Philosophy Camps for Youth is a terrific addition to the rapidly growing and much-needed body of literature dedicated to bringing philosophy to young people. A companion to Claire Katz's edited collection, Growing Up With Philosophy Camp—itself an invaluable account of the power of philosophy to change lives and minds for the better—Philosophy Camps for Youth is a compelling blend of nuts and bolts guidance for anyone wanting to start up a philosophy camp, and reflections from mentors, campers, and parents on the indelible experience of participating in such a camp. From funding to legal issues to lesson plans and more, Philosophy Camps for Youth will provide the reader keen on starting up a summer philosophy camp—or adding a philosophy element to an existing camp—with tips and invaluable insights based on experience for doing so effectively. But more profoundly, Philosophy Camps for Youth, together with Growing Up with Philosophy Camp, provide abundant evidence that the project of philosophy, of bringing together wonder, creativity and rigor, has the power to feed a human mind, build community, and cement relationships.

Karen Detlefsen, Professor of Philosophy and Education and Founding director of Penn's Project for Philosophy for the Young, department of philosophy, University of Pennsylvania

Bursting with insight and wisdom that comes from experience, Philosophy Camps for Youth offers a compelling and comprehensive map to guide inquiry into the practicalities and rewards of establishing and working with a young community of philosophical inquirers. The range of contributors celebrates the flexibility of philosophical inquiry to suit any local context, and the sample lessons plans and post camp feedback serve to demonstrate just how valuable it is to give learners a leading role in exploring the curious world of ideas. A heart-warming and hopeful read that will inspire philosophers and educators alike. If there was a copy of this in every library, there’d be a philosophy camp in every town!

Marelle Rice, director, The Thinker's Midwife; director, Philosophy Ireland

Philosophy Camps for Youth is an inspirational volume. It is the absolutely necessary companion piece to Growing Up with Philosophy Camp, because here we learn the logistics of creating a camp from the ground up, how to actually “do philosophy” with plenty of nuts-and-bolts exercises, and (perhaps best of all) we also get to hear directly from the students and parents about their personal transformations. This book is a sustained refutation of common tropes about the uselessness of the Humanities precisely because it blends the mind-stretching “star-gazing” of philosophers like Plato with the practical experiences of professors, university students, parents, and the campers themselves. It is also a gift to democracy, because it gives each of us the tools to create our own community of thinkers that can endure beyond a summer camp. Plato’s Academy is indeed dead: long live the Academy!

Stefan Dolgert, associate professor, political science, Brock University

Philosophy Camps for Youth is a brilliant collection and so much fun! This book guides you through setting up a philosophy camp for kids, provides sample activities, and gives testimonials from kids who've been there. Find everything you need to set up your own philosophy camp for kids. Highly recommended!

Kelly Oliver, W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy, Vanderbilt University

In an age of unprecedented access to information and unprecedented vulnerability to disinformation, it is important to help young people live examined lives. Philosophy camps are a valuable resource in this effort, and Claire Katz’s book is essential reading for anyone looking to run one. What a treasure!

Paul C. Taylor, W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy and department chair, Vanderbilt University

Claire Katz's new volume on the what, why, and how of pre-college philosophy camp offers a much-needed reminder that philosophy is something that we do with other people. Importantly, it goes a step further, showing us that these people have to be neither holders of advanced degrees, nor minimally of college age. Through a number of essays by academic professionals, teachers, students, and camp participants alike, what becomes clear is that philosophy camp is not only a bright spot of genuine intellectual and emotional growth amid a landscape of modern childhood strewn with entertainment and resume-building "activities," but a way in which young people can, and do, discover their identity, their agency, their personhood--and, importantly, those of others. It is a place where youth can be properly "corrupted" to see a different future for themselves than they might have otherwise imagined. And it is in such a setting that they can discover that thinking through some of life's most difficult problems can be less scary and more inviting when done in open, generous, and accepting communities. I must say that I very much wish that my introduction to philosophy began earlier than it in fact did, at the kind of place that Professor Katz, and all the contributors, bring to life on the pages of this important book.

Anna Gotlib, JD, PhD, associate professor, philosophy, Brooklyn College CUNY