LEAD Camp Information

Download Track Schedules

LEAD Contact Info

SSI/LEAD Phone Number:
517-321-6233

Office Email:
office@ssionline.org

Addresses

Spring Arbor University:
106 E Main St, Spring Arbor, MI 49283

Lansing Capitol
Legislative Session
100 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933

Arrival & Check-in:

Student check-in will be open 5:15-6:15pm in the Poling Center at Spring Arbor University (133 Ogle Ave, Spring Arbor, MI 49283; you can park on either Ogle Avenue or College Street). All students should arrive before 6:15pm. Student orientation will begin promptly at 6:30pm.

If you are delayed and will arrive late, PLEASE call us at 517-321-6233 x1. Students arriving after 6:30pm should bring their luggage to orientation. They will have time to take their luggage to their rooms afterward.

Pizza will be served Sunday night at 8:15pm. As it is very late in the day, you may want to get dinner before dropping off your student.

Closing Ceremony & Check-out:

The Closing Ceremony on Friday, July 26 will begin at 4:30pm at White Auditorium on Cottage Street on Spring Arbor’s campus. All parents are invited to attend. If you are not attending the closing ceremony, please arrive before 5:30pm to check-out your student.

Before you leave campus with your student, both the student and parent (or approved pick-up individual) need to check out with an SSI staff member. This is to confirm that your student has all their belongings and that the student is being released to an approved individual on the student’s registration. To add approved pick-up individuals, please visit your Dashboard on your registration.

More details:

• • Dorms will be assigned before LEAD. On the registration form, students had the opportunity to indicate whether they would like to be assigned to room with a specific person. Students wishing to room together MUST have both requested the other as a roommate in the appropriate field on the registration form. We also allowed students to request suitemates who will not dorm in the same room but will be in the room connected by a bathroom; we cannot guarantee to assign suitemates as requested, but if we are able, we will do so. Dorm assignments cannot be changed at camp. Each dorm room accommodates two people. No student will be alone in a suite. Students will receive a room key during their stay at SAU; however, any students who lose their key will be responsible to pay SAU for the cost of replacing it before checking out on Friday. All students will be housed in air-conditioned dorms. 
  • Men’s and Women’s dorm buildings are separate.
    • Women’s Dorm: The women’s dorm this year will have communal bathrooms. There are five shower spaces that have locking stalls, a wheelchair accessible shower, and four toilet stalls per floor. Students may wish to bring flip-flops to wear in the shower. If a students requested a suitemate, we will do our best to try to have them on the same floor, but we cannot guarantee this. 
    • Men’s Dorm: The men’s dorms will have suite style bathrooms (two rooms connected by a bathroom). See above for roommate and suitemate pairing requests.
  • Medications: All medications should have been indicated on the registration form. Any and all medications your student brings with them will need to be handed in to our medical coordinator at check-in. If your student did not indicate medications on the registration form or there has been any change to medications since registering, please contact the office with updated information.
  • CAMP PHONE NUMBER: If you need to speak with camp staff at any point throughout the week of camp, please contact us at the following number: (517) 321-6233 x1. If your call goes to voicemail, leave a message and someone will call you back as soon as possible. For non-urgent matters, you can email us at office@ssionline.org.
    • In case of emergencies, call (517) 321-6233 x2.
  • If you need directions to Spring Arbor University or the Legislative sessions in Lansing, you can find the most up-to-date information here. Please see the confirmation packet for help on answering many of the other questions you may have about times, places, what to bring, what not to bring, dress code, and more. You can download the confirmation packet here.

Events: 

• Parents are invited to an informational meeting at 6:15pm on Sunday with SSI President Joseph Cecil. The meeting will be held in the Den in the lower level of the Kresge Student Life Center at Spring Arbor University. This meeting is optional, but parents of first-time students are strongly encouraged to attend. It will include an overview of what the week will look like for your student and include a time for questions.
• Parents are welcome to join us for evening Chapel on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the Ralph Carey Forum in the Kresge Student Life Center at Spring Arbor University. All services are at 6:30pm.
• Mock Trial students will participate with their teams in one of three trials. The first trial will be held at 6:45pm on Thursday, July 11th in the White Auditorium at Spring Arbor University, and the second and third trials will be held at 9:45am on Friday, July 12th in the House Appropriations room and Senate Appropriations room in the Capitol Building in Lansing. All families are welcome to attend.
• Campaign students will participate in a debate with their teams on Thursday, July 25th at 6:45pm in the White Auditorium at Spring Arbor University. All families are welcome to attend.
• House and Senate students will debate their bills on Friday, July 12th in the Capitol Building in Lansing. Please check our website for detailed information before coming. The House session will begin at 10:30am in the House Chambers. The Senate session will begin at 10:30am in the Senate Chambers. Please use the gallery for both Chambers for viewing. *Because the House of Representatives are still in session, there is a possibility that we will move from the Chambers. Please check our website or social media for updates before going to the Capitol.
• Film and Media students will not have a particular presentation event, but instead will have their work showcased throughout the week.
• We will have a closing ceremony on Friday, July 12th at 4:30pm in the White Auditorium at Spring Arbor University. All families are invited to attend. If you are not attending the closing ceremony, please arrive before 5:30pm to check-out your student.

LEAD Merch: 

• You can purchase a LEAD backpack, hoodie, or a commemorative group photo at camp.