PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
Release Date: Feb. 4, 2010
Contact: Derric Miller
CSD Communications Office
Phone: (605) 782-1036
[email protected]
CSD Announces Enrollment Beginning for Annual Deaf/Hard of Hearing Youth
Leadership Camp
National Leadership and Literacy Camp is now taking applicants for the
upcoming summer camps structured on building tomorrow’s deaf leaders.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Feb. 4, 2010) — CSD and the National Leadership and
Literacy Camp (NLLC) are now accepting deaf and hard of hearing students for
their annual summer camps. The NLLC, which brings together gifted deaf and
hard of hearing students to sharpen their literacy and journalism skills
along with their leadership abilities, offers two separate programs. The
NLLC program for 9th-12th graders will be held from June 27– July 10, and
the NLLC program for 5th-8th graders will be from July 11-24, both located
at CSD’s Camp Lakodia, in Madison, S.D.
This year’s NLLC program is being directed by none other than Frank Turk,
affectionately known as the “Father of Deaf Youth in America,” who, for more
than 50 years, has shared his development philosophy and leadership
principles with schools and programs for the deaf and hard of hearing people
all across America. Turk will be assisted by Chelsea Tobin Paulson, a
college senior and former Miss Deaf America (2006-08), who will coordinate
day-by-day program activities.
The camp’s mission is to prepare — through a challenging learning
environment — each child for a meaningful and productive life in a
competitive and ever-changing world. Daily program activities are carefully
planned so as to develop a social-educational climate specific to the
development of basic personal autonomy, appropriate future aspirations and
positive participation in society. Located on the shores of Lake Herman,
there is also plenty of outdoor and water activities available to the youth
while they experience this unique and innovative camp.
The NLLC is organized around three thrusts: Camp Council, the student-run
governing body of the program; Leadership and Literacy Classes, featuring
discussions, debates and lectures on topics such as semantics of language
arts, idioms, and colloquialisms, along with utilizing the strengths of your
team members to cultivate leaders; and Mentorship Class, focusing on peer
group development and how it pertains to socialization in school and in
life.
“As an organization by, of and for the deaf, CSD is proud to provide a
much-needed resource for today’s underserved deaf and hard of hearing
youth,” said Ben Soukup, CSD chief executive officer. “It’s truly amazing
seeing these campers redefine their potential once they graduate from the
NLLC and understand there is nothing — including deafness — holding them
back from achieving their goals in life.”
To find out more information or fill out an application for the NLLC,
downloadable forms are available at www.nllcamp.com. For those in financial
need, CSD and the NLLC also have a limited number of Frank Turk Scholarships
available, and these scholarships are based on both scholastic achievement
and their family’s income level. That scholarship form can also be found at
the NLLC Web site.
About NLLC — The National Leadership and Literacy Camp (NLLC) fosters
intellectual and personal growth and development through activities that
embrace the social, physical, intellectual, communicative and emotional
(SPICE) domains of learning and becoming. The mission of this program is to
prepare – through a challenging learning environment – each child for a
meaningful and productive life in a competitive and ever-changing world.
Daily program activities are carefully planned so as to develop a
social-educational climate specific to the development of basic personal
autonomy, appropriate future aspirations and positive participation in
society. For more information about the NLLC, go to:
http://www.nllcamp.com.
About CSD — CSD (a.k.a. Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc.) was
established in 1975, primarily to provide sign language interpreting
services to deaf and hard of hearing adults in South Dakota. Today, CSD
employs 1,500 individuals in offices across the nation, providing a broad
continuum of social and human services programs, as well as
telecommunications relay services. CSD is a private nonprofit agency
dedicated to providing quality services; ensuring public accessibility; and
increasing awareness of issues affecting the deaf, hard of hearing and
individuals with speech disabilities. For more information, please visit
http://www.c-s-d.org