Goodbye LIT Summer...Hello Youth Leadership Program!

written on Nov 04, 2020 by Anna Brady

The former Leader in Training program was an integral part of a summer at Canadian Adventure Camp.

It was a big moment for our 17-year-olds who had spent summer after summer at CAC as a camper. They were now taking the next step in their camp journey, spending 8 weeks developing leadership skills and learning what it meant to be a staff member at CAC.

A typical summer as a LIT involved a canoe trip around Lake Temagami, living in camper cabins as co-leader with counselors, and learning how to lead the many activities offered at Canadian Adventure Camp.

We have had many people complete the LIT program successfully over the years and who have gone on to work at CAC as counselors, coaches, and support staff. The former LIT summer had many fantastic elements to it but we wanted to make it even better!

What’s New?

Our New Youth Leadership Program has all the great things that were part of the former LIT program, plus more! The journey from camper to staff is now over a longer period of time, allowing for more focused leadership development at each stage.

Those taking the courses have the opportunity to choose which area(s) of camp they are most interested in and spend more time in those areas. The new program and its courses also allow more flexibility in terms of time commitment during the summer.

There are three stages to our newly developed Youth Leadership Program.

Leadership One

The journey starts for 16-year-old campers who can complete the Leadership One course. This stage of the program is probably the biggest change to the leadership program at CAC. But it is also a very exciting change!

Those taking the Leadership One course still have full camper status - they sleep in camper cabins with peers their age. They participate in regular camp activities and evening programming as usual (including social).

Similar to other specialties at CAC (e.g. waterski or gymnastics), campers completing the Leadership One course will spend part of their day doing the course and the rest of their day choosing other activities.

Leadership One is a two-week course (length of one session at camp) and we recommend it as an add-on to your regular camp stay. However, if a camper is only able to attend camp for one session only, they are still welcome and encouraged to complete the Leadership One course.

For summer 2021, Leadership One will be running during sessions 2 & 3. By completing Leadership One, you will receive 20 hours towards High School Volunteer Hours.

The most important thing to know about the Leadership One course is that it is a prerequisite for the Leadership Two course. If any 16-year-old camper has had an interest in doing the former LIT summer, they will need to complete the Leadership One course next summer.

Enrollment for Leadership One is now open!

Leadership Two

The second stage of the Youth Leadership Program is the Leadership Two course. This course is similar to the former LIT summer with some exciting changes.

Leadership Two is a four-week course and will run twice over the summer. For anyone taking the course in the first half of the summer, you are encouraged to extend your stay to further develop your skills.

Those taking the Leadership Two course will spend each day immersed in the course. They will initially sleep in Leadership Two cabins together before moving into camper cabins as co-leader.

As part of the Leadership Two course, there are 5 activity area modules to choose from:

  1. Waterski
  2. The Big Top
  3. The Arts
  4. Sports
  5. Outdoor Education

The course also includes a canoe trip around the beautiful Lake Temagami.

Applications for the Leadership Two course are open! Those eligible to complete the Leadership Two course have been sent an application form.

Junior Staff

The final stage of the Youth Leadership Program is our new Junior Staff positions. Upon completing Leadership Two, individuals are eligible to apply for the junior staff (junior counselor or junior coach) position at CAC the following summer.

Junior staff is 18 years of age. Junior staff will be paid and fully aligned with staff but will now have the opportunity to continue to develop their leadership skills.

Our LITs from Summer 2020 are eligible to apply for Junior Staff positions for next Summer.

Join us for Summer 2021!

We are so excited to launch our new Youth Leadership Program for summer 2021. Start your leadership journey with us today and be part of this exciting new addition to Canadian Adventure Camp!

We are more than happy to talk with you in more detail about each stage of the program. Call or email us today!