Hitchcock Center Announces its first Leadership Training Camp with Peter Lamdin, retired 23‐year Amherst School teacher and one of the Center’s first Counselors in the 1970’s

June 19, 2014
For Immediate Release
Contact: Katie Koerten, Camp Director OR
Colleen Kelley, Education Director

Amherst, MA – The Hitchcock Center for the Environment is pleased to announce its first ever Leadership Training Camp for youth ages 11-‐ 16, from June 30 – July 3 in Amherst. Young aspiring leaders will gain strong mentoring and leadership skills such as assessing group dynamics, managing behavior, and facilitating activities for younger campers.

Hitchcock’s new Youth Leadership Training Camp was the idea of Education Director Colleen Kelley with focused curriculum and activity-‐planning direction from Peter Lamdin, recently retired, 6th grade teacher for 23 years at Fort River School in Amherst. Peter returns to the Hitchcock Center where he was one of its first counselors in the 1970’s.

Participants will engage in group challenges, a guided field trip, learning opportunities to increase knowledge of the environment, discussions and reflections. This direct empowerment and training provides for future job opportunities as junior counselors at the Hitchcock Center and other programs in the future. Participants achievements will be recognized in a short ceremony on the final day of camp.

Students will develop environmentally themed learning games, prepare their own activities for younger campers and engage the younger children in a cross camp facilitated learning experience. Joining Peter Lamdin is returning camp counselor Courtney Dyson whose background includes a strong foundation in biological research, conservation and wildlife management.

On the development of the program, Camp Director Katie Koerten said, “We saw a need for engaging older children in our camp programs and offering the opportunity in leadership training was the clear choice. The camp was among our first to fill in the spring and we anticipate offering it in future years due to high demand. This is our pilot week and we couldn’t be more excited!”

The Hitchcock Center will also be partnering with Kroka Expeditions, of Marlow, NH, engaging camp participants in a group rock climbing challenge during one of their camp days.

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