Camp Journey
Compact’s annual series of events for rising 6th-graders will be held daily from 8 a.m. to3 p.m. at the following locations:
- Helena Middle School: June 9-13
- Louis Pizitz Middle School: June 16-19 (4-day camp)
- Thompson High School: June 23-27
- Oak Mountain Middle School: June 23-27
- Chelsea Middle School: July 7-11
Application deadline: May 1
More information: For more details, ask the SRO at your school or email Janae Pinson at jpinson@shelbycompact.org.
Drug abuse and addiction are serious problems among students and young adults in America.
The Shelby County District Attorney, Shelby County Manager and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office are fighting back with a unique program called Compact, which seeks to battle substance abuse and promote happy, healthy lifestyles among young people.
The School Resource Officers and other law enforcement personnel who take part in Compact work closely with young people and their families.
Compact personnel provide information, resources and even professional interventions when needed and work to build good relationships with young people and their families.
That effort continues in June and July of each year when Compact — with the SCSO and the Shelby County Board of Education — hosts its annual series of events for rising sixth-graders called Camp Journey.
This year, Compact will host camps with Vestavia Hills City Schools, Alabaster City Schools and the Shelby County Schools in Chelsea, Helena, Oak Mountain and potentially more.
Camp Journey is free of charge and staffed by SROs from Compact and the SCSO.
“The students see the fun side of law enforcement, and we’re able to mentor the students by building those relationships,” says Janae Pinson, Community Resource Coordinator for Compact. “Having good rapport with them is the key to gaining their confidence and trust.”
The students at Camp Journey have fun, make new friends and take part in team-building exercises.
“We’re able to watch the students work together and achieve goals through teamwork that they may not even know,” Pinson says.
The camp helps the kids learn leadership and build values like integrity, character, courage and discipline.
The students learn more about the issues they will face during adolescence, such as bullying and social media, and gain new skills to navigate those challenges.
In addition, they participate in an exciting, fully immersive Junior Police & Sheriff’s Academy, allowing them to see and experience first-hand what SROs and other first responders do.
“We love being able to hang out with the kids, and we learn so much from them,” Pinson says. “We have new knowledge about what kids at that age are facing and how to better communicate with them.”
It’s also gratifying to see some students beginning to mature after attending Camp Journey.
“We’re able to watch students who arrived on the first day nervous and unsure of what they would be experiencing end the camp with new friends and a newfound confidence in making the transition to middle school,” Pinson said.
For more about Compact, go to compact2020.com or call 205-605-1824.