Extraordinary Skills Means Extraordinary Campers!
Character development, non-cognitive and 21st-century skills, social intelligence, grit are all hot topics among those in education and youth development fields these days. One particular author, Paul Tough has hit a solid chord with his current best-seller, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Power of Character. We recently had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Tough share his extraordinary insights related to his perspectives on youth development as he provided a keynote address at the American Camp Association national conference in Dallas earlier this month.
In addition to Paul Tough’s best-seller, Inc. Magazine recently posted an article detailing several phrases that are uttered daily by extraordinary people. The statements include such things as “That was awesome”, “You’re welcome”, “Let me give you a hand”, “I’m sorry”, “Can you help me?” and “I love you”. Not exactly earth-shattering or profound statements, yet, packed into each one is the extremely powerful and empowering elements of humility, appreciation, support, forgiveness, and quite simply, love.
10 Things Extraordinary People Say Every Day (Jan. 9, 2013, Inc. Magazine) – Read the full article…
Although Inc. Magazine’s focus is generally on topics related to small business, it struck us how most if not all of these statements are part of the common language of WeHaKee Camp for Girls – and have been for decades. The supportive and nurturing community that is the cornerstone of the WeHaKee experience is woven with examples of campers and staff using these phrases throughout each day.
Strong, positive relationships are built and enhanced daily as our campers utter these simple, yet extraordinary words. But more importantly, these words and thoughts are expressed even more freely in the actions and behaviors of our campers and staff. They are the fabric of our WeHaKee culture and make our camp and extraordinary community for girls and young women from around the world!
When one considers the insights within this article along with the those shared by Paul Tough, it becomes abundantly clear that these are the attributes of servant leadership – leading by serving others! It’s exciting to see these elements being advocated for the greater good as we seek improved ways to help our children and youth develop more fully and successfully! The opportunities at WeHaKee help girls and young women to learn, practice, and enhance their servant leadership abilities in fun and remarkable ways. And writings such as these help to support the relevance and importance of the camp experience in the life of a child.
Thank you for joining us at WeHaKee World today. We hope you enjoy what we have to share and we welcome your comments and suggestions. Have a great week everyone!
