The first "Buddy Camp" was developed in 1981 by Dr. Tommy Barber, who was then the Director of Special Education/School Psychologist with the Galax (VA) Public Schools. For one week during the summers of 1981 and 1982, the Camp's name was the "Speaking and Listening Camp" and served 15-20 speech/language-delayed preschool children who were culturally and environmentally disadvantaged. Soon after that, the newly-formed Salem City Schools recruited Dr. Barber, and he brought "Buddy Camp" to Salem (VA) in the Summer of 1984, running successfully through the Summer of 2011 (yes, 28 years). Barber designed this one-week, intensely stimulating summer camp to give 25 "at-risk" students entering kindergarten or preschool developmentally-delayed children "Campers" and their teenage "Buddies" a one-of-a-kind educational experience.

During the Summer of 2012, Salem City Schools could not have Buddy Camp due to a lack of public school funds and grants. On July 25, 2012 – one month after when Buddy Camp should have been held, educator Jill Bailey Chenet (a previous Buddy) tragically drowned with her unborn daughter off the coast of North Carolina. After her funeral, the seeds were sown to re-start Buddy Camp in 2013, renaming the Camp in her honor. Jill had been an exemplary Buddy from 1994 – 1998 and went on to become a teacher and reading specialist for hearing-impaired children at the renowned River School in Washington D.C. for five years until her death. Dr. Barber and other contributors started the "Jill's Buddy Camp Foundation" on February 12, 2013 under the Salem Education Foundation & Alumni Association (Salem, VA) umbrella. 

By early June 2013, all the newly raised private/community funds to run the first official Jill's Buddy Camp were raised and in place. The Camp was held once again at East Salem Elementary in June 2013. 18 preschool, developmentally-delayed "Campers" and their teenage "Buddies" benefitted.  

Jill's Buddy Camp 2014 was a banner year with much growth and new exposure. Campers and Buddies participated in this exceptional growth experience at its newly renovated and current location, South Salem Elementary School (Jill's elementary school growing up). On Thursday, June 26th, the 34-minute national debut of the "Jill's Buddy Camp Movie" was presented to the community. The movie is a wonderful tribute to Jill and gives viewers a thorough understanding of Jill's Buddy Camp's guiding principles and operation and how other communities may replicate the model. 

From 2014 to 2019, Jill's Buddy Camp continued successfully, and during this time, two other Jill's Buddy Camps were started with excellent community endorsement. These Jill's Buddy Camps involved a community recreation department jointly sponsoring their Camp in cooperation with the public school division in their locality:

*Christiansburg Recreation Department with the Montgomery Co. Public Schools (VA)

*Charlottesville City Recreation Dept. with the Charlottesville City Public Schools (VA)

Although America's COVID-19 Pandemic prevented all three Jill's Buddy Camps from operating during the summers of 2019 - 2021, they were in full operation once again for the summer of 2022. Our greatest hope as a community and as educators is that Jill's Buddy Camp will endure and thrive in Jill's legacy for years to come.