Middle School Retreat with Camp Manitowish: A Time for Growth, Bonding and Fun

Lussier LOFT middle school youth and staff joined Camp Manitowish for a leadership retreat over spring break. The group spent two nights at a beautiful camp in Grafton, Wisconsin. Over the course of three days, they participated in team-building games, solved problems and overcame challenges together.

This was the first overnight trip this group has been able to do since the start of the pandemic, and students took the opportunity to really unplug and bond. Youth said they got to know kids they normally wouldn’t have been close with, and students who had a hard time getting along at the beginning of the trip had meaningful conversations and became friends. Our youth stepped outside their comfort zones, and we’re so proud of them.

We have to give a big thank you to the Manitowish staff, who were great and so happy to be with the kids again. Camp Manitowish is a YMCA camp up north, near Boulder Junction and Manitowish Waters. With the camp being so far north, they recognized that a lot of urban youth from Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago had a hard time accessing their camp, so they partnered with a camp just north of Milwaukee, in Grafton, called Hometown Heroes.

Hometown Heroes typically serve youth who have lost a family member in armed service. Manitowish staff come down to Hometown Heroes to use their camp facilities and offer their leadership camp experiences in a more accessible location. They have been great partners over the years, and we look forward to bringing more groups back for this growth experience.