Teen Camp is one of our favorite sessions of the summer. There is just something about the ability to choose your own area of focus, from wilderness, to fine arts, to performing arts, and forging bonds with T1Ds that share your interests that you can’t mimic outside of camp. Yet, beyond the wilderness treks and talent shows, Teen Camp holds a deeper purpose. The nine days of fun set the scene for deep connections and life-changing education. Teen Camp is specifically designed to support high school-aged teens as they navigate school life, social situations, and the pressures and stressors that come with being a teenager.  The capstone of Teen Camp is Teen Ed Day. By promoting open dialogue and thoughtful teen education, Teen Ed Day is leading the way in providing well-rounded support and community.

DYF is the only program in the country to offer formalized teen diabetes education in a day-long, conference style format. We are excited to share that Beyond Type 1 partnered with us as the Title Sponsor of Teen Ed Day 2019! Novo Nordisk also supported the day of education as a Mission Sponsor. Thanks to the support of Beyond Type 1 and Novo Nordisk, our 112 teen campers gained insight and independence, found self-confidence, built strong relationships, and mastered new skills that they will carry with them through college and beyond.

This year, we were thrilled to welcome Mary Lucas as our keynote speaker. Mary kicked off Teen Ed Day with a presentation about her own life journey with type 1 diabetes. She touched on struggles she has faced, from life at diagnosis to battling body image issues, and how her coping mechanisms, tools, and tactics have evolved as she lives with diabetes. Mary reiterated the importance of community and empowered campers to reach out, forge connections, and empower one another and themselves to live full, fruitful lives with diabetes. We’d like to thank Beyond Type 1 and Mary for reiterating this message and for taking the time to be with us on this impactful day.

Following Mary’s keynote address, campers separated out into breakout sessions. This year’s sessions included: Women Rock!; Men Rock!; Queer Rock!; Body Talk; Nutrition in College; Need to Know: Alcohol; Exercise; Depression & Anxiety; Real World Diabetes; and more.

We’ve seen, time and time again, how continuing education and reliable support systems are crucial to the management of T1D. It is our hope that, through Teen Ed Day, our campers have expanded their type 1 toolboxes, connected with valuable resources,  and learned tips and tricks they will carry throughout their lives.