Healthy Kids • YMCA Camps and Outdoor Education • YMCA Youth Programs
Pine Crest Leadership Programs Help Teens Reach New Heights
26 February 2018 - by Sarah Joseph
Being a teen is hard. In addition to having a packed schedule with school, clubs, friends, and sports, teens are bombarded with messages from friends, parents, teachers, popular culture, and social media about who and what they should be. With all that confusion it can be hard to develop the independence and confidence needed to make good decisions all the time.
The good news is that teens have all the skills and abilities they need to be incredible leaders in our communities. Sometimes, it just requires the right environment to get them started.
YMCA Camp Pine Crest in Muskoka has been helping teens build resilience, independence, and self-advocacy skills for over 100 years. In particular, our Leadership Programs intended for 13–16-year-olds focus specifically on confidence and independence. At Camp Pine Crest, groups of 8–10 teens ditch their electronic devices for two to four weeks and focus on working together outdoors through activities like canoe trips, rock walls, team-building exercises, and much more.
The results are nothing short of inspiring, even when these activities present a significant challenge. “When we let teens figure it out for themselves and show confidence in their ability to overcome their obstacles, it does something really special for them,” says Camp Director Jake Geale. “They don’t feel scared to mess up, because their normal social pressures aren’t there. They don’t get down on themselves, and their peers offer them a hand up when they fall down.” This environment is where personal growth happens: teens start pushing themselves more, becoming more aware of their abilities, then working to improve.
Leadership Program participants at Pine Crest aren’t told their limits; they find them for themselves, and then learn to ask for help overcoming them. Problem solving, independent thought, and confidence are major keys to this process. And Pine Crest has the data to back it up:
But the most beautiful thing is that this growth doesn’t stop once they head home from camp. Pine Crest Leadership participants benefit from their newfound confidence at school, at work, when making friends, and when talking to adults. “We have noticed differences in him — a lot of independence,” says the parent of one Leadership Program alum. “He is very organized. He is also very inclusive, which is a big deal. He has shown a lot of leadership and is more involved in school.”
Participants return year after year because the environment at Pine Crest is challenging, inspiring, and fun. Learn more about Pine Crest’s Leadership Programs on our website.
The good news is that teens have all the skills and abilities they need to be incredible leaders in our communities. Sometimes, it just requires the right environment to get them started.
YMCA Camp Pine Crest in Muskoka has been helping teens build resilience, independence, and self-advocacy skills for over 100 years. In particular, our Leadership Programs intended for 13–16-year-olds focus specifically on confidence and independence. At Camp Pine Crest, groups of 8–10 teens ditch their electronic devices for two to four weeks and focus on working together outdoors through activities like canoe trips, rock walls, team-building exercises, and much more.
The results are nothing short of inspiring, even when these activities present a significant challenge. “When we let teens figure it out for themselves and show confidence in their ability to overcome their obstacles, it does something really special for them,” says Camp Director Jake Geale. “They don’t feel scared to mess up, because their normal social pressures aren’t there. They don’t get down on themselves, and their peers offer them a hand up when they fall down.” This environment is where personal growth happens: teens start pushing themselves more, becoming more aware of their abilities, then working to improve.
Leadership Program participants at Pine Crest aren’t told their limits; they find them for themselves, and then learn to ask for help overcoming them. Problem solving, independent thought, and confidence are major keys to this process. And Pine Crest has the data to back it up:
- 96% of 2017 leadership participants said their self-efficacy (confidence in their ability to succeed in a given situation) improved during the programs
- 89% said they became more independent during the program
But the most beautiful thing is that this growth doesn’t stop once they head home from camp. Pine Crest Leadership participants benefit from their newfound confidence at school, at work, when making friends, and when talking to adults. “We have noticed differences in him — a lot of independence,” says the parent of one Leadership Program alum. “He is very organized. He is also very inclusive, which is a big deal. He has shown a lot of leadership and is more involved in school.”
Participants return year after year because the environment at Pine Crest is challenging, inspiring, and fun. Learn more about Pine Crest’s Leadership Programs on our website.
