Ewalu’s new servant adventure for high school students

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Find Your Adventure—Find Your True North!

What is True North?

True North is part service camp and part adventure camp with a reality game show-inspired format. It is a unique, immersive experience for 9th- to 12th-grade youth to come together and build resilience in a faith-centered camp environment while serving and playing in the beautiful driftless region of NE Iowa.

Rooted in the fruits of the Spirit in the book of Galatians, True North is designed to help high school students develop character and build inner strength through every challenge and adventure. Whether campers join us for a week of adventure at Camp Ewalu or a dynamic day at Wartburg College, True North is where adventure builds resilience.

Upcoming events for high school youth

• True North Summer Camp is July 26-31 at Camp Ewalu, just west of Strawberry Point, Iowa. Groups or individuals can sign up, and trained staff from Ewalu will lead the program. DETAILS BELOW.

Watch the video below as True North Director Heather Swartz shares more about the program, which will begin in 2026:

Download the True North brochure!

About the summer program in 2026

True North is a high school servant leadership camp modeled after a reality game show model where participants work collaboratively—rather than competitively–to complete challenges. The camp is designed to build resiliency and grow faith in high school youth through service, team-building, and high adventure activities. Participants will attend Sunday through Friday, staying in cabins at Camp Ewalu and working in teams to complete service and adventure challenges. Teams will be guided by an Ewalu counselor, receiving daily bearings with instructions for the day that include guiding questions that are designed to dive deeper into faith and fun challenges that are meaningful and oriented toward building character and developing resiliency.

Themes of the day include:

Monday: Exploration – Teams will evaluate their resources and learn about themselves.

Tuesday: Service – Teams will grow in love and empathy as they complete service projects in the local community

Wednesday: Connection – Teams will grow together through fun activities centered around water—including a pool party—with connections to baptism and our unity in the body of Christ.

Thursday: Adventure – Teams will face their capstone event for the week. A series of challenges set in a beautiful wild space will help teams build resiliency through cooperation by participating in a scavenger hunt/adventure event unlike anything they’ve experienced before!

Friday: Reflection – Teams will bring it all together, debriefing their week and asking, “Where do we go from here?”

COST: Individual registration – $380; Group registration – $360 per person
Campership rate – $240 (please contact office at office@ewalu.org – reserved for those needing more financial help to afford camp)

All lodging, meals and activities covered!

EARLY DISCOUNT: Save $40 on any tier if you register by February 28! From March 1 to April 15, save $20 off any tier.

How to Register for True North

To Register online – Click link above (Read through the info and then click the registration link. Sign in or create an account, then choose “2026 Summer Events,” then find “True North”)

Individuals: Register under your own Household account, using the button above
Group Registration: Each group member should register under their own household account, using the button above. Additionally, have the adult in charge of your group fill out this paper form, then email the completed form to office@ewalu.org.

Why True North is a great option for youth group service trips:

Serving our neighbors is one of the pillars of True North. At True North, service is done in the context of group-building, faith, and character development that will create a lasting impact on your young people. Not only will youth serve in the local community, they will also consider how that service changes them, as they learn and grow as individuals and as a team. From rappelling and exploring underground caves at Backbone State Park, to making a real impact through community service projects, campers will be challenged and grow in their faith AND their sense of belonging.

2026 Spring Event

True North successfully kicked off at the True North Spring Event in March 2026 at Wartburg College in Waverly, IA! Participants competed in an amazing race, completed mystery challenges, served pie and socialized, videotaped some very silly skits, ate in the dining hall, and closed it all out in reflective worship. Through all this fun, we practiced resilience, leadership, and community-mindedness, celebrating each person’s unique characteristics and gifts. We were reminded that God’s love is our True North–an unchanging, unwavering, unconditional constant in our lives that keeps us grounded.

Click below to see the Spring Event wrap-up video from Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWB9EmqERAI