Katherine Gonella Manley Email & Phone Number

I'm Katherine, though many know me better as my camp name 'Dazzle'! I believe outdoor recreation is a human right. As the director of OSPREY Camp, I am a part of the Washington State Coalition of Outdoor Schools for All where we collaborate to get every 5th grader in Washington into a safe, progressive, and educational overnight outdoor experience.In my own writing, I research the history of summer camp and outdoor education in the United States. I'm interested in how summer camp has historically socialized childhood, and how informal educational spaces can be instrumental in addressing our increasingly persistent climate emergency. My research specifically focuses on the colonial history of summer camps (or the use of 'playing Indian') and emerging queer identities in youth organizations.I have a decade of experience in large group facilitation, event planning, workshop development, large-scale summer camp operations, grant writing, and creative non-fiction writing. I'm most passionate about creating youth-oriented brave spaces through creative performance, outdoor stewardship, and cross-cultural competency.