Harvey County Community Partnership’s Xtremely Teen Newton Leadership Camp is rolling into town the week of July 23rd. The camp will be held each day for upcoming youth in 7th, 8th and 9th grades.
Each day, campers will visit local business leaders, engage in leadership sessions with younger youth and conduct a community service project, while having fun with friends and neighbors. Newton Medical Center will host a camp session and lunch on career development and opportunities in the medical field.
“We are very excited to have the Xtremely Teen Newton Camp joining us at on campus at Sunset Elementary School” notes Sherry Dual, Sunset Latchkey Coordinator for USD 373. “These teens can help mentor our younger students with an anti-bullying message and discussions about their own personal experiences as youth. The younger students really look up to the older ones and welcome their time and commitment to helping them on campus.”
Another goal of the camp is to enjoy group recreational events while building their confidence within themselves. Prairie View will assist the group with team building activities at their adventure course, and the Newton Public Library will help them begin work on a resume for their first job experiences.
Angela Vogelman, Newton Public Library notes, “Students at this level are extremely full of energy and want to share in the community and become connected. Often it just takes one local leader to engage a student and then the student finally has the resources and connections to have confidence as a local employee and leader. I look forward to working with the Xtremely Teen Newton Camp as we look into what Newton has to offer them.”
As Xtremely Newton students roll around town, all will be full steam ahead in gathering history about Newton and finding neighbors in the workplace. Last year’s participant, Ely, noted, “It was cool seeing my neighbor ‘Jim’ at the local bank. It was fun to hear about what he does to help people in Newton at his job.”
The Xtremely Newton Camp is coordinated by Harvey County Community Partnership (HCCP), a local organization committed to strengthening families with parent and youth programs. The camp is lead by Mari Sailors, a Licensed Social Worker. To register for the camp or sponsor a teen camp participant with a scholarship donation, call Susan Brown Ruiz at 316-284-6520 or go to www.hccpinc.org. Registration is due by July 19th.