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TRAINING LEADERS. BUILDING TOMORROW. 

Communities, schools and families all need strong leaders. CCO is excited to offer various Leadership Training Program (LTP) options for campers 15-18 years of age. Teens in these programs will gain and improve their leadership skills while participating in activities at camp and in the wilderness. Group sizes are typically 8-10 campers. Campers learn to work as a team, gain confidence, and live in harmony with our environment. Please see specific LTP pages for more details.

During these programs the campers will be under the watchful eye of our counselors who are 20 or older, have a minimum of Wilderness First Aid certification, and receive 17 days of training on working with campers of different age groups. Each counselor is background checked (fingerprinted, FBI/CBI, Trails, Sex Offender Search) and goes through trainings on the prevention of child abuse through Darkness to Light, The Redwoods Group and Praesidium.

The Leadership Training Programs have an application process that are set up in a way for campers to take initiative for their goals. Campers need to answer supplemental questions, complete a phone interview and submit one letter of recommendation before they can be considered for one of these programs. (If a camper has completed a Leadership Training Program at CCO before, they don't need to resubmit the letter of recommendation). They will need to complete the other two steps each year they apply to a new Leadership Training Program. Please have a parent complete the camper application to begin this process.

Spots for these programs are not guaranteed until the camper is notified that they are officially accepted and enrolled in the program.

SKILLS & LEADERSHIP 

Campers will learn hard skills and soft skills associated with group living. A hard skill might be how to set up a camping tent and a soft skill might be how to actively listen when a member of the group is sharing. Our programs foster an environment where campers are exposed to new outdoor and wilderness skills while learning how leadership can be applied to their lives outside of camp. Mentorship is an important piece of an adventure, so each camper will be provided individual coaching to further their skills. Every LTP will involve a service project to be completed (usually trail work at CCO or in the Fraser Valley). Campers of all levels will find ways to grow and be challenged.

OUTDOOR LIVING & COOKING

Each Leadership Training Program offers hands-on opportunities to learn and practice outdoor living skills such as how to travel in the backcountry, navigation, and Leave No Trace. Campers will also learn how to pack food and gear for various types of backcountry trips. Groups will travel with camp stoves, pots, utensils, and all the food needed to prepare their group meals. CCO provides ingredients to meet dietary needs and allergy restrictions.

All groups will either be base camping or backcountry camping during the duration of their program. Base camping allows the group to set up tents and kitchen in one area that they can then use as a “home base” for majority of their gear. Each day the group will only carry with them what is needed for that specific day and return to that campsite. Backcountry camping allows the group to bring on their backs everything that they will need – from clothes, gear, food, tents and sleeping bags. This means that the group can move further into the wilderness to new campsites each day.

There are scholarships available for these programs, click here to see options for a traditional scholarship or a leadership scholarship for BIPOC candidates.

If there are any questions about this process, feel free to contact Kelvina Doss, Leadership & Trips Director at 970-887-2648 (ext. 1905), or email kdoss@ymcarockies.org.

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