Serving up pancakes, eggs and bacon — that he had helped prepare —got Grant Kleemeyer thinking about his love of cooking in a new way.

“This looks like it would be a fun job,” he said.

Over the last few weeks, Grant and his fellow campers at Discover Summer Camp have gotten the chance to explore a lot of “fun jobs” including touring a farm, visiting a fire station, learning about photography and chatting with the owner of a CrossFit gym. 

The camp — run by Licking/Knox Goodwill Industries  — was a new opportunity for youth, age 12 to 15, supported by the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities (LCBDD). 

In its first year, 9 young people attended, spread out over two, three week sessions. 

The camp was created to offer another summertime option for tweens and younger teens, said Lexi Hall, Vice President of Mission Services at Licking/Knox Goodwill. 

When young people are 14 or 15, they are typically able to participate in the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities’ Summer Youth Work Experience. Teens in that program can get paid to work for several weeks at a community job site.  Ideally after they graduate from high school, they transition from that program to community employment. 

But there was a gap in options for 12 to 14-year-old students in the summertime. Offering a camp seemed like the perfect opportunity to introduce them to the working world, before they try out a summer job,  Lexi said. 

“This was created to expose them to different careers, each day, in a fun environment,” she said.

LCBDD initially reached out to Goodwill in the fall of 2025 to see if they would be interested in partnering on the creation of the camp. 

“We were hoping to create an opportunity for  employment exploration, hands-on activities, and fun experiences to help youth discover their interests, build confidence and begin thinking about their future,” said Lisa Miller, Transition Specialist Manager at LCBDD.

LCBDD provided funding so each camper could attend one session at no cost. Goodwill was able to develop the programming and provide the camp staff. 

Although both camp sessions had a similar schedule, some activities were added based on campers’ interests. 

After finding out one camper was interested in aviation, they took a tour of the Licking County Regional Airport. They also enjoyed visiting the Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County (C-TEC) and getting haircuts, cooking and harvesting vegetables at Learning 4 Life farm.

Several guest speakers also visited with campers at the Goodwill office, including a crime scene investigator.

They also experienced some traditional summer camp fun — tie-dyeing t-shirts, playing games and enjoying ice cream and some carnival rides. 

Campers were surveyed at the beginning and end of camp to find out how much they’d learned about different career paths. Many students went in with knowledge of careers in retail, but it was important for them to see how many other opportunities there are, Lexi said.

“When they come to us, ready for employment, we want them to know there are a lot of other (paths) out there. We don’t want them to be boxed in,” she said.

Grant and his fellow camper Aiden Rauch said that they’ve become good friends during their time at camp. They both agreed they would recommend it to others. 

“You get to learn a bunch of things by having fun,” Aiden said. “I want to do it again next year!”