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Bridging the gap from camper to counsellor

May 5, 2020 12:30 pm by sparker Dynamic Featured Image

This past summer, Camp Manitou expanded its volunteer program to offer high school aged WJHA student athletes a chance to gain valuable leadership skills that could one day help them get a job at Camp Manitou or elsewhere. Lucas started with the WJHA in Grade 3 and participated in this summer’s volunteer program ahead of his Grade 10 year, earning high school credit hours for his time spent learning and working with young kids at camp. As well as honing communication, problem solving, organizational and time management skills, Lucas was glad to be giving back to a place that has welcomed him for the past four summers. As he navigated being in a new role where kids were now looking up to him, Lucas recalled and was inspired by his own experiences as a camper when his counsellors helped find solutions to challenges and tried to apply that to his own interactions.

“Volunteering at Camp Manitou, I have to work on persuading and convincing kids to try new things and this helps me with my leadership skills within an office setting or within meetings. It helps me learn ways to get my ideas across.” – Lucas, WJHA student athlete and Camp Manitou volunteer