Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) has received a $350,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Indiana Youth Programs on Campus (IYPC) initiative. The grant is designed to support Indiana colleges and universities in engaging youth ages 5 to 18 in high-quality on-campus enrichment programs. SMWC launched Challenging Ambitions and Maximizing Potential (C.A.M.P.) at the Woods in June 2023, with an initial Lilly Endowment grant of $702,775.
Janet Clark, Ph.D., provost/executive vice president for academic affairs, said, “We are once again grateful to Lilly Endowment and the IYPC initiative for its investment in C.A.M.P. at The Woods. The outcomes and student satisfaction in the program thus far have exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to further success in the future, engaging students with higher education and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.”
C.A.M.P. at The Woods continues to align with the goals of Lilly Endowment’s Indiana Youth Programs on Campus (IYPC) initiative. Among these are exposing youth to academic subjects and cultural experiences, fostering character and leadership development, and providing opportunities to explore postsecondary education and career options. Additionally, it incorporates promising strategies to recruit and serve traditionally underserved populations of youth, such as first-generation college students and students from families with limited resources.
In the first two years of C.A.M.P. at The Woods, SMWC has hosted a total of 90 high school students, with approximately 40 additional students preparing to join C.A.M.P. at The Woods 2025 in June. Approximately 10% of students who have enrolled in a past C.A.M.P. session have returned for full-time enrollment at SMWC as degree-seeking students.
Courses offered during the first three years included: Introduction to Equine Industry, Leaders of Positive Change, Nurses of the Future, Applied Methods of Environmental Sustainability, Introduction to Health and Wellness and Teachers of the Future. Students earn two college credits after the program.
Kim LaComba, Ph.D., director of the Ph.D. in Global Leadership program, and Crystal White, DNP, FNP-C, RN, are the co-directors of C.A.M.P. at The Woods and have been involved with the program since its inception. They were integral in completing the latest grant application to the Endowment.
LaComba stated, “Each C.A.M.P. at The Woods course—and the program as a whole—centers on a growth mindset. Travel-based experiential learning has powerfully transformed our students through cultural immersion and new experiences, both domestically and abroad, connected to the course curriculum. We are grateful to continue to provide these opportunities.”
White added, “Over the next three years, we aim to expand our CAMP programs to inspire high school students through hands-on, interdisciplinary learning. By strengthening community partnerships and fostering leadership, cultural awareness, and early college engagement, we hope to prepare youth, especially from underserved areas, for success in college and beyond.”
Beginning in 2026, C.A.M.P. will feature a model with a three-day, on-campus program followed by a four- to five-day domestic travel component that will enable students to experience destinations across the United States and its territories. The travel component, Faculty Led Discovery Adventures, will assist in developing the growth mindset component through faculty-led immersion travel with students.