The Warwick Police Department and the city of Warwick’s Youth Advisory & Prevention Task Force are teaming up again to offer the Warwick Youth Leadership Camp.

Fourteen years ago Sue Gauthier, the retired School Resource Officer (SRO) at Toll Gate and Officer Dennis Amerantes, the SRO at Pilgrim, started the camp. Amerantes is still highly involved with planning and implementing the camp.

The camp had been previously partnered with the National Guard as well, but with budget cuts from last year’s sequestration the Guard unfortunately had to end its participation.

The weeklong camp, based at the Buttonwoods Community Center, is an opportunity for Warwick youths from the ages of 11 to 14 to develop and raise confidence in analytical, problem solving and leadership skills.

Amerantes said, “At that age, just getting out of elementary and in middle school is where they really begin to face peer pressure. The program is very anti-drug and anti-bullying to help the kids become leaders rather than followers and how to work together to solve the issues they may be faced with.”

Patricia St. Amant, Warwick director of family support, said, “The kids will be surrounded by professionals in an informal and friendly setting to help encourage them to invest in their futures, set goals, break out of their comfort zone and to become leaders in their school’s communities.”

The camp also aims to build durable bonds between grades and schools by having kids throughout Warwick participate. The hope is that by having these students work together through leadership tasks, their bonds will be strengthened and thus the community will become stronger as well.

“I love this camp,” St. Amant said, “there are so many different sectors of the city working together and donating their time to bring these kids to the greatest level of success.”

The camp will run July 22 to 25 and then again July 29 to Aug. 1 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. At the beginning of the week kids will participate in icebreakers and get to know each other as well as games and activities.

Throughout the week the campers will visit the New England Tech forensic crime lab to perform a mock investigation with the real equipment and experienced officers. They will also perform the low and high ropes at the University of Rhode Island’s Challenge Course. The week will finish up with a barbecue with police officers, firemen, SWAT team and canine units for food, awards and a rock-climbing wall.

Amerantes said 90 percent of kids who participate in the program want to go back the next year.

There are still availabilities for the weeks of July 22 to 25 and July 29 to Aug. 1. Applications can be found at www.warwickpd.com. The finished application, permission slips, waiver forms and the $30 fee can then be dropped off or mailed to the Police Department, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, Warwick, Rhode Island 02886 or the Buttonwoods Community Center with St. Amant at 3027 West Shore Road, Warwick. Checks can be made out to City of Warwick/Leadership Camp. The last day applications will be accepted is July 2.