Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore (GSJS) and Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS) announce “Summer Camp Takeover” presented by Lead U at Camp Sacajawea
June 14, 2023
FARMINGDALE, NJ (June 14, 2023) -- Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore (GSJS) and Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS) announce “Summer Camp Takeover” presented by Lead U at Camp Sacajawea in Farmingdale, NJ. For one week, from August 21st through August 25th, campers will enjoy programming designed to provide resilience, leadership, and mental health support.
Thanks to the generous “Accomplish More Together Grant” from Monmouth Park Charity Fund and New Jersey Natural Gas, Lead U crew and GSJS camp staff will work together to deliver developmentally appropriate programming designed to give campers the skills to better understand their emotions and mental health and develop strategies to connect their friends, who they think may be struggling, with a trusted adult who can help them.
GSJS has made mental health a pillar of the Girl Scout experience since the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic. Through experiential-based curriculum, supplemented with traditional camp activities, GSJS and SPTS will deliver safe and informed messaging aimed at decreasing the rate of youth reaching the point of crisis through a prevention focused approach. The grant and collaboration will also provide resources and training for GSJS staff and volunteers, that helps them better understand Warning Signs and model the Trusted Adult role. SPTS Behavioral Heath Toolkits will be offered to parents and guardians of the campers.
Founded by former educators JD Wilson and Kelly Coulson, Lead U customized empowerment experiences for learners of all ages. The Lead U Crew is a team of passionate teaching artists who deliver high energy, impactful programs. Lead U was acquired by the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS) in September 2021 strengthening their program messaging and mission at large. Their current programs include school assemblies, leadership workshops, orientations, camp takeovers, and professional development sessions for school staff, non-profit or for-profit entities. Interested in Lead U? Connect and Collaborate Today! www.leaduthere.com/contact.
Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide is dedicated to increasing awareness, saving lives, and reducing the stigma of suicide through specialized mental health training programs and resources that empower students, parents, schools, and communities with the skills needed to help youth build lives of resiliency.
“For more than 50 years, Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore camp has helped shape thousands of girls, giving them life skills and lasting memories of friendships. At camp, kids unplug from cell phones and digital devices and connect to outdoor experiences and to one another. Hosting this programming at camp offers a unique opportunity to deliver vital messaging in a fun and supportive environment,” Heather Coburn, CEO Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore.
“Together we can foster resiliency, increase positive coping skills, and improve stress management techniques among our Girl Scouts,” Dawn Doherty, Executive Director, SPTS.
“The Lead U family is grateful for the opportunity to bring our mission of youth empowerment to GSJS campers, and we are excited to spend the week with our amazing friends at GSJS!” JD Wilson, Lead U.
To register your camper for “Summer Camp Takeover” from August 21st through August 25th, visit www.gsfun.org/camp or call (800) 785-2090.
Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group has recognized Camp Sacajawea one of America’s Best Summer Camps 2023! The ranking identified the 500 best summer camps in the country and evaluation and scoring were based on comprehensive surveys of 15,000 caregivers, over 670,000 social media reviews, and research. With over 12,000 summer camps across the United States, GSJS is proud to be one out of 500 nationally and one out of 24 Girl Scout camps to achieve this distinction!
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About Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore:
Girl Scouts of Jersey Shore’s mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. For more information, visit www.gsfun.org.
About Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS):
The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, Inc. (SPTS) is a 501(c)3 public charity, incorporated on January 18, 2005, founded by two Monmouth County, New Jersey fathers who each experienced the devastating loss of a teenage child by suicide. SPTS is dedicated to increasing awareness, saving lives and reducing the stigma of suicide through specialized training programs and resources that empower teens, parents and educational leaders with the skills needed to help youth build a life of resiliency. The core values that define SPTS and its founding board are passionate commitment to the value of life, belief in the effectiveness of evidence-based suicide prevention strategies, dedication to removing public stigma about suicide and conviction that accurate information and education about suicide can save lives. SPTS offers a variety of resources on its website that can be downloaded and duplicated at no cost for more information on what you or your community can to do help prevent suicide visit us at www.sptsusa.org.
About Lead U:
Lead U was founded in 2016 by JD Wilson. After four years of military service with the US Air Force, he became an elementary school teacher in New Jersey. JD built Lead U, a company that focuses on creating Personalized Empowerment Experiences for learners of all ages. Collaborating with aspiring, current, and former educators Connor Effenberger, Kelly Coulson, and Joan Fraclose; Lead U has evolved from a grassroots summer leadership camp to a well-established name in empowerment and education. The Lead U Crew comprises of a group of over 40 trained teaching artists who travel the country to deliver Personalized Empowerment Experiences for students, school staffs, sports teams, and business corporations. Lead U was acquired by the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide on September 1, 2021. For more information visit www.leaduthere.org.
