HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — It's that time to spread a little extra positivity because the Madison County Sheriff's Office is hosting its Annual Positive Leadership Youth Summer Camp this week! The week-long program is designed for fifth and sixth graders from the Madison County School System who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement this school year.
Madison County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Brent Patterson explained that this camp is an opportunity for young students to learn valuable life skills. "The positive youth leadership camp is something that it's a way of telling a child, good job for what you do all year long. They're going to be first responders one day. They're going to be doctors, they're going to be lawyers, they're going to be all kinds of different employers in the future. And we want them to understand that, we want to help them get there."
Positive Leadership Youth Summer Camp mentor Leah Townsend has hopes of becoming a math teacher in the fall, and working with this summer camp is one way Townsend aims to continue inspiring the next generation. "Yesterday was really fun. We had a fire truck come out, HEMSI, S.W.A.T., helicopter come out. It was really fun to see the kids look and search and see what was happening. They were asking questions. They were interested because some of these things they would never see if it wasn't for this camp. So this camp is bringing opportunities."
Madison County Sheriff's Office Deputy Clay Warmbrode also shares his most rewarding part of the week-long experience. "I naturally am a protector of kids. That's the part that was rewarding to me to be able to protect the kids."