Summer Leadership Camp
June 22-28, 2025
4-H Memorial Camp/Allerton Park
499 Old Timber Rd.
Monticello, IL 61856
Questions? Contact Camp Director Leanne Rohn
If you want to see more about camp, please watch the camp promotional video linked here.
The purpose of the IAJHSC Summer Leadership Camp is to provide opportunities for delegates to gain leadership skills, a deeper understanding of the democratic process and to participate in the exchange of ideas which will, in turn, help improve Student Councils in the delegates’ home schools.
The camp facility is 4-H Memorial Camp which is located at Allerton Park, near Monticello, IL. Each delegate must provide his/her own transportation to and from camp.
Who Can Attend?
Junior High/middle school students may attend Summer Leadership Camp. Typically our delegates are students who will be entering grades 6, 7, or 8 in the fall. There is no limit to the number of delegates per school. Students who have attended Summer Leadership Camp once may attend a second time if the student council advisor believes it will be beneficial to the student and their home council. Delegates will be accepted on a “first-come, first-served” basis until the camp session has reached capacity.
How do I register?
All the information you should need regarding registration is in this packet. Please feel free to contact the camp director with any questions.
Cost
The cost for camp includes lodging, three meals a day, evening snacks, program materials, and a camp t-shirt. The price for IAJHSC member schools is $500/delegate and non-member schools is $550/delegate.
Program
During the week of camp, each delegate is assigned to a mock Student Council of 15-20 students. To encourage networking with delegates from other schools, each delegate is placed in a council with students from schools other than his/her home school. Each mock Student Council elects officers, establishes committees and has responsibilities to complete throughout camp. Councils meet at least once during each day with a member of the Senior Staff and 2 or 3 Junior Counselors.
General Sessions are held each day for all camp delegates. These are learning sessions presented by members of the Senior staff and include such topics as job training, brainstorming, and much more. In addition, the Senior Staff presents information about planning agendas, project planning, parliamentary procedure, and evaluation during the council meetings.
Recreation is held at least once a day. Delegates can go swimming, boating, shoot archery, play volleyball, or make crafts. The camp store is open at this time so delegates may purchase snacks.
Evening activities include special events: country line dancing, olympics, a movie, and a luau. The final evening of the week we have a banquet and achievement night followed by a candle lighting ceremony. Each day ends with time to reflect and sing around the campfire.
Camp Staff
Under the leadership of the Camp Director, camp is operated by our Senior Staff and Junior Counselors (JCs). Senior Staff is made up of student council advisors and former Junior Counselors. Junior Counselors are a carefully selected group of highly capable, responsible, and enthusiastic young leaders, who themselves attended the IAJHSC Leadership Camp as junior high/middle school students. In addition to the Senior Staff and JCs, there is a full-time nurse on staff.
Housing
Camp delegates are assigned to stay in cabins with other junior high students and one or two Junior Counselors. To further encourage networking among delegates, students are typically not housed with other students from their home school. The cabins have bunk beds with foam rubber mattresses. Delegates must provide their own bedding. Delegate cabins are located in close proximity to the Senior Staff and the Camp Nurse.
Expectations of Delegates
Delegates should come to camp prepared to learn and have fun. Although the emphasis is on building skills as student council leaders, the program is structured to balance education and entertainment. After camp, delegates are expected to be active leaders in their home schools and to share what they learned at camp with the other members of their home councils.
Want to help support camp?
If you would like to help support the camp programs, we have a variety of ways in which you can help us out.
- Sponsor our students – money given to this will go to directly support student programming or sending students to camp
- Sponsor our staff – money given to this will go to help with room and board for staff members
- Amazon wishlist – you can directly order supplies that will be used for the week of camp and be sent directly to camp
- Donations that can be set up as one-time or on a schedule that will be used for general camp funding
If paying with a credit card or setting up a recurring donation, fees may apply.
