Leadership Programs

Our leadership programs provide life skills, resume-building experiences, and have proven to develop strong leaders. Participants gain valuable leadership experience in preparation for a variety of employment opportunities, including working at Circle R Ranch. Circle R’s leadership programs are designed to assist participants in the preparation to successfully manage many of life’s challenges. Our programs emphasize team building, communication, critical thinking, and personal growth.

Goals 

• Provide a space where participants are inspired to explore who they are and who they want to be, not just as a leader, but as a person.
• Explore personal values and relationship to intentional actions.
• Inquire about leadership theory and put into practice.
• Develop areas such as responsibility, awareness, compassion, empathy, and more.
• Design and implement recreation programs
• Discover strategies for working with emotions in order to have resilient attitudes.
• Build connection with each other, themselves as individuals, and the natural world around them.
• Have fun!

For participants completed Grade 9 by summer, 4 week overnight program
Start Date: Sunday, July 7, 2019 at 3pm
End Date: Saturday, August 3, 2019 at 10am.
Changeover: Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 10am to Sunday, July 21, 2019 at 3pm.  (A Note on Changeover: This service is ideally for campers who live out of town or for families that are away during that period.  Laundry facilities would be provided if the camper stays for changeover.)

Highlights:

• 3 day, two night base camping trip to the Georgian Bay region
• Open and accepting environment allows participants to explore who they are and who they want to be.
• Leadership sessions introduce topics such as problem solving, inclusion, stress management, personality, trust, motivation, empathy, communication, ethics, values, and more.
• All core camp activities including western riding, archery, boating, swimming, gardening, crafts, teambuilding, string games, nature connection activities, and much more.
• LAP campers work together to take care of the farm animals morning and evening (goats, pig, sheep, and chickens)
• Overnight on-site
• Shadow Day: campers spend time shadowing a group as assistant counselor
• Day time activities spent mostly with LAP group and evening time includes riding and activities with the rest of camp like wide games and campfires
• Overlaps for two weeks with LIT so LAP and LIT campers get to know each other

For participants completed Grade 9 or 10 by summer 2019, 2 week overnight program
Start Date: Sunday, August 4, 2019 at 3pm
End Date: Saturday, August 17, 2019 at 10am

Highlights:

• Day trip with the Leaders in Training campers to a High Ropes Course (would include teambuilding through high and low challenge course elements, usually go to the YMCA Leadership Challenge Centre in Sarnia)
• Leadership sessions for LEP combine topics taught in LAP and LIT. LEP covers: problem solving, inclusion, stress management, trust, empathy, communication, behavior management, group dynamics, emotional intelligence, and more.
• All core camp activities including western riding, archery, boating, swimming, gardening, crafts, teambuilding, string games, nature connection activities, and much more.
• LEP campers work together to take care of the farm animals morning and evening (goats, pig, sheep, and chickens)
• Overnight on-site
• Shadow Day: campers spend a day shadowing a group as assistant counselor
• Day time activities spent mostly with LEP group and evening time includes riding and activities with the rest of camp like wide games and campfires.
• Overlaps for two weeks with LIT so LEP and LIT campers get to know each other.

Leaders in Training (LIT)

LIT Sample Schedule

For participants completed Grade 10 by summer 2019, 4 week overnight program
Start Date: Sunday, July 21, 2019 at 3pm
End Date: Saturday, August 17, 2019 at 10am.
Changeover: Saturday, August 3, 2019 at 10am to Sunday, August 4, 2019 at 3pm.  (A Note on Changeover: This service is ideally for campers who live out of town or for families that are away during that period.  Laundry facilities would be provided if the camper stays for changeover.)

Highlights:

• Open and accepting environment allows participants to explore who they are and who they want to be.
• LIT sessions cover topics like behavior management, group dynamics, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and much more.
• Day trip with the Leadership Essential Program campers to a Challenge Course (would include teambuilding through high and low challenge course elements, usually go to the YMCA Leadership Challenge Centre in Sarnia)
• Camp Visit: LIT campers get to visit another summer camp to learn what it is like there (we’re working on details of this trip but will be 3 days and two nights at maximum).
• Shadow Week: for one week, each LIT “shadows” a counsellor. Breakfast to dinner is spent with the camper groups, learning what it’s like to be a counsellor.  During this time, the counsellors are the main ones in charge (of safety, programming, discipline, etc.).  This allows the LIT to observe and learn without the ultimate responsibility of being staff.  LITs reconvene at dinner to debrief and enjoy quality time together for the rest of the day.
• All core camp activities including western riding, archery, boating, swimming, gardening, crafts, team building, string games, nature connection activities, and more. In addition, time during these activities is spent teaching campers how to instruct these skills that they would need to know as staff.
• Overnight on-site
• Bronze Medallion Lifesaving Course
• Day time activities spent mostly with LIT group and evening time includes riding and activities with the rest of camp like wide games and campfires.
• Overlaps for two weeks with LEP so LIT and LEP campers get to know each other.

How the programs compare to each other:

The Leadership Adventure Program (4 weeks) is for those done with grade 9 and works well to do before the Leaders in Training Program (4 weeks) when participants are done with grade 10.  These programs complement each other quite nicely.  It is recommended to do both but not necessary.  It is not required to do any of our leadership programs if someone wants to work here.  However, any person interested in summer staff is encouraged to get experience working with kids somehow.  The Leadership Essentials Program (2 weeks) is like a condensed version of both LIT and LAP.  We accept campers for that who are done either Grade 9 or 10.  It is set up so participants would find value if they do LEP as well as LIT.  Overall, each program has unique aspects that set them apart.