Four Golden LEAF Leadership Scholars, Cameron Jernigan, Ugochi Nwamara, Brian Rosa, and T'Keyah Johnson are excited to announce the launch of Camp You Matter this summer.  Specifically, we are hosting a FREE week-long mentorship summer camp for economically-disadvantaged youth (grades 6th – 12th) focused on education, empowerment, and fun. The goal of the program is to host about 40 campers who will be the role models our community needs. This camp will be like a typical summer camp in that there will be plenty of fun activities to engage in. However, what makes this camp different is the mentorship portion. Each camper will be assigned a coach (or mentor) who will allow them to discover their passion, follow their dreams, and guide them throughout the process by serving as an advocate for their education and additional support system during the camp and school year. In addition, 50% of the daily activities will revolve around educational and empowering workshops, such as resume building for older campers and STEM activities for younger campers.  

We have worked really hard to develop an awesome program for the youth of our community who need this opportunity. Because of our efforts, we have received a $500 grant from the North Carolina Golden LEAF Foundation. However, this is not enough to cover all of the exciting activities we have planned for our youth, including providing them with lunch on a daily basis. As young adults who have the drive, passion, and experience to pull this camp together, we do not have all the necessary resources to make sure the camp is the best it can be. The money will go towards programming supplies, lunches, and special activities for the campers.