Camp Katharine Parsons Restoration Project

Help bring back Phyllis Wheatley Community Center's Camp Katharine Parsons! One of just a few Black-owned youth camps in the country, Camp Parsons was gifted to the organization in the 1950s by its namesake. Her intent —  for North Minneapolis youth to have a natural outdoor space to spend summer days learning and discovering the world around them, expanding their worldviews and inspiring them to become leaders and community champions.

The camp, opened in 1957, ran every summer for nearly 50 years. Beginning in the 1990s, the camp's infrastructure began to decay, and in the 2000s the site was shuttered due to deferred maintenance needs and heavy expenses. But PWCC held on to the property, and now, nearly 70 years after Ms. Parsons' monumental donation of the beautiful piece of land on Oak Lake in Carver County, we're on the way to bringing the camp back to its former glory. 

To that end, Phyllis Wheatley Community Center has created the Phyllis Wheatley's Camp Parsons Community Fund at the Minneapolis Foundation, and are heading into a full feasibility study this spring. Last year, Phyllis Wheatley received $550,000 in development funds from the Minnesota State Legislature, which is going toward architectural and infrastructure planning and the beginning stages of construction.

On April 18, 2023, Phyllis Wheatley was granted permission to begin work on the property by the Carver County Board of Commissioners. After months of discussions about concerns from our lakeside neighbors and others, Phyllis Wheatley managed to find a happy medium and are thrilled to know that many Carver County residents are excited to see the camp come back to life, serving disadvantaged youth from North Minneapolis, once again. 

PWCC is raising funds for the restoration of Camp Katharine Parsons, as well as for the future operations of the camp, in order to ensure that it will continue to give kids the opportunity to experience nature and reap the multitude of benefits offered by the camp experience well into the future. 

Donate now to be a part of this important campaign, helping to restore our little piece of nature, a respite for youth whose experiences are limited to the city streets upon which they live, and giving them a place to escape, to learn, and to grow into great citizens, community advocates, environmental stewards, or whatever they decide they want to be.