Hi. I’m Leah Mesches, and I am the founder of the Champions Educational Foundation. I have worked in the camp world full-time since 2006, but camp has always been a part of who I am. I attended day camp starting at 4 years old. I later spent my summers at a sleep-away camp as a camper, and then as a counselor and leadership member. I loved the experience. It helped me develop through a challenging phase of my life, and it also sustained me throughout the school year, even when things were great.
The residential camping industry has offered me the opportunity to focus on youth development. Over the past 11 years I have held leadership positions with two nationally acclaimed residential camps, one in the northeast and on in the Texas Hill Country. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with kids and their families, celebrating highs and nurturing lows. At one time I even dreamed of owning my own camp, but for now I am happy to focus on bringing the joys of camp to as many children as possible. I have always wanted children and families who don’t have the means I had to be able to have access to the out of school programs I got to enjoy. These are the programs that were essential to shaping me as a child, and I know this is true for many others. I want to expose families to educational and transformational programs and activities (like camp and outdoor education) at a substantially reduced cost, and I want to educate families about the benefits of programs like summer camp using research. I want to make sure that every child has an outstanding role model.
What we do is great, but it ISN’T ENOUGH.
In general, campers are a relatively privileged lot. I was fortunate to be one, but equally fortunate that my parents taught me, at an early age, the difference between a “privilege” and an “entitlement.” At Camp Champions in Marble Falls, I am proud of the $200,000+ we give out in scholarships each summer. I am proud of our active involvement in the Team 22 project, a program in collaboration with Pat and Emmitt Smith Charities, which provides extraordinary growth opportunities to underserved youth; however, we can do more. Our new 501(c)(3) is focused on providing this life altering “privilege” to underserved and at-risk youth, and any families who have hit hard times, because we want to make things tangibly better for them and to have just a small role in making the world a better place through the camp experience.
We would love for you to help us change the world, one camper at a time. Donate here.