Our Mission.
Anytown Leadership Program is a human relations organization dedicated to educating, embracing and empowering leaders to promote social change.
We envision a society that is strengthened by diversity, inclusion, respect and justice for all people.
Rooted in History.
As Arizona’s oldest human relations organization, Anytown Leadership Camp was born out of the belief that respectful dialogue between people from different backgrounds can bring about positive changes in our communities.
Our Story.
In 1927, leaders from different faiths refused to be bystanders in the face of hatred, intolerance, bigotry, fear and deeply embedded prejudice. At this time, the Ku Klux Klan was active in most areas across the country, directing vicious bigotry towards individuals identifying as Catholic, Jewish, Black or as immigrants.
Acknowledging the need for action, leaders including Teddy Roosevelt, Benjamin Cardozo, Jane Addams, and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes, created The National Conference for Christians and Jews – NCCJ. They mobilized citizens against the forces of violence, ignorance and exclusion, and contributed significantly to an expanded definition of “who is an American.”
These leaders dedicated the organization to bringing diverse people together to address interfaith divisions.
Our Flagship Model –
In our early history, it was a prestigious honor to attend the Anytown Leadership Camp. Each high school in Arizona would nominate two students to represent their school and 8 camps were held every summer. Those nominees were tasked with bringing their learning back to their schools and Anytown averaged 500-700 teens each summer. After the economic crisis, nonprofits suffered, including Anytown and the last Anytown organization shuttered in 2009.
We’re Back!
Recently resurrected in 2014 by dedicated and passionate alumni, Anytown is back!
Anytown Leadership Camp is the only one of its kind with an almost 100-year history and the only leadership program that intentionally brings together teenagers of different races, ethnicities, religions, genders, orientations, socio-economic status, and other social identifiers to learn earn appropriate and effective methods of discussing difficult topics, such as differences of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, orientation, socio-economic status, and other social identifiers.
Our Expansion –
ANYTOWN AT SCHOOL and ANYTOWN AT WORK (Powered by Inclusion Counts) programs build capacity and further sustain our mission.