Each summer, the Highlands County Sheriff's Office sends more than 70 local students to a free, week-long stay at the Florida Sheriff Youth Ranch Summer Camp in Inglis. 

The camp is full of all the classic summer camp activities, such as swimming, archery, arts and crafts, team building and exploring. But a bonus is the deputies who are at the camp with the students, staying in the cabins with them and taking part in all the activities.

On the final day of the camp, the deputies -- most of them from the School Resource Unit -- put on their uniforms as a way to help the campers realize that the adults who have been having fun with them all week are law enforcement officers. It creates a bond between the deputies and the campers that helps foster relationships that continue when the school year is back in session. 

For more information about signing up for the camp, talk to your school's Resource Deputy or Officer.