Olympia Takes “Leadership” to a New Level!
3-WEEK PROGRAM
LEADERSHIP & PEER SUPPORT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Leaders have a positive influence on themselves and others. Leadership is an action or way of being that influences an individual or group of individuals towards a goal. What becomes important in this conversation about leadership and leadership are the goals we are striving for. At Olympia, we strive for 5 goals that will hopefully serve our needs and careers throughout the rest of our lives.
- To be a Heart-Directed Learner who each day is willing to step out of their comfort zone to be one’s best.
- A Collaborative Contributor who each day develops and shares their gifts and talents to make a difference for others, without expectation of reward.
- A Responsible, Respectful Community Member who each day ignites their inner flame of kindness, harmony, and resilience to uplift others.
- An Effective Communicator who each day listens carefully, then responds from the heart with honesty and integrity.
- A Creative Innovator who sees challenging situations as opportunities to develop oneself and overcome obstacles while evolving the character traits necessary to reach their goals on their Journey.
The challenge is how to package these worthy lifetime goals into a program that teenagers would want to do at camp, in concert with 40 other like-minded teenagers, engaging in fun, adventure and community. It was in response to this challenge, in the summer of 1999, that Olympia’s Leadership Program was born. The premise of this program is that everyone is a leader at the point of our gifts. The program is designed to allow those gifts to surface and to allow you to be your best self.
An Ideal Setting
Located in beautiful Muskoka, Olympia Sports Camp provides an ideal context for participants to receive site-based leadership experience. In this program, participants assume the roles of motivating coach, caring counsellor, effective communicator, contributing community member, team player, wilderness tripper, creative thinker, and reflective learner. They perform skits, join in campfires, dance the Olympia songs, participate in sports, high and low ropes adventures, and challenges as they assume the roles of leader and counsellor. They even clean their cabin and tackle cabin fun work!
A Legacy of Leaders
Over the past 22 years, the program has had profound effects on many. Most of these campers went on to become staff, senior staff, and coaches at Olympia. Many of the campers met friends in the leadership program and have remained friends for life. All the approximately 1000 people who have experienced this program are exercising their leadership learnings in some capacity.
Selection process
Secondary students will be carefully selected for this leadership program after successfully completing registration at www.olympiasportscamp.com. A cover letter illustrating why the camper wants to be included in this program and 2 letters of reference are required.
Do I really obtain a high school credit for attending camp?
This leadership program meets the requirements of the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training Curriculum Guideline: GPP30 Leadership & Peer Support, 2001. The program runs from June 30 to July 20. Applicants must have completed grade 9 prior to taking this grade 11 course. Upon completion of these 110 hours of instructional programming and subject to the approval of the summer school principal, successful candidates will receive a full credit granted through the Toronto Catholic District School Board, valid towards the Ontario High School Diploma. Participants who are not full-time students of a T.C.D.S.B. Secondary School will have their credit transferred to their own school and school board. Once the program is completed students will be eligible upon selection for Olympia’s Counsellor in Training program.
LEADERSHIP & PEER SUPPORT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Features
Observation – top level coaches
Excellent role model counsellors
Swimming, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, and windsurfing
High and low ropes course
Adventure team building
Exciting evening programs – like skit night, campfires and video dance
Olympia’s self-directed life skills training program and all the fun and support of fellow leaders as cabin mates
Multi-week
- June 29 - July 19
- Ages 15 - 17
- Co-Ed