Hopa Mountain’s Youth Leadership Program is now accepting applications for 2011 ‘Stepping Up’ Summer Camps for Gallatin and Park County Teens 13-17.  The camp for Park County teens will be held June 20-24, and the Gallatin County teen camp will be July 11-15.  The camps are offered through Hopa Mountain as a summer activity of the Youth Leadership Program, and are free-of-charge for accepted participants.

During these weeklong residential camps, participants will participate in outdoor problem-solving and skill-building activities, self awareness activities, inquiry-based science programs, art activities, and community-oriented service learning.  This summer’s camps also feature outdoor recreational activities including hiking and rafting.  Each summer camp is followed by ongoing community service projects to prepare teens to become contributing members of their families, peer groups, and communities.

The Youth Leadership program is a year round program which promotes positive and sustained educational experiences for Gallatin and Park County youths, by fostering direct interaction with the environment, the arts, respected adults and the greater community.  These camps are made possible through the generous support of the Beim Foundation, Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund, the O.P. and W.E. Edwards Foundation, the Walter L. and Lucille Braun Family Charitable Gift Fund, PPL Montana and Hopa Mountain members. The Park County program is collaboratively organized with LINKS for Learning in Livingston.

Hopa Mountain is a Bozeman-based non-profit that invests in rural and tribal citizen leaders, adults and youth, in their efforts to improve education, ecological health, and economic development (www.hopamountain.org).  Citizen leaders are those individuals –adults and youth- who step forward when they recognize that their community needs help. Hopa Mountain provides these leaders with training, mentoring, and networking opportunities.  Promoting and supporting youth leadership and community service is core to Hopa Mountain’s mission.

Applications are due by June 1, 2011. Camp brochures and applications are available on-line at www.hopamountain.org or by calling 586-2455.