Candace Young and Cristina Ledbetter working together as a team to put the finishing touches on the new children’s day camp program at Mound Ridge Camp. Pictured, left to right: Cristina Ledbetter, NGJT program participant; Amy England, summer day camp director; Christy Foster, director of Camp and Conference Ministries for Mound Ridge Camp; and Candace Young, also an NGJT program participant. Photo by Polly Taylor

For most people, especially young ones, being outside during the summer means hanging out with friends, swimming, vacationing with their families, and just generally having a great time.
This summer, four youths are spending their summer working in the great outdoors at Mound Ridge Camp, Cook Station, MO, through the Next Generation Jobs Team (NGJT) program being administered by the Central Ozarks Private Industry Council (COPIC).
The four young ladies, who were chosen to work at Mound Ridge Camp, coming from various backgrounds, are in the process of learning how to put a camping program together, and to follow through with their plans. They are also picking up skills such as sewing, landscaping, computer, working as individuals and as a team, and eventually will work with children.
Cuba High School junior, Samantha Lemons, 17, was sent to Mound Ridge Camp as a day camp counselor. Her work will involve third through sixth grade aged youngsters when day camp convenes later this month.
At the present time, she is compiling a schedule by using an office computer. She hopes to put the skills she is learning to use in computerized graphic design and digital photography.
Samantha looks forward to the possibility of returning next summer as a counselor, and enjoys the opportunity to work outside with children. She is the daughter of Joe and Loretta Lemons, Cuba.
Anna Johnson, 25, Cuba, the mother of two children, is busy learning basic office and computer skills. She entered the NGJT program with no computer skills, but has caught on very quickly.
Anna feels that it was not luck that placed her with Mound Ridge Camp this summer, and is fortunate to have been placed there by NGJT. She is working toward her GED, and one day plans on going to college. She is the daughter of Karen Johnson and the granddaughter of Margaret Brennan, Cuba.
Also sent to Mound Ridge Camp by NGJT to be a camp counselor, Candace Young, 20, a single mother, comes from Jefferson City, by way of Steelville. She wants someday to be a psychologist, and is using her experience at Mound Ridge Camp to determine whether counseling is the right field to go into when she enters college in the fall.
She is the daughter of Gina Tetley, Jefferson City.
Candace said the work environment at Mound Ridge Camp is great, and what could be better than working outdoors. As a camp counselor, she is assisting Amy England, summer day camp director, also of Steelville. Her duties, working with Amy, include examining the program curriculum, determining which activities will be included, and putting all of the components of the program into motion so that day camp will go smoothly.
Cristina Ledbetter, 22, of Sullivan and the daughter of Annie Ledbetter, also of Sullivan, is working with Candace and Amy to put together a program of activities for the summer day camp program.
Cristina had the opportunity to work with a group of senior citizens at the camp shortly after she was sent there by the NGJT. She said she learned a variety of new skills from the campers including landscaping, rehabilitation of the forest, sewing, and also to successfully communicate and interact with people older than herself.
Cristina would like to eventually attend college and become a social worker.
Amy stated that she, Cristina, and Candace have really pulled together as a team, and is very pleased with the progress they have made toward finalizing the summer day camp program.
Christy Foster, director of Camp and Conference Ministries at Mound Ridge Camp, is very pleased with the youths chosen, and sent to her, by the NGJT. She stated that the program is turning out to be a wonderful tool for getting people back into the workforce and teaching them leadership skills.
The camp director went on to say that the program is both a learning and teaching experience, from beginning to end, and is a win-win situation for everyone involved.
COPIC is a private 501(c) 3 non-profit agency. COPIC subcontracts with the Central Region Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) for receipt of funding, including Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds.
COPIC utilizes funding to provide employment and training services to Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps and Washington counties.
COPIC and NGJT are Equal Opportunity Employers and Programs.