My Site
Our Story
Thirteen years ago, Jennifer was a new elementary school teacher, and Lauren was placed in her classroom as a student teacher. Then, Lauren returned to Jennifer's classroom during grad school to research social skill development in students with special needs. After gaining a masters degree in special education, Lauren and Jennifer taught fifth grade math and science together for a couple years. Lauren transitioned to special education inclusion role, and Jennifer remained in 5th grade. This dynamic allowed them to collaborate in a unique way to successfully support the inclusion of students with a range of abilities in the classroom.
Since then, they have both resigned from teaching positions to focus on their families and are currently living their dream of having boys close in age. Lauren has been interested in returning to the special needs world in some capacity, and Jennifer has been in the thick of navigating the world of Down Syndrome since the prenatal diagnosis of her son, who we lovingly call WAM.
About
While Lauren and Jennifer were instant friends, they never imagined how God might use their friendship (and those friendships they have both made along the way) to impact a community they both care so much about over a decade later. They have considered lots of side hustles over the years, but in summer 2023, they piloted their latest venture, Camp Clover (with a nudge from another mama in the Down Syndrome community). Though 12 campers might sound small, it was quite a hit!
After summer 2024, they realized Camp Clover was filling a major gap, and the camper count over the course of the summer had almost doubled to 23 campers served!
In 2025, Camp Clover became an official non-profit organization. They brought on new therapists and teachers, welcomed 30 volunteers, and served 30 campers--adding a wide range of abilities beyond Down Syndrome--over the course of the summer!
