C.A.M.P. is a professional training and development program serving primarily at-risk and underserved students at Canton’s Early College at Lehman from middle school to career. We nurture students through mentoring, career seminars, job shadowing, internships, and networking to provide significant competitive advantages for employment and/or higher education.

Career Apprenticeship and Mentorship Program (C.A.M.P.) accepts 20-25% of Canton City Schools Early College sophomores through an application/interview process. Over 80% of each class is considered “underserved and at risk,” and classified as a minority pupil. Many of our students are also the first in their families to attend college. Each C.A.M.P. student spends the next 30 months developing college and career skills while being supported by extensive wraparound services.

We have provided countless opportunities for college visits, internships, and job
shadowing. We have helped students overcome transportation challenges to get to work. We have helped students get the accessibility accommodations they need to navigate college testing and applications. We have helped students graduate without overwhelming student debt. We have helped students negotiate their college tuition and financial aid. We have helped students become the first generation in their families to go to college. Every student’s story is personal, but we are proud to have been a part of each student’s journey.

Learn more about our outcomes and student successes »

C.A.M.P. is governed by a board of directors composed of 10 business and professional leaders from the community. The board of directors is responsible for overseeing the program’s policies and guiding its strategic direction. The board of directors consists of a chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, and treasurer, as well as six additional board members. The board has an executive committee, governance committee, finance committee (with a scholarship sub-committee), and a development committee.

Paid C.A.M.P. staff consists of a full-time executive director and a full-time assistant
director. The role of the executive director consists of working with the board of directors to ensure that the mission and goals of C.A.M.P. are being fulfilled, provide guidance and oversight to staff and volunteers, oversee the organization’s finances, develop and lead fundraising efforts, develop and manage donor relationships, and develop/manage/oversee the outcomes of the program. The role of the assistant director is to provide onsite resources to students and to assist the executive director with the day-to-day operations of the organization.

Additionally, C.A.M.P. has a 26-member volunteer advisory council that operates under the executive director and holds bi-monthly meetings with both the executive director and assistant director. The council offers guidance on services provided to C.A.M.P. students and the overall program operations. They have also served as a pool of volunteers for the past 12 years and actively support the delivery of services offered to C.A.M.P. students. There are also four volunteer consultants who are not part of the formal advisory council but serve as a resource of advice for the executive director.

C.A.M.P. started in 2012 as a group of volunteers with a passion for supporting our
community’s underserved and at-risk students. Tom Venturella created the program with Kenneth Brunner, who was the principal of Early College at the time, and Adrian Allison, the district superintendent. The collective mission was to provide the support students need to thrive in school, in their careers, and throughout their lives. While the program started small, we incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2024 and have experienced significant growth and momentum in the last few years.

Learn more about C.A.M.P. »

Early College High School (ECHS) was formed in 2005 when the Canton City Schools
District (CCSD), Stark State College (SSC), the Canton Professional Educators Association (CPEA), and the Stark Education Partnership (SEP) came to together to make the establishment. The startup was provided by Bill Gates and the KnowledgeWorks Foundation. The goals of Early College are to welcome students of racial and ethnic minorities, low-income families, first generation college attendees, and/or English language learners to higher education. The vision of Early College is that every student in Canton City Schools will achieve high levels and graduate from high school prepared to enter the workforce or college.

ECHS is one of only 16 Early College high schools in Ohio and a little over 200 across the nation. For Early College High School, the majority of the college coursework is taught by Stark State professors. ECHS students are held to very strict criteria of attendance, academics, and behavior. College tuition and textbooks are paid for by Canton City Schools, so the ECHS program is offered at no cost to students. Each student is given the opportunity to complete college courses and earn college credit that in turn awards them an associate’s degree from Stark State College. The two degrees that can be chosen from are Associates of Arts and Associates of Science. Along with graduating with their associate’s degree, ECHS students also graduate with a diploma from McKinley Senior High School.

It is uncommon to have a nonprofit working out of a school, but we are grateful to have the full support of the Early College administration and staff.

Please visit our How to Give page for instructions on how to give to C.A.M.P. We are
grateful for your contributions and the impact you make on the futures of our students.