Half the families that attend it are from outside Colorado. My husband and I actually feel Indian sometimes, because we have gained so much knowledge and appreciation of our son's culture. When he is with those cool counselors every year, and learns something more about India, it just makes him grow stronger in who he is, and I can't think of a greater gift to give my child, the sense of pride in who he is. More than 100 children attend the camps, which have come to include children from other South Asian countries. Each child is assigned to an age- appropriate class to pursue a curriculum centering on life on the Indian subcontinent.
Meals are cafeteria-style American food, except for the Indian banquet on the second night.
Prior to the banquet, children and parents dress in ethnic costumes and group pictures are taken. Although most adoption agencies also organize activities specific to children from certain cultures, heritage camps were specially recommended by parents who had attended them. Jim Eske, a father of three children adopted from India, said their family had attended some camps but had also maintained close contacts with the Indian families in Lincoln, Nebraska, where they live. The family had also taken their older child to India. For Madylon Hudson though, adopting from India does not necessarily mean attending the Indian camps.