Camp is the solution.
Unplug a kid, put them outdoors, surround them with Christian role models — and they thrive. Thanks to friends of Cho-Yeh, that happened three ways this summer.
Camp Cho-Yeh · 2026 Summer Impact · With gratitude
For partnersLook what youmade possible.
23,556 people walked onto Cho-Yeh ground this summer and left different — and it happened because 717 staff members gave their summer, their time and their talents. Thank you.
- 5,306
- summer campers
- 17,533
- retreat & group guests
- 717
- staff formed and sent
- $652,946
- in camper scholarships
00Why any of it matters
Every cabin, every campfire, every meeting hall pointed to Jesus.
Summer campers and retreat guests answered separate surveys. Both said the same thing: they came for the lake and the zipline, and they left talking about God.
Summer campers · 1,146 family surveys
0%
of families said their camper was strengthened in faith.
- 93%
- said their child learned more about God
- 57%
- had a faith conversation at home after camp
- 62%
- heard the worship songs come home
- 100%
- said we met or beat expectations teaching faith
Retreat guests · 73 group-leader surveys
9.29/10
average overall retreat experience — and 100% said they want to come back.
- 23%
- of leaders wrote about worship, prayer or spiritual growth — up from 12% in 2025
- 58%
- gave their retreat a perfect 10
“It was a great space for our kids to come together and worship and learn more about God.”
Carolina Creek
Boxwoods
01What your giving did
Parents saw the change at home.
0%
of families said camp clearly had an impact on their child.
0%
said their camper had a blast.
0%
are sending their camper back next summer.
From 1,146 parent surveys. Agreement combines “somewhat” and “strongly agree,” counted among families who gave an opinion.
02Known & loved
Nobody went unnoticed.
0%
of families said their camper loved their counselor.
2 points from Summer 20250%
made new friends.
0%
came home kinder to their family.
2 points from Summer 2025“Always comes feeling happy and loved when she comes home.”
03Courage to grow
A week away is where kids find out who they can be.
0%
of parents saw more self-confidence in their child after camp.
3 points from Summer 20250%
saw their camper putting others first.
4 points from Summer 20250%
said our grounds met or beat expectations — the place kids get to be brave in.
Two minutes in the woods says more than any number.
04Faith that goes home
Camp starts the conversation. Home continues it.
0%
of families said their camper was strengthened in faith.
93% said their child learned more about God, and 100% said Cho-Yeh met or beat expectations at teaching the Christian faith.
0%
of campers came home and started a conversation about God with a parent.
2 points from Summer 20250%
of families heard the songs their camper learned in the pines.
“Great camp — now we pray together and they're eager to learn the Bible.”
05In their own words
The campers say it better than we can.
“At Camp, I have learned how to get closer to God and how to trust in God.”
“You should come because you learn to trust in God, and you just learn more about God and how you can lean on God.”
“I was scared of the zip line my first year. My favorite part has been hanging out with friends and counselors. Bible studies and worship brought us together.”
“Outside of Bible study, I learned to just be yourself.”
“Being in a close space with everyone makes you become friends with people I wouldn't have seen myself being friends with. My cabin was only 8 people this year — we've all been so tight knit.”
“I've been really nervous about my future lately. But when it was reiterated that God is planning every single aspect of my life, it made me think he planned this exactly how it was going to happen. I think God is the writer of our lives.”
“Love your staff! Love how my kiddo came home singing songs he learned.”
“My camper had positive role models and meaningful relationships.”
“Caring environment and able to connect with friends and make new ones! She loved the no tech for a week.”
“Told me best week of his life — the activities, the prayer, the other kids all deeply resonated.”
1,061 families described their summer — faith led, named by 49%
- fun
- amazing
- exciting
- engaging
- memorable
- faith
- awesome
- fulfilling
- great
- happy
- joyful
- excited
It starts with a window rolled down.
Opening day, straight from the car rider line. First years, fifth years, and one family that flew in from Nigeria.
06Where they come from
Every bubble is a hometown that sent us a kid.
From down the road in Livingston to cities half a country away. Tap a bubble, or pick a hometown, and watch the map come to you.
Dropping pins…
Tap a bubble to see a hometown
20
States
229
Hometowns
1628 mi
Farthest drive
Top hometowns
07Back to school
Camp walks into 185 schools every Monday.
Cabin friendships become school friendships. Pick a community to see where our campers come from.
