Grants Pass, Oregon, located about halfway between Portland and San Francisco off Interstate 5, serves as a gateway to the Rogue Valley of southwest Oregon. It’s also the site of Table Rock Youth Camp, which sits on land that was originally home to the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples.
For Deenie Bulyalert BA ’27, the camp has been a constant since sixth grade—first as a camper, then as a counselor, and now as director.
“My camp experiences helped me imagine a future for myself as an individual who didn’t feel like they had a lot of opportunities being low income,” says Bulyalert.
Against the backdrop of a community where median incomes fall below much of other parts of Oregon—and more than 15 percent of residents live in poverty—the camp offers first-generation, low-income youth a chance to experience the outdoors and develop leadership skills in a supportive environment.
A Grant for Change
When Bulyalert stepped into the director role, they saw an opportunity to weave new dimensions in the camp’s curriculum—art, ecotherapy, and Indigenous perspectives on the land. But funding was needed to make it happen.
In spring 2025, Bulyalert applied for and received a Nielson Social Change Innovation Grant through L&C’s Center for Social Change and Community Involvement. The grant, made possible through the generosity of Patrick Nielson BA ’71 and his wife, Dorris Nielson, supports student-led projects that spark positive social change.
With support in hand, Bulyalert partnered with Project Youth+, a Grants Pass nonprofit serving underrepresented youth, to bring in volunteers, elders, and members of area tribes.
“This land provides a safe space to explore ways to relate to one another as humans and to the Earth,” says Bulyalert. “Our hope is to build well-being in our communities—economic, environmental, spiritual, and social.”
Where Interests Converge
Bulyalert, a native of Grants Pass, is a lifelong nature lover and experienced camper. At Lewis & Clark, Bulyalert is pursuing a double major in psychology and biology with a minor in entrepreneurial leadership and innovation.
This ambitious combination has enabled Bulyalert to focus on environmental and social justice, working to understand how these two areas “can bend together and also work separately in systems of oppression or injustice.”
Since her first year at L&C, Bulyalert has participated in the Behavioral Health and Social Psychology Lab. “In the lab, we focus mostly on why people do, or don’t do, behaviors that they know are good for them,” says Bulyalert. “I think that ties in a lot with the things I want to do.” Bulyalert’s interests include researching how issues like drugs, addiction, and houselessness are integrated into social justice work.
In addition, the camp’s focus on outdoor adventures taught Bulyalert the importance of being in nature to improve mental health.
For Bulyalert, all the pieces fit together in meaningful ways: “I wanted to work with an organization that gave to me while I was younger.”
The Camper Experience
Table Rock Youth Camp emphasizes leadership, teamwork, and confidence-building. Junior counselors are often former campers themselves, creating a leadership ladder.
Two camp sessions were offered this year, with the first one supported by the Nielson grant. The grant-funded camp included 30 campers and 10 counselors. As director, Bulyalert determined the logistics and day-to-day operations of the camp.
With this year’s theme of art and ecotherapy, Bulyalert introduced campers to new ways of navigating the world. In addition to rafting and forest hikes, campers took part in pottery making, painting, music, and theatre activities. Grounding activities in Indigenous principles—particularly around natural resources and family—was, says Bulyalert, “an awesome way to bring culture and understanding of the land we reside on to the youth.”
The camp also emphasized intergenerational connections. It featured a women’s circle of wildlife biologists, retired theatre professors, a tribal drummer, and teachers who taught campers about art and nature.
But Bulyart’s favorite part was finding time to connect with the kids. “We’d drag cabin mattresses outside and talk under the stars until midnight, then wake up with the sun on our faces. Those moments are the heart of camp.”
Looking Ahead
Bulyalert envisions a sustainable future for the program, one where campers return year after year and grow into leadership roles. Bulyalert is also exploring the idea of bringing a similar overnight camping experience to Lewis & Clark students.
Above all, Bulyalert hopes that campers carry forward a deeper connection to the natural world. “My hope is that they learn how to be leaders—how to be proactive, how to take a stand, and how to be in tune with their personalities, their beliefs, and their desire to care for others.”
Center for Social Change and Community Involvement Psychology
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