Diversity and Leadership training is a three part program offered to teen campers during their stay at Mountain Meadow. SIT's participate in only the second and third parts.
The teens pack their bags and leave camp for a two day teambuilding and leadership development experience. During this adventure, teens are guided through a sequence of activities that focus on cooperation, respect for self and others, problem solving, valuing diversity, and working towards a common goal.
During the first day of the program, teens tackle the “low elements” which focus on developing skills in teamwork and cooperation. On the second day, teens are physically and emotionally challenged to use their learning from the day before to complete a variety of “high element” courses. Teen campers and staff of all physical abilities support each other in the challenge. Over the years, the Teen Trip has become one of the most memorable events of the sumer camp experience.
This day long session delivers oppression and privilege awareness trainingfor the teens and SITs. Working from a framework for understanding the interconnections of different forms of oppression, the interactive activities intentionally draw on participants’ personal experience to illustrate the effects of oppression on people’s lives. Participants are asked to reflect on how these forces have affected their lives, and how their actions in turn affect the lives of others. The goal of Building Bridges is to allow campers to recognize the power they have to either perpetuate or challenge oppression in their communities by using the tools of social activism.
Using new found leadership skills and awareness of oppression and privilege, the final half-day training seeks to help participants become agents of social change. Developing skills of nonviolent social change through fun, experiential learning strategies, teens and SITs are encouraged to find the answers they need in their own experience.
