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Youth, ISAAC and Pretty Lake Camp

As our Development Consultant Lauren Fitzmaurice brainstormed with us, she recommended that we develop a summer camp component as an extension of our Youth Violence Task Force’s Future Leaders For Peace round tables. Thank you so much Lauren!

We are so thankful to the Rotary Club of Kalamazoo for their generous support of this initiative. Thank you to Pretty Lake’s Jay Wallace, Program Director and Tanequa Hampton, Summer Camp Director for working with us on the first ever Pretty Lake/ ISAAC collaboration. Thank you to Alan and Joe, camp counselors, and Brittnee, Adventure Centre, for their support during these sessions.

Dynamic Community Leaders joined us for sessions on leadership and social justice. We greatly appreciate them taking time out of their busy schedules to support our youth!

Day 1: State Representative Jon Hoadley

Day 2: Ms. Venessa Collins-Smith

Day 3: Minister Dorla Coleman-Bonner and Mr. Steve Barber

Day 4: Captain Stacey Randolph and Captain Victor Ledbetter

Day 5: Sheriff Rick Fuller

During these sessions, youth:

  • learned about being a Public Official and having a voice
  • had a debate about justice issues concerning them
  • practiced their public speaking skills
  • discussed and learned more about bullying
  • participated in improvisation exercises about decision making
  • dialogued about racism, bias and community policing

ISAAC was happy to also participate in Pretty Lake’s talent show and team-building exercises with youth. Of course we made time for singing around the campfire and making S’mores!

These middle school aged youth were awesome! ISAAC is looking forward to possible future collaboration with Pretty Lake. We are so proud of our youth and looking forward to their leadership in the community.

Thank you to our youth leaders; their parents; community guests; our Community Organizer, Vanessa Miller; YVP co-chairs Wendy Flora and Venessa Collins-Smith; our President Elder Doug King and YVP TF members for joining us at Pretty Lake. Thank you to Youth Pastors of ISAAC and thank you again Lauren for making this life changing collaboration possible!

ISAAC’s Future Leaders For Peace is excited to extend membership to youth. If interested, please contact: wendywing@aol.com and Vcollinssmith@gmail.com

Stay tuned for new FLFP programs this Fall!

– Dr. Charlae Davis, Executive Director