Camp is the perfect place to learn to be a leader because of the many opportunities available to develop and practice leadership skills. At camp, counselors help campers, shy or outgoing, get the most out of themselves through their participation in a supportive, positive group setting. Campers learn important life lessons and how to positively communicate with others: a good leader is someone who always listens!
Group living at camp helps campers develop their leadership skills by working with their peers and participating in daily group decision making. Campers learn how to problem solve through activities like coming up with a group name or voting on a Code of Living. In activities like these, suggestions are taken from every member and voted upon by everyone in the group. Other leadership opportunities include creating original skits or songs to perform at camp closing circle, planning group activities, organizing a food menu for a camp overnight, earning
achievement awards, and mentoring younger campers.
As campers grow older, many camps, including Roughing It, offer a “Camper-in-Leadership Training” (CILT), a formalized leadership programs designed for 9th and 10th grade high school students. A CILT program provides hands-on leadership opportunities where participants assist younger age camper groups. It is common for a camp’s best staff to be graduates from CILT programs.
Roughing It is seeing more alumni campers, who developed their leadership skills at camp, come back as staff! Many of our camp alumni have gone on to do great things, and some have become well known leaders in business, politics, scientists, business, the arts, music performers, and sports athletes. There are many well Known Leaders who Went to Camp.
See what your future can be and how it can start at camp this summer!
