About C.A.M.P
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. We look forward to what’s next for C.A.M.P.
Who We Serve
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.
Through the assistance of our partnership with College Planning Alliance, the C.A.M.P. scholarship program, and the hard work of our students, C.A.M.P. graduates receive significantly reduced or cost neutral admission to one of our 10 local college partners.
Simultaneously, while in high school and part of C.A.M.P., we solicit internships with partner organizations and receive both summer and year-round paid employment for our students.
Our program has facilitated over 150 paid internships since its inception. Our newly developed long-term strategy with partner organizations is to ensure that internships translate into full-time employment opportunities for our students upon graduation from college, which would not only create an immediate economic impact on these students but also contribute to the local economy of Canton.
The primary goal of the program is to equip students with the opportunities they need to break the generational cycle of poverty in their families.
Our Mission
C.A.M.P. is designed to offer talented and motivated students at Early College at Lehman a comprehensive professional training and development program from middle school to career. We nurture our students through mentoring, career seminars, internships, networking, and scholarships to provide significant competitive advantages for employment and higher education.
Our Vision & Values
We have a vision where our students succeed in college and in their careers and keep their talents in Stark County and surrounding areas. Many of our students face difficulties in their lives and many are first generation college students. It is important that we work to remove obstacles to help them achieve their full potential.
Tenents of Success
Helping students hone their professionalism in the workplace
Support personal growth, confidence and networking skills
Deepen strategic thinking and resilience when facing challenges
Build hard skills and core competencies for career success
The “Why” Behind C.A.M.P.
Supporting primarily at-risk and underserved students
Empowering first generation college students
Strengthening our community by keeping our best and brightest close to home
Overcoming challenges to help students achieve their full potential
Our Structure
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. Board
- Dr. Mangala Betkerur – Development Committee Member, Retired Physician
- Steve Burger – Treasurer, CFO at Employers Health
- Yago Gonzalez – Board President, Portfolio Manager
- Terry Moore – Governance Committee Chair, Attorney
- Adam Olenick – Development Committee Member, Financial Advisor
- Alicia Pucky – Secretary of the Board, V.P. Human Resources at Fresh Mark)
- Troy Russell – Governance Committee Member, Principal at Early College High School
- Randy Snow – Vice President, Attorney
- Richard Milligan – Governance Committee Member, Attorney
- Ken Peterson – Governance Committee Member, Business Owner
C.A.M.P. Advisory Committee
- Dr. Mangala Betkerur (Healthcare)
- Dr. Vasant Betkerur (Healthcare)
- Anne Bowers (Education)
- Ken Brunner (Education/Principal)
- Justine Chester (Counseling/Psychotherapy, C.A.M.P. Alumnus)
- Bruce DiPietro (Financial Planning)
- Julie Gonzalez (Nonprofit)
- Chet Lenartowicz (Education)
- Nick Loukas (Engineering)
- Touby McCammon (College Planning)
- Molly McDougal (Marketing)
- Debbie Myers (Human Resources)
- Loren Petry, D.D.S. (Healthcare)
- Victoria Phillips (Education/Counseling)
- Jim Pukys (Education)
- Michelle Reinsel (Human Resources)
- Jim Sage (Information Technology)
- Mark Servodio (Financial Planning)
- Dennis Trenger (Education)
- Lesley Venturella (Communications)
- Tom Venturella (Sales/Marketing)
About Early College
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.
Financial Transparency
We are committed to financial transparency. Download our disclosures below to see our financial statements and 501(c)3 disclosure.
Still Have Questions?
Visit our FAQ page to learn more about our program.