Our People
We bring different perspectives to the table, but we’re united by a love for purposeful work, thoughtful design, and real connection.
Hue Dao
With a vision for building something meaningful, our founder brings a blend of big-picture thinking, vibrant energy, and lived experience. She sets the tone for everything we do.
You can read more about her and the founding story here.
Founder & Executive Director
Sandra “Sandy” Lewandowski"
Sandy brings 50 years in education to the Summer Camp Project board, including 16 years as Superintendent of Intermediate District 287, which serves students with the highest mental health and special-education needs across 11 Hennepin County school districts. Under her leadership, District 287 became the first district in Minnesota to institute a formal Social Emotional Learning program, and she led a partnership with trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry that helped make District 287 the state's first trauma-sensitive, healing-centered school district.
In 2017, she made the controversial decision to remove school resource officers from all schools and replace them with safety coaches trained in relationship-building and de-escalation — a model later shown to sharply reduce student arrests. Her work supporting children with mental illness earned her NAMI Minnesota's Educator of the Year award, and the Minnesota Association of School Administrators recognized her with the 2020 Kay E. Jacobs Memorial Award for leadership and concern for students.
In the final year of her tenure, a deadly shooting occurred near her school. Rather than retreat, she testified before the Minnesota Legislature in support of additional mental health funding for special education programs, drawing on her decade of advocacy for trauma-informed school security — work she has said she'll continue well past retirement.
Board Member, Vice Chair