About Us
A Mission of Hope and Healing for Foster & At-Risk Youth
Camp 1315 is an outreach of Tricord Ministries, founded by Dean and Val Piacentini. Founded in 2007, Camp 1315 is a dedicated to empowering children and teens in foster care through mentorship, education, and hands-on life skills programs. Our mission is to create a safe environment where youth can discover their strengths, learn essential life and trade skills, and experience stability, love, and belonging.
Our Story
Phase One: The Call to Easton
Founder Val Piacentini beautifully captures the beginnings of this journey in her first book, Foolish Things. The story begins with the “Call to Easton” on Christmas Day in 2007 and chronicles the earliest days of serving at-risk youth in the Easton community.
These stories, ranging from deeply uplifting to profoundly heart-wrenching, laid the foundation for what would become a lifelong calling: to love, serve, and uplift youth in crisis through consistent mentorship and compassion.
Phase Two: The Blue Mailbox — A New Chapter
As the mission grew, new programming emerged with the launch of Camp 1315 youth development programs designed specifically for foster care and at-risk youth.
Camp 1315 exposes children and teens to a wide range of trades, creative avenues, and hands-on learning experiences while teaching essential life skills that help youth thrive throughout their life journey.
Camp 1315 is a nonprofit organization offering affordable, year-round learning programs currently serving youth 8-17 yrs old.
Today, we are blessed with a dedicated team of individuals who view their work as a calling, not just a job. Registration for Summer 2026 programs will open on February 1, 2026.
These programs build on our proven mentoring model in Easton, making learning fun while teaching critical skills such as:
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Understanding behavior and consequences (how choices impact one’s future)
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Entrepreneurship and life skills (banking, saving, budgeting, and investing)
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Self-discovery, communication, and confidence building
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Healthy relationships and emotional resilience
Each child will be nurtured as a valued individual in a safe, structured environment that includes indoor recreation space and consistent mentorship. Through hands-on activities and trusted relationships, youth will learn coping strategies, emotional regulation, and how to build trust.
Our goal is to see every child grow in confidence, stability, and maturity—learning how to set and achieve meaningful goals while discovering their unique gifts and talents.
Phase Three: Building Futures
Looking ahead, Phase Three envisions the development of a campground community that provides housing for foster youth aging out of the system. Retired tradespeople will volunteer their skills to build cabins that serve as permanent, family-like homes.
Youth who express interest in the trades will be sponsored to attend trade school, with guaranteed safe housing while they learn, work, and build independence.
As the vision continues to grow, Camp 1315 anticipates expanding to multiple locations, beginning with the launch of our first camps in 2026.