I grew up in the greater Cincinnati area and loved every minute of it! The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area has so many opportunities for its residents, especially young people, all over the I-275. With colleges and universities located just minutes from just about any location in the area, restaurants galore (chains, and unique spots too!), and so many activities to take part in, downtown especially! The Cincinnati Zoo, the Newport Aquarium, Cincinnati Museum Center, Art Galleries, Great American Ballpark (Home of the Cincinnati Reds), and so much more!

But, the absolute best decision that a Cincinnati Teen could make this summer is to attend the Cincinnati Red Cross Leadership Development Center (LDC) Camp. For students entering grades eighth through 11th, this is an amazing opportunity!

“The Red Cross recognizes that tomorrow’s leaders are today’s teenagers. That’s why it created its Leadership Development Camp—a camp for young people, organized and run by young people, all in an effort to empower them and teach them the subtle and not-so-subtle traits of becoming a leader.

And it makes a huge difference in their lives and the lives of those around them.

It works like this: More than 100 teenagers from around the region spend four days and three nights on a college campus, eating in the cafeteria, playing on the green space, sleeping in the dorms, all away from their parents and annoying siblings. (Or is that siblings and annoying parents? Whatever.) They participate in workshops and sessions on various “teen-related” topics, like public speaking (OMG NO!), volunteerism (OK, that’s cool) and ethics (I don’t know, what would you do?). There are also games, guest speakers and activities, all of which are structured to help young people recognize their leadership potential and encourage them to act upon it.

All of the activities are organized and run by a team of teen counselors who have already experienced LDC as campers and want to give back to the next camper group—with the support from college counselors and adult advisors, of course.

Campers also find that—through shared experiences—they make new friends from many different walks of life, often forming bonds of friendship that extend beyond the four days of camp. LDC participants spend a minimum of 6–12 hours volunteering for the Red Cross in the year following their LDC experience.” (Taken directly from the Red Cross website, link below!)

Walking into this camp on Thursday, you come in knowing maybe one or two people from your high school. By the time Sunday comes around and you are watching the closing ceremony, you are sitting with at least 25 of your new best friends that you will continue to talk to over the next year until camp comes around again. In between Thursday morning check in, and Sunday’s closing festivities, you take classes, listen to speakers, and participate in awesome activities. You can pick and choose classes about anything from Public Speaking, to Leadership, to Ethics and so many more that are listed on your application! Speakers come in from around the area and talk about their life stories and how they used their struggles and hardships to make themselves into who they are today. These are often leaders in the community that you may recognize as well! In years past, LDC has had activities from an Amazing Race, to a Diversity LIFE game, and the traditional Saturday Night Social, which is the last big gathering of the entire camp before the farewells on Sunday morning. Aside from all the fantastic speakers, classes, and sessions offered at LDC, I personally always came back because of the people! I met lifelong friends, my new found brothers and sisters, bridesmaid’s for my wedding, and a new home away from home. This camp shaped me into who I am today, and I would go back a million times over if I could!

After you attend camp for two years, you can become a counselor (which is what I did)! This was an ever better descision to make after coming to LDC for two summers! This is where you gain the opportunity to grow your leadership skills even more! Sounds super lame, but I promise you that it’s not. You gain confidence in doing things that you have a passion for and not letting yourself get psyched out anymore.You also have a team of 25 other counselors backing you up too! With this opportunity, I clocked over 400 hours of community service and not one bit of it felt like work!

So if you are a teen in the 513 or 859 area, definitely check out the application for LDC! The deadline has been extended until June 10, 2016!!! So hurry and apply now! I promise that you will not regret this decision!

Cincinnati Red Cross Leadership Development Center Information link :

http://www.redcross.org/local/ohio/greater-cincinn...

LDC Application 2016 (APPLY NOW):

https://volunteerconnection.redcross.org/?nd=vms_p...

Watch our Camp Photo Highlight Video from 2013 here:

Photos from past LDC's campers and counselors!

CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU IN JULY