As an outdoor adventure camp and trip program we talk a lot about leadership, about what it is, how to teach it and even the oft overlooked, how to support others in leadership roles.  Inherently, bringing a group of kids together in the outdoors, whether at a traditional summer camp or a hardcore trip program, will give them phenomenal growth opportunities with this broad concept of leadership.  And that would be enough for a lot of programs, but we put “leadership” in our name and we emphasize it in our mission, so we felt it was crucial that we also had an intentional curriculum on how to enhance those inherent gains even further.

Leadership to us is much more than being in charge.  Around a campfire last summer I found myself engaged in a profound discussion with a group of 11 and 12 year olds about the difference between being a leader and being a boss.  They connected this difference with situations in their life at home and school and got to practice their own version in the days ahead as they stepped into roles of “Leaders of the Day”.  It was powerful to watch and to be a part of, but it didn’t start at that campfire.

Educo’s leadership curriculum begins before the campfire discussions, the kids becoming Leaders of the Day or even their arrival at camp.  It begins with our core principle that kids are capable, eager and able.  Kids of different ages have different abilities of course, but they also have incredible potential if we empower them to be more.  It’s the foundation for everything we do.

We break each of our camp sessions and adventure trips into 3 main phases and we talk about what it all means and the progression of it all on the very first night with us.

Training Phase

During this first phase of an Educo experience, our staff teach skills and direct the events and processes of the day.  They focus on developing a personal relationship with each camper and facilitating the group to come together as a team.  This phase is all about creating a safe environment that will set up an atmosphere of fun and investment in the experience.

Main Phase

As campers settle in to the environment being cultivated and gain the technical skills and routines of the program, Camper Leaders of the Day are introduced.  Each camper rotates into one of these LOD roles and works side by side with the Educo staff to facilitate the day’s experience.  They are a part of each decision, given responsibilities, roles in the group etc.  We prompt them as needed and coach their decision making process but we let them practice this role.  We also make sure to “think out loud” and model the thought processes we go through when making decisions.  Each night around the campfire, we take a few minutes to have “Last Light”, a time when we check in, frame the next day and have discussions that strengthen the group’s bond and process the days events.  Sometimes, often with the younger campers, it is most appropriate to maintain in this phase through the latter half of the session or trip as it will be where the most learning will come from, but often, the group will gain more from stepping into the next phase.

Finals Phase

If the group is ready, they can move to the Finals Phase and really take on the roles and responsibilities to own their own experience.  During this phase our staff settle in as group members, staying active and engaged, maintaining the relationships, but turning over leadership to the campers.  This is a powerful experience for the young people in this group as they take full ownership.  Our staff ensure each action puts safety first, but otherwise brief the LOD’s the night before their turn at the helm and allow them to determine the whats, hows, whys and whens of the following day.  Each night’s “last light” includes a debrief of the day and discussions on how it went and feedback.

Leadership is forged through experience.  Kids are empowered to discover it within themselves, to gain the confidence and self esteem that can only come from success and challenge.  It’s the intention behind our Educo programs to create a safe environment and a progression of activities that allow kids to step into these roles and be successful that set us apart.  I am proud to say that we don’t simply say catchphrase words like “leadership”, “confidence” & “growth”, but we intentionally structure our programs to make these things happen…Oh, and we do it all while having Ridiculous Amounts of Fun!

I have the best job in the world!

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