- 185
- schools sent five or more campers
- 13
- communities represented at camp
- 2,035
- campers from the top 75 schools alone
Kingwood / Humble / Porter
490 campers came to Cho-Yeh from 17 schools in this community — and went back to the same hallways in August.
Riverwood Middle School
90
Creekwood Middle School
49
Woodcreek Middle School
41
Willow Creek Elementary
36
Fall Creek Elementary
35
Bear Branch Elementary
31
Kingwood High School
30
Deerwood Elementary
28
West Lake Middle School
24
The Covenant Preparatory School
23
Lanier Middle School
19
Groves Elementary
18
Shadow Forest Elementary
17
St. Martha Catholic School
15
Atascocita Springs Elementary
13
Greentree Elementary
12
Kingwood Middle School
9
08Summer retreats too
The same impact happened at retreats this summer.
This summer, 17,533 guests came with 88 churches, schools and family groups — and got what our campers get: no screens, real conversation, space to hear from God.
Boxwoods
On Lake Livingston — rest, reconnection, hosted retreats.
4,537
guests · 26 groups
Carolina Creek
Three campsites near Huntsville — built for churches, schools and big groups.
12,996
guests · 62 groups
Retreat survey · 73 group leaders · 71 groups
Every single leader said they’d come back.
Share of leaders rating us 9 or 10 out of 10.
- Overall retreat experience
- 82%
- Communication with our team
- 85%
- Facilities & lodging
- 70%
- Camp activities
- 71%
- Dining experience
- 65%
up from 81% in 2025
up from 61% in 2025
“Being with our whole student body in the meeting room — so many powerful experiences.”
“It was a great space for our kids to come together and worship and learn more about God.”
“Our favorite night was the worship and testimony night we got to host for our group.”
“The kids didn’t even care that it was raining non-stop — they had so much joy. It was an amazing trip for us.”
“Our group enjoyed the times outside our meeting hall. They had some really great growth!”
“Superior customer service and care for my group. Karaoke, s’mores by an amazing campfire — an unforgettable experience.”
Every camper who comes to Cho-Yeh is here because someone gave.
Half a week away — cabin, counselor, lake and chapel.
Secure giving — you stay right here on the page.
09The people behind it
617 young leaders gave their summer away.
Camp forms the leaders as much as the campers. Every number here has a name attached — a counselor, a cook, a lifeguard cheering from the dock.
- 617
- summer staff hired & trained
- 100
- full-time year-round staff
- 165 hrs
- of Bible study taught by counselors
10What it takes
A summer this big runs on bacon, bagels and Bible study.
Staff hired
- 617 summer staff
Food service
- 92,361 meals served
Trading post
- 16,700 pints of ice cream
- 8,547 ice cream treats
Counselors
- 165 hours (9,900 minutes) of Bible study taught
Rec team
- 27 lbs of bacon
- 40 sleeves of bagels
- 480 eggs eaten
Media team
- 125,510 pictures taken
- 23,100 pics edited & uploaded to Campanion
- 11,484 staff pics to Google Drive
11The numbers behind our thank-you
We ask every family. Here is what they said.
96%
said camp clearly had an impact on their child.
98%
would recommend Camp Cho-Yeh to a friend.
Up from Summer 2025
96%
said their camper loved their counselor.
↑ 2 points from Summer 2025
70%
saw more self-confidence at home.
↑ 3 points from Summer 2025
93%
said their camper was strengthened in faith.
99%
said our communication before camp met or beat expectations.
Overall experience, 1 to 10
Perfect 1065%
919%
810%
7 or below5%
Average 9.36 of 10, up from 9.24 in 2025. Nines and tens rose from 80% to 84%.
What families value most, in their own words
Faith / God49%
Independence / growth28%
Fun / activities22%
Friendship / community18%
Counselors / role models12%
Unplugging / outdoors11%
Coded from 1,061 written answers. Faith leads — ahead of activities, facilities and price.
What grew stronger since 2025
96%
loved their counselor
2 points from Summer 202570%
saw more self-confidence
3 points from Summer 202557%
had faith conversations at home
2 points from Summer 2025Comparisons use identically worded questions in both summers. Board members and partners can explore the full analysis on the leadership insights page.
With gratitude
Thank you. Let’s keep the gate open.
This summer, your generosity gave $652,946 in scholarships — and cost never decided who got to come. That is something to be grateful for.
Scholarships given this summer
$652,946
“Wanna go back every year, and I want to become a counselor.”
The impact doesn’t end here — we have an incredible lineup of retreats this fall, parent weekends, and Campy Christmas ahead.