mentoring future agents of change and training anti-racist educators in closing the opportunity and achievement gap for Black and Brown children in Boston.

Now, after serving students and unlocking potential inside the classroom, Ijeoma is beyond excited to transition and experience more Kid Magic as she returns to the Change Summer family! Ijeoma is proud to have worked as a Camp Uncommon Founder in 2016 and to have founded the Junior Counselor Program in 2017. Outside of winning the ultimate Bear, Ninja, Cowboy competitions, Ijeoma loves to spend her time knitting new garments, snuggling with her cat Holi, or volunteering with her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.!

Lauren Pitcairn, Director of AF Camp

Lauren is enthusiastic about creating fun, high-quality summer experiences for students designed to increase their overall confidence, responsibility, curiosity, and independence. She began working with youth and young adults more than 15 years ago when she mentored and led youth in both education and nonprofit organizational settings. She went on to coach and mentor young people in several development programs, including two inaugural leadership programs for high school and college students. 

A San Diego native, Lauren is a two-time historically black university (HBCU) graduate of Florida A&M University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a Juris Doctorate. She often pays homage to her HBCU experience for empowering her to develop into the assiduous leader that she has become. 

Attending summer camp as a young child, Lauren’s sense of independence grew out of her experiences there. She served as Head Counselor at AF Camp last year, and the success she saw with both campers and team members ignited a deep passion that has motivated her to continue to play a significant role in creating memorable summer camp experiences for students from all different walks of life.

Sunita Yadavalli, Managing Director

Sunita believes that a memorable summer can shape one's life. Having attended one too many band camps followed by field hockey nights, she knows how powerful an enriching summer experience can be for others. It is a privilege to help students build a genuine spirit of curiosity and self-awareness and giving them space to be both who they are and who they want to be.

Before joining Change Summer, Sunita began her career in education as a Philadelphia Teach for America Corp Member in 2012. During this time she received her Master's Degree in Urban Education at the University of Pennsylvania. 

After teaching in early elementary for three years, she decided to step out of the classroom and join the TFA New Jersey team as a program specialist. But, in a matter of months, she was eager to get back into a school setting and was fortunate enough to join Uncommon Schools as a Director of Operations Fellow. After her fellowship, she became the Founding Director of Operations for Camden Prep Copewood Elementary School. Sunita is excited to bring her skills in school operations to the camp industry and provide a fulfilling experience for each and every Change Summer camper.

When Sunita is not spotted running up and down the Schuylkill River, she is likely trying out a new recipe in the kitchen with moderate success but lots of zest!

Daana Nelson, Assistant Director of Camp Uncommon

Daana fell in love with camp while serving as the Founding Assistant Director for Camp Beyond. She is a proud mom of Cameron and a Mississippi native with an extensive background in K–12 and higher education and mental healthcare. She received a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Spelman College and a Master’s in Marriage & Family Therapy from The University of Southern Mississippi. Daana is intensely passionate about advocating for equal access of opportunities in underserved communities; strengthening families; and practicing mentorship, holistic development, and community service. In addition to being an avid sports fan, Daana enjoys reading, learning new skills, meditating, going on adventures, and being at CAMP!

Sam Borek
Owner, Woodmont Day Camp

Julie Jackson
President, Uncommon Schools

Evan Rudall
Partner, Attuned Education Partners

Jason Epstein
Affiliate Partner, Stonecourt Capital

Fatimah Barker
Independent Consultant