Andover and North Andover children are among the roughly 600 kids rotating through Sheriff Kevin Coppinger's free Youth Leadership Academy this summer, learning CPR, escaping a fire simulator, and touring Middleton Jail.

Local campers got their week at the Middleton facility from Monday, July 27, through Friday, July 31, joining kids from Lawrence, Methuen, and Danvers. The seven-week program pairs public safety training with recreational outings, all taught by working law enforcement officers and firefighters at no cost to families.

The hands-on curriculum goes well beyond a typical summer camp. Middleton firefighter Vinnie Zarella runs campers through a burning-room escape simulator. Methuen police detectives lead criminal investigation exercises. The Middleton Police Department teaches personal safety and stranger-danger awareness, and Massachusetts State Police officers deliver a safety presentation. Every camper also receives CPR training, internet safety instruction, and lessons on bullying prevention and substance use awareness.

Campers ages 8 to 14 are split into junior (8–10) and senior (11–14) groups, with discussions and activities scaled to each level. Senior campers tour Middleton Jail for a firsthand look at the consequences of poor decisions.

"As Sheriff, I spend a great deal of time helping adults rebuild their lives after poor decisions," Coppinger told the Eagle-Tribune. "Programs like this allow us to work on the other end of that equation by giving young people the knowledge, confidence, and character to make positive choices from the very beginning."

The week isn't all classroom work. Recreational outings include bowling, mini golf, a trampoline park, a whale watch excursion, a visit from Curious Creatures, and stops at Richardson's Ice Cream. Free bus transportation is provided.

Alexandria Boucher of Salem attended the academy every summer from ages 8 through 14. Now a senior at Saint Anselm College studying criminal justice, she returned this year as a counselor.

Coppinger told the Eagle-Tribune that families have reported real-world results: children who used their CPR training to help someone who was choking, and others who intervened when classmates were being bullied.

The program is funded in part by the New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, a federal agency based in Methuen, and Essex County Outreach. It is open to any Essex County child, though each community is assigned a specific week and local children get priority.

Registration for 2026 is closed. The 2027 sign-up is expected to open in March at essexsheriffcamp.com. Spots typically fill within hours. Families with questions can email [email protected].