Hats Off to Success

Summer leadership camps offer students a life-changing opportunity to hone leadership skills and return to school with new ideas and a better understanding of their role as student leaders.

For many summertime adventurers, thoughts of camp include itchy mosquito bites, hikes through hidden trails, and spooky ghost stories around a blazing bonfire. But for the thousands of students who have attended leadership camps all across the country, a week at summer camp means much more. Along with the opportunity to have fun and form lifelong friendships, leadership camps also provide students with the chance to build valuable leadership skills that will be carried with them long after they return to their classrooms and communities.

Leadership camps are offered by many state student council associations and also by the National Association of Student Councils in conjunction with the National Honor Society. Programs often cater to high school students, but camps for middle level students are also available.

In Missouri, the camps for middle level and high school students run concurrently. According to Terri Johnson, executive director of the Missouri Association of Student Councils, this unique feature is an asset for the students. "The two groups do have individualized programs and do some creative sessions alone, but for the most part they are together. It works very well, and they learn from each other," she says.

Camp settings vary by state and even between the three distinctive camps offered by NASC and NHS. In 2005, students attending a national camp can find themselves in Nevada on the shores of Lake Tahoe, in Colorado where Estes Park features rugged terrain and rustic accommodations, or in a campus environment at Union College in New York.

In Oregon, the middle school camp is held in a traditional outdoor setting. In addition to leadership activities, campers are treated to tubing on a nearby river and community sing-alongs around an old-fashioned campfire. In contrast, the high school camp is held on a picturesque college campus. Many attendees appreciate the mature setting and the opportunity to take advantage of campus amenities including dormitories, large auditoriums, and athletic fields. "The students get the chance to experience dorm life and time on a campus. Hopefully, it reinforces their desire to continue on to higher education," says Nancy Moen, executive director of the Oregon Association of Student Councils.

Camp settings can be as diverse as the states that offer them, but all camps endorsed by state or national associations are staffed by adult educators who have been carefully selected based on their expertise in facilitating student leadership skills. Junior counselors work alongside adult advisers and assist with preparation, supervision, and general management of activities. Most junior counselors are camp alumni who are returning as high school seniors or college students.

Clay Ross, graduating senior from Lost River HS in Merrill, OR, is a six-year veteran of summer leadership camps. Ross believes the camps provide students with the opportunity to look inside themselves and discover their potential. He looks forward to putting his skills to the test in a leadership role this summer. "As a junior counselor, it will be my responsibility to help the kids in my council become more comfortable with themselves and in working with others. I will be one of the many adults at the camp who help to empower today's youth with the knowledge and skills they need to change the world. I understand what camp is like from a camper's perspective. Now I want to see if I can help my council, like many amazing counselors have helped me."

While the main goal of leadership camps is to influence students, Moen, who had her first camp experience more than 16 years ago, finds that the adult and junior counselors on staff in Oregon also benefit from the positive team-building experience. "As an educator, my first camp blew me away. It's exactly what we all wish education could be. I love the networking and the creativity of both staff and students. You can be exhausted from the hours involved, yet crackling with excitement. Our senior and junior counselors are a team."

Phil Gugliuzza, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Student Councils, agrees that an enthusiastic staff is responsible for the success of the program and also shares in the rewards. "The best part of the camp experience is watching the students get excited about their abilities, the bonding of an incredible staff, and knowing that we are sending our student leaders home with a new-found sense of accomplishment," Gugliuzza says.

Along with top quality staffing by qualified educators and enthusiastic junior counselors, there is also some consistency in the curriculums offered by most leadership camps. While most camps offer daily recreational activities such as basketball, kickball, and volleyball, the majority of programs include topics aimed at team building, communication skills, problem solving, and decision-making.

"The main goal (of the OASC) is to assist in the development of capable, ethical, and active leaders. We do stress the basics: communication, organization, and meeting skills. But, we also spend quite a bit of time on ethical decision making and working with people who have different leadership styles," says Moen. The association strives to teach students what it takes to lead with compassion, integrity, and the drive to make a difference.

To train their student leaders, counselors use a variety of formats including large group presentations, small group activities, and games. Many of the activities stress teamwork through Olympic style events, leadership relays, talent shows, and service activities. In Missouri, Songfest is an activity that encourages "councils" of about 25 students to work together to compose and perform a song about leadership. The entire group must participate in the performance. Campers also participate in community events including a duck race to benefit Special Olympics and a free carnival for elementary school children in the area.

"From getting on stage, to voicing your opinion in a group, to compromising with others, each activity that we do gives students confidence and the chance to be a team player," Johnson says. "We also emphasize that leadership is service. We want the kids to know that if they are truly a leader, they are serving their fellow students, their schools, and their communities."

In Oregon, service through leadership is also a key topic. Moen believes that team-building activities and experiential lessons help students gain a broader understanding of what it means to be a leader. "We stress the idea of reaching out and the importance of service to the school and community," she explains.

Many of the camp attendees and their advisers find that the lessons learned during the week of leadership training are directly transferable to daily life in and out of the classroom. As a result, many students and participating schools choose to return year after year. "Most students want to attend because of the positive reports they receive from their peers who attended the year before," Gugliuzza says. "Advisers strongly encourage their students to attend and tell us that the students who attend the workshop return to their schools with better organizational skills and better communication skills. In these students, the advisers see a deeper appreciation for their respective schools and a better understanding of their role as a student council member."

Maddy Bennett, president of her sophomore class at Jesuit HS in Portland OR, attended her first camp on a scholarship. She found the experience so rewarding and relevant to her daily life that she is preparing to attend her third camp this summer. "Leadership camp is hands-on. You learn about leadership by being a leader. The students fuel the camp's focus. If there is a statewide problem with alcohol in schools, then students will meet to discuss and brainstorm solutions. If many high schools are having trouble encouraging attendance to Prom, then the students will address that problem. Students focus on current, pertinent issues that they are passionate about, and the experience always works out beautifully," Bennett says.

For Ross, the most important benefit of leadership camp is the cultivation of self-confidence. He hopes that students will continue to view camp attendance as a priceless investment in their future. "Self-confidence translates into the ability to do anything and helps people throughout their lifetime whether it be at work, home, or in their social life. Students who are confident in themselves are willing to go out on a limb in an effort to make their school better for all those who attend."

Moen also hopes that students and their advisers will continue to recognize the long-term benefits of leadership camps. "I have received e-mails from people who attended our camps in the 1970s and 1980s who tell me that it changed the course of their lives. That is absolutely amazing to me. I wish every teenager could attend this type of camp. I believe that we're all hungry for this type of positive environment," she says.

Whether organizing a community event on the banks of a river or brainstorming about current issues in a college classroom, summer leadership camps offer students the skills to lead with success in their current responsibilities and as they mature into the adults that will shape the future. For Bennett and many of the other students who have attended one of these unique camps, the experience has been a life-changing event. Bennett believes that "leadership camp takes student leadership to a whole new level. It empowers the students and gives them the connections and the resources to initiate waves of change."

Kathleen Wilson Shryock is a freelance writer in Olathe, KS.

Copyright National Association of Secondary School Principals May 2005
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