E-Nini-Hassee Success comes from Time-Honored Traditions

October 25, 2017

For nearly 50 years, Eckerd Kids’ E-Nini-Hassee Outdoor Therapeutic School for Girls has changed the lives of young women in need of emotional and behavioral support. Since Jack and Ruth Eckerd opened the camp in 1969, thousands of girls have had their lives transformed by the experience. On Thursday, October 26, 2017 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. the girls in this year’s troop are offering dinner and behind-the-scenes tours to thank the community for its support.

Unlike therapeutic schools that allow students more access to technology, Camp E-Nini-Hassee takes a more traditional approach to helping adolescent girls learn independence, self-control, and self-discipline

“This experience really humbles you,” said Jo Lynn Smith, E-Nini’s-Hassee’s Director. “This is mind, body and spirit. Nothing is off limits—it’s the whole girl.” That holistic approach includes teaching the girls cooking skills, how to weather the elements with groupmates, sewing and canoeing, how to train for a 5k, and healthy ways to communicate—all while maintaining academics with instruction from certified teachers.

Camp staff attributes its success to the long established method of stripping an environment down to the basics, which encourages true introspection and transformation without the distractions of social media and technological devices.

The girls of Camp E-Nini-Hassee are giving visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the 840-acre camp site, offering tours and one of their beloved homemade dishes: spaghetti. “This is an annual tradition that you don’t want to miss,” promises Jo Lynn. “We’re thrilled to serve our hundreds of guests each year and let them see firsthand what this life-changing program is all about. It’s our way of saying thank you to this community for all the support over the last 48 years and also a fantastic opportunity for alumni and former employees to come back and share stories and memories while getting to know some of the girls currently staying with us at E-Nini-Hassee.”

The nineteenth annual E-Nini-Hassee dinner tour is an open community event with a track record for high attendance. No advance purchase tickets are necessary. Pay $10 per plate at the door and enjoy spaghetti, salad, dessert, tours and fellowship.

Come see why E-Nini-Hassee, remains the most established and trusted outdoor therapeutic school for girls in the Southeast and is consistently identified as one of the most effective programs of its kind.

For more information on the mission and services of E-Nini-Hassee, visit www.Eckerd.org/E-Nini-Hassee.

Event Details:
Thursday, October 26, 2017
3:30 PM- 7 PM
7027 E Stage Coach Trail
Floral City, Florida 34436

To download b-roll of E-Nini-Hassee for your newscast or social media page, click here.
For video of Jo Lynn Smith’s commitment to the E-Nini-Hassee mission, click here.