Northbrook and Highland Park Sessions Wrap up Another Transformative Season
As Camp Neeka’s 2026 season draws to a close, Josselyn is celebrating its biggest summer yet. For the first time, Camp Neeka expanded to three locations, allowing a record 193 children to experience a summer filled with healing, friendship, and personal growth.
Following a successful session in Waukegan earlier this summer, Camp Neeka is wrapping up its Northbrook and Highland Park programs this week, bringing another season of therapeutic programming to children and families across the North Shore and Lake County.
Camp Neeka is more than a summer camp. It’s a place where children ages 7 to 16 build confidence, strengthen friendships, and develop lifelong coping skills in a safe, welcoming environment where every child is encouraged to be themselves.
For Rameez, 10, who attended Camp Neeka in Northbrook, those lessons were life changing. “Learning how to use coping skills really helped me through my anxiety. I love being at Camp Neeka because it’s really fun and it’s a really good community,” he said.
Led by licensed therapists and trained mental health professionals, Camp Neeka blends evidence-based therapeutic programming with the fun and connection of a traditional summer camp. Through expressive therapies, outdoor activities, field trips, and group experiences, campers build emotional regulation, communication, resilience, and problem-solving skills they carry long after summer ends.
Dana, 10, from Highland Park, said one of her favorite parts of camp was exploring new places on field trips while learning skills she can use every day. She shared, “Camp Neeka teaches you a lot of coping skills…like taking deep breaths, taking a walk, or talking to a friend…that you could use for actual school.”
At the heart of Camp Neeka is the therapeutic curriculum developed by Josselyn’s Director of Mental Health Education, Maggie Cueller, LCSW, M.Ed., and brought to life by a dedicated team of counselors and mental health professionals committed to helping every child feel seen, supported, and empowered.
For Sophia, 9, it was the caring community that made Camp Neeka unforgettable. “Camp Neeka is fun, helpful, and when you have a bad emotion, all the counselors are really, really there for you…this summer is better than any summer,” she said.
As the final week of Camp Neeka comes to a close, Josselyn celebrates another summer of helping children build resilience, strengthen relationships, and discover that they are never alone. Expanding Camp Neeka to three locations reflects Josselyn’s continued commitment to increasing access to high-quality children’s mental health care and ensuring more families can experience the life-changing impact of therapeutic summer programming.
Learn more about Camp Neeka and Josselyn’s mental health programs at josselyn.org.
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