About Camp Lloyd
Camp Lloyd began as a dream of Dr. Illene Cupit, a professor of Human Development at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. After learning about grief camps at a conference of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, she wanted to develop such a camp that would help grieving children in the Northeastern Wisconsin area. Camp Lloyd was originally created in partnership with Unity Hospice of Green Bay and the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. Today, Camp Lloyd is solely under the auspices of UW-Green Bay. In this camp, the children learn that grief is normal and that it is okay to still act like kids and have fun.
This idea became a passion for Illene through the inspiration of Lloyd Noppe (a retired professor from UW-Green Bay). Dr. Lloyd Noppe lost his father at a very young age. Feeling alone and overwhelmed, he found life got a bit better when he could be with others who had a similar loss. He found it was good to know he could talk about his feelings and realized he was not alone. Illene believes that had a camp like this existed for Lloyd he would have greatly benefited from knowing that other children were dealing with similar situations and emotions. Camp Lloyd is so named to remind us that, together, we can help our hearts to get support and learn to have hope again.
The Mission of Camp Lloyd
Camp Lloyd is a day camp for children grieving the death of a loved one. It provides a safe environment where campers can explore their own experiences of grief, realize their feelings are normal and find support from each other. As part of University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Camp Lloyd provides an educational opportunity for undergraduate students to learn about grief in childhood through study and one-on-one mentoring and support to the Camp Lloyd campers.
Camp Lloyd Staff
Dr. Illene Cupit,
Founder & Camp Director
I grew up in the Bronx, New York, and received my PhD from the Educational Psychology Department of Temple University in 1979. I came to UW-Green Bay in 1984, where I teach a variety of courses about different aspects of the human life span. I have published many articles concerning death, loss and grief. I also was the President of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (2012-2013) (www.adec.org) and am on the board of a number of local and national groups focused on issues related to death and dying.In my minuscule spare time I enjoy biking swimming, being with my kids, playing the piano, reading, cooking and eating!
Kaelee Heideman,
Head Grief Counselor
I grew up in Big Bend, Wisconsin and completed my undergraduate degree at UW-Green Bay in 2014. I then entered my Master of Science in School Counseling program at UW-Oshkosh and completed that degree in 2017. I have been actively involved in grief work since first becoming involved with Camp Lloyd. I volunteer with several grief groups and have presented on grief topics to counseling students at UW-Oshkosh and school counselors in the state of Wisconsin. My involvement with Camp Lloyd began in 2013 when I served as a buddy. Since then, I have served in numerous roles, including head buddy, assistant director, grief counselor, and now, head grief counselor. It has been humbling to witness the magic of Camp Lloyd from so many different angles. Each summer I work with at least three different camps. Outside of camp, I enjoy playing volleyball, going on walks with my dog, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.
Grief Therapists & Counselors
Camp Lloyd is fortunate to have very qualified professionals who run the "Healing Circles" and provide additional emotional support during the Camp Lloyd day. Dr. Deirdre Radosevich is an Assistant Professor of Human Development, with a background in child clinical psychology. In addition several camp Lloyd buddies who have graduated UW-Green Bay and completed Masters Degree in Counseling have returned to facilitate "Healing Circles". Kaelee Heideman is our "go-to" person for the grief support aspect of camp.
Student/Interns, Camp Lloyd Buddies
Camp Lloyd student interns, or buddies are mostly recruited from Psychology, Social Work, and Educational programs at UW-Green Bay. These students are allowed to participate in the camp for a 3 credit internship after successfully completing a course in death and dying and training sessions the semester prior to camp. Students are not grief counselors but are selected on the basis of their motivation, maturity and sensitivity to children who are in difficult circumstances. Most interns or buddies have aspirations to go on in the counseling field. Additional staff are returning buddies from previous Camp Lloyd years. It is the goal of Camp Lloyd to "buddy up" one intern for 1-2 campers. Many activities will take place on a group basis, but the special attention and devotion of buddies to their special camper is an important feature of our camp.
Camp Lloyd Activities
Camp Lloyd will have many exciting summer activities. Each day there is a grief related activity (our "Healing Circles").
Other activities will include:
- Music
- Arts and Crafts
- Gym Activities
- Games
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Activities specifically geared for the older campers
Camp Lloyd Location
Camp will take place on the UW-Green Bay campus in the Mauthe Center. In addition, the university campus, with its six miles of arboretum trails, proximity to the bay, and athletic fields will provide outside space where campers can play gym games and run around!