Women – Mickey's Camp

The 18th Annual Mickey’s Camp For Women!

Mickey’s Camp was a long-time dream of mine. In 2001, that dream came true with the inaugural Mickey’s Camp. We pulled together 100 campers. In more than twenty years, Mickey’s Camp has enabled adults to leave behind daily pressures, explore new opportunities, perfect old skills, and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow campers in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.

In 2024, women’s and men’s camps combined raised more than $110,000 for over 60 charities. This year we are proud to present an extraordinary array of experts for Mickey’s Camp, scheduled for August 18-20 at Bradford Woods Outdoor Center. The nightly presentations will be a fireside chat on Monday with Discovering Broadway and our speaker for Tuesday night will be Indiana’s Secretary of Education, Dr. Katie Jenner. Your time will be filled with exciting 90-minute sessions throughout Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Options include jewelry making, sculpting, soap making, pickleball, stand up paddleboard and so much more. You may also relax at the beach, have a massage, or read a good book. Evening activities promise to be equally enjoyable as you will have the opportunity to dine on delicious cuisine, play in a poker or euchre tournament, eat s’mores around the campfire or turn the lights out early and rest up for another exciting day at camp. This year, sponsored meals include Cunningham Group, Metro Diner, Rick’s Café Boatyard, Sangrita Grill & Cantina, and The District Tap.

Read on to learn about what’s in store for you at Mickey’s Camp. Sign up soon; reservations are on a first come, first served basis.

IBJ Media and Mickey’s Camp Partnership

IBJ Media is once again excited to partner with Mickey’s Camp this year to bring campers “only at Mickey’s camp experiences.” Whether you are in need of a reset and the space to explore new ideas, new connections and new skills, or you are looking for a more active experience, Mickey’s Camp allows you to customize your experience. Start camp with a massage, a cocktail and a session about reading books, or jump start your camp experience by shooting shotguns, or climbing the alpine tower and then learn about the bourbon craze and try rare bourbons.

Not only will you have the opportunity to try new activities, learn new skills and support local charities, but you will have a blast meeting leaders from across the state and take a much-needed break from day-to-day obligations. We have returned with the professional development track which will include sessions on the art of negotiating, finding the right work/life balance and Econ 101 with Pete the Planner. You can also enjoy sessions with IBJ’s editor Lesley Weidenbener who will help try to make sense of politics and media, and sessions covering U.S. foreign policy. Join business, civic and political leaders at Mickey’s Camp this year who are all working to make Indiana a better place to call home.

MONDAY
Discovering Broadway

Discovering Broadway is a pre-Broadway incubator program based in Central Indiana. The not-for-profit exists to strengthen the arts scene and solidify Indiana as a launchpad for Broadway. They will be sharing their history, working with Sir Elton John, they will also present a sneak peek from Broadway bound musicals and premiere never-before-heard-songs.

TUESDAY
Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education

As Indiana’s first Secretary of Education and the state’s top education official, Dr. Katie Jenner is responsible for establishing a unified, student-centered vision across the full spectrum of education, from Pre-K and K-12 to college.

As one of eight secretaries in Governor Mike Braun’s cabinet, Dr. Jenner oversees eight state agencies and boards which comprise approximately 60% of the state budget, or approximately $26 billion over the biennium. This includes leading the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), chairing the State Board of Education (SBOE), and overseeing Commission for Higher Education, Charter School Board, Education Employee Relations Board, Indiana School for the Deaf, Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Indiana State Library.

Under Secretary Jenner’s leadership, the state of Indiana and local schools have celebrated a number of successes in K-12 education, including:

• Literacy rates increasing for three consecutive years, including the largest-ever single-year increase in 2024;

• Chronic absenteeism rates improving for two consecutive years;

• The unanimous adoption of new high school diploma requirements that allow increased flexibility for students to personalize their journey;

• The highest Indiana high school graduation rate on record;

• Creating a comprehensive teacher supply and demand marketplace, matching educators with open positions and recruiting new teachers to the profession; and

• Transparently measuring school and student outcomes that matter most for parents, families, and educators with the Indiana GPS Dashboard.

Dr. Jenner previously served as a high school teacher, preschool-12 district leader, and as vice president of a statewide higher education institution. She is also a wife and mother to twin daughters. She lives in Madison, Indiana.