East Clinton Project TRUST is growing and expanding. With the support of EC administration, including second year East Clinton Middle School Principal Matt Melnek, the program was able to have a whole school assembly, including all sixth-eighth graders to kick off the November 2022 Project TRUST Camp.

This was the first assembly of its kind for ECMS Project TRUST. Sixth-eighth grade students learned about the purpose of Project TRUST and completed a few activities, including a Project TRUST problem solving activity that involved every single student and staff member in attendance.

ECPT had camp from Nov. 16-18. Despite having a small group of kids as a result of several illnesses in the building, the campers still had an amazing time. The camp usually includes around 40 campers. This camp took place with only 29. The camp was exciting and jam-packed with fun despite the threat of cancellation due to illness. Campers learned about teamwork, understanding, and respect for others. The cornerstone of Project TRUST is an activity that teaches kids about the negative impacts of bullying and gives kids some tools to help prevent bullying back in the middle school.

In addition to the assembly, the program was able to have a counselor breakfast for the first time in East Clinton Project TRUST history. ECPT keeps 20-30 active counselors in order to have the kids available to help with bringing project TRUST back to EC.

On Nov. 16, the counselors were provided breakfast at Traditions Restaurant in Sabina. The meal was paid for by Carrie Zeigler of State Farm Insurance. The school is grateful to Stefanie McFadden at Traditions for taking great care of the counselors and thankful to Carrie Zeigler for treating the counselors to an awesome breakfast. ECPT would like to extend a thank you to YMCA Camp Kern staff, Jim and Sheilah Boland, the Clinton County Foundation, the EC Administration and the EC Board of Education. Shout out to the ECPT staff who make this possible: Laura Lynch, Andrew Ramsay, Steven Sodini, Alicia Gee, and Doug Wait.

“East Clinton Project TRUST is extremely grateful to all of our supporters and sponsors,” read a statement from ECPT. “Thanks to events like the Swinging for TRUST golf outing at Snow Hill and the Alumni basketball game our campers are only responsible for $25 of their $110 camp fee. ECPT is committed to helping kids experience this amazing camp at as little cost to the families as possible! If you have supported ECPT, THANK YOU!!”

If you would like to get involved with Project TRUST, the next fundraiser is the EC Alumni Basketball tournament on Dec. 29. Any EC graduate can register using the link tinyurl.com/ecalumnibball

East Clinton Project TRUST will continue to strive to make ECMS a better place one camp at a time.