Leadership Training Program - Throughout their four years in the program, youth work on the following skills: responsibility, self-discipline, effective communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. One must possess all of these skills in order to become a successful adult. The Leadership Training Program is a year-round program, anchored in a residential summer camp experience. Youth in this program are expected to participate in all components. o Challenge (6th grade): In this first year of Leadership, we focus on self-exploration through year-round programs and a 28-day summer camp experience. Participants in the Challenge Program will begin to discover their personal strengths and assets as well as areas for growth and learning. Campers do this through intensive outdoor-focused experiences that encourage them to stretch their comfort zones and explore new aspects of themselves. During Camp, kids will have the chance to select three of their four activity periods. One period a day will be dedicated to team building or outdoor survival skill development designed to help campers be better equipped for their multi-day wilderness trips. During the school year, kids will participate in several outdoor hiking experiences. At camp, kids will go on a 4-day, 3-night hiking trip that travels 20 miles, and a 4-day, 3-night canoe trip that will travel 35 miles. In total, they will hike and canoe for 55 miles. Kids need to be aware of the intensive nature of this outdoor focused program. It is okay for campers to be nervous about this new experience as long as they are excited to take on the Challenge! o Trek (7th grade): Trek is the second year of the Leadership Training program and is the last year we will accept new campers. In this second year of Leadership, we focus on helping our kids accomplish a large goal as a team or camp community. Trek kids will choose to apply for either Wilderness Trek or Art Trek.  Wilderness Trek (16 Campers): During the school year, kids will participate in several outdoor hiking experiences to prepare for the summer. At camp, kids will go on a 5-day, 4-night hiking trip that travels 28 miles, and a 6-day, 5-night canoe trip that will travel 75 miles. In total, they will hike and canoe for 103 miles and will be eligible for the Missouri Governor’s 100 Mile Challenge Award. Kids need to be aware of the intensive nature of this outdoor focused program.  Art Trek (8 Campers): The Art Trek Program focuses on the production of a play while at camp. This is an intensive and focused art experience, where campers will spend a majority of their time with the theater and arts department. Kids will learn to build sets, design and create costumes, and assist with lighting and sound. They will also have the opportunity to audition for a role in the play. In addition to their work on the play, these campers will assist with other camp art functions, including the Talent Show and Art Olympics. o Adventure (8th grade): Campers begin to look at themselves as part of a community and examine how they can use their individual and team strengths to benefit that community. They begin thinking about their lives after high school and complete a week-long trip which includes community service, regional college campus visits, and visiting the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN. Throughout the year, campers are involved in the planning and scheduling of their trip, which takes place during their time at Summer camp. o Journey (9th grade): Campers begin to look beyond their local community and more towards their country. Journey campers will plan and execute a 12-day long trip out-of-state. This trip will include community service projects, visits to college campuses, and visiting historical sites along the way. Campers are expected to take an active role in planning and preparing for their trip throughout the school year. As the final year of the Leadership Training Program, Journey campers are seen as role models in our camp community and as such we hold them to high standards of responsibility, decision-making, and leadership.