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How many children go their whole lives without experiencing summer camp? 

That’s why the National T.T.T. Society Chapter MN W of Albert Lea provides summer camp scholarships each year to deserving girls in the community.

The National T.T.T. Society, commonly called “Tri-T” by its members, has been around for over 110 years and has chapters in dozens of communities across the United States. In that time, its members have had one focus: transforming young lives by getting girls outdoors.

“Our members love getting to see the grins on these girls’ faces when they come back from a transformative week of summer camp,” said chapter President Ann Goodmanson.

This weekend, Chapter MN W will be participating in the T.T.T. National Service Weekend, where chapters from across the U.S. choose a local project to give back to their community.

Chapter MN W will be doing a fall cleanup on Saturday of the Higbie Gardens as their local service project.

National T.T.T. Society’s scholarship program focuses on fourth- and fifth-grade girls around the age of 10, who are generally recommended by the local elementary schools or other youth-based organizations. Not only does the T.T.T. chapter provide the funding for the girls’ tuition to attend camp, the members also ensure that the girls have the supplies, clothes and other necessities before they leave. The chapter does an annual shopping trip with the girls, which Goodmanson admits is almost as much fun as sending the girls off to camp.

“Our members have just as much fun as the girls getting them all ready to go!” she said. “And the benefit is that their parents or guardians don’t have to worry about anything to prepare the girls for their experience.”

Why does T.T.T. focus on summer camp? Partially because children spend more and more time indoors these days between homework, school and screened devices. Summer camp allows these girls to separate from the screens, breathe fresh air and meet other young leaders like themselves.

T.T.T. Chapter MN W believes that not only can this experience be transformative, it helps girls to build lifelong relationships and skills that they take with them into their teenage years and adulthood. Members see it as their privilege to get to provide these summer camp experiences and to pave the way for these girls to be brave and bold in their future.

T.T.T. Chapter MN W is currently recruiting new members — the group meets monthly. For more information on how to join the local Albert Lea chapter, please visit www.nationalTTTsociety.org.