Summer Leadership Experience 2024

Multiple speakers, a banquet dinner, even a magic show – campers at HDI’s Summer Leadership Experience Camp were busy – but they learned a lot.
The Human Development Institute’s Summer Leadership Experience Camp is a program that is held for several days on the University of Kentucky’s campus that, this year, started on July 16 and continued until July 20. It’s open to Kentucky high school upper class students with disabilities who are figuring out what they want to do after high school. The camp is designed to offer them helpful information on multiple options for the next chapter in their lives, as well as tools to thrive wherever it might take them. Sessions cover topics from the many options for post-secondary education to how to access academic accommodations to lessons on self-advocacy.
According to Teresa Belluscio, Camp Director, this is a rare opportunity for young Kentuckians.
“There aren’t any or very few of these in the state of Kentucky,” Belluscio said. “This is a unique opportunity that is open to all high school students across Kentucky with disabilities.”
This year, there were multiple changes to the camp’s structure – it began a day earlier than it has in previous years, allowing for additional activities and programming as well as more time for students to catch their breath in between sessions. Belluscio thinks this was a positive change.
“I can tell from the campers that they were more relaxed. Campers had a little more time to talk in between sessions, so I felt like they were getting to know each other better and interacting more with the staff,” she said. “We didn’t feel rushed trying to get from one place to another, start the next session or the next activity.”
Camp will be held again in July 2025. For more information, visit https://hdi.uky.edu/project/summer-leadership-experience-camp

Latest Updates

Jacqui Kearns

Champion of Communication: Jacqui Kearns Honored with June Downing Award

Jacqui Kearns has respected and tried to further June Downing’s work for years. The organization that Downing was a part …

Wings Of Innovation Award Recipients with Award

Child Care Aware® of Kentucky Earns Silver Innovation Award at National Summit

Photo: Left to Right – Bethany Davis, Director of Data Evaluation & Impact, Jill Norris, Regional Child Care Administrator for Two Rivers …

Dr. Mykal Leslie Staff Photo

Leslie to lead Human Development Institute

As Dr. Mykal Leslie steps into his new role as Executive Director of the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute …