60+ college student leaders and advisors come together from across the United States;

National nonprofit for LGBT college youth plans to award at camp national leadership award to Daniel Hernandez Jr. and names annual "Campy" distinguished service awards and LGBT campus commitment honors.

Today Campus Pride kicks off its fifth annual Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp aptly called “Camp Pride.” The five day long leadership camp, the only national program of its kind, is geared toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and ally student leaders from colleges and universities across the United States. This year’s camp is hosted on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.

The Camp Pride curriculum is based on the Social Change Model of Leadership Development and includes campus organizing techniques, conflict management, social justice advocacy, diversity education and more. In addition to the 60+ LGBT and ally young people, the camp also has a new Advisor’s Bootcamp to train individuals on how to support LGBT youth organizing and activism on campus.

This year Campus Pride will bestow its National Voice & Action Leadership Award to Daniel Hernandez, Jr., the student intern credited with saving the life of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) after the Jan. 8 shooting attack in Tucson, AZ. The award is the only honor of its kind, focused on the work of undergraduate college students who are creating positive change for LGBT and ally issues within their communities.

Campus Pride works so hard every year to put together an awesome camp for LGBT & Ally college students from across the nation. This year (the third year) we had over 50 students in attendance and 20 faculty/student leader volunteers. Plus, we had a dozen student ambassadors from our camp host Towson University. So amazing, so much work! So much FUN!

As you might imagine, I am exhausted from a week of learning, action and friendships. Plus, I forget how uncomfortable a residence hall bed can be for five nights. So for now I am just going to share some pictures below.

Thank you to everyone who made camp possible this year – our stellar volunteers, corporate sponsors, individual donors, faculty, pride leaders, planning team and staff of Towson University – GO CAMP! Learn more online at www.campuspride.org/camp.asp