22 The Best of Monterey Bay® Family 2023-2024 Role Models Two local camps deliver radically different approaches to leadership development. By Caitlin Fillmore L ots of adults speak about how summer camp influenced them, with opportunties to develop friendships, a sense of independence or specific skills, all in a setting that is more relaxed than school. Some summer camp programs are explicitly designed to help cultivate that kind of lifelong impact, including local leadership programs that are helping young people build skills meant to have an impact well into the future. Two local programs emphasize the power of collaborative, educational, in-person experiences. Both The Lyceum and White Stag Leadership Academy boast decades of service building strong young leaders in Monterey County. White Stag was founded in 1958 and The Lyceum in 1960. While these programs are well established, they remain nimble to address the needs of today’s youth in their own unique ways. “There seem to be ever-increasing ways for students to learn on their own, learn from home,” says Joyce Breckenridge, executive director of The Lyceum. But there’s a catch: Some of those learning modes, she says, “do not have avenues for youth to engage with their peers and mentors. The Lyceum has always valued and emphasized the need for in-person, hands-on learning opportunities for our youth.” The Lyceum offers a range of educational enrichment programs for middle- and high-school-aged students. Academic events like Mock Trial, History Day, Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) STEM Conference for Girls, and Model United Nations are hosted by this nonprofit. Skills like working on a team, communicating persuasively and with respect, and supporting other people while achieving a goal are highlights of Lyceum programs. Along with these Above: Programs run by The Lyecum, like Mock Trial and Moden United Nations, give participants an opportunity to try their hand at applicable, real-life leadership and public speaking skills. Below: White Stag Leadership Academy provides electronics-free leadership workshops in the outdoors. Participants are supervised by White Stag graduates. courtesy The Lyceum courtesy White STag
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