Challenge, teamwork & leadership

Diversity and distance, as well as digital communication and social media, make teenagers prone to a ‘me versus you’ mentality in general, not to mention life in the classroom. This attitude is not helped by parents emphasizing excellent report cards, and sending them to all sorts of classes from art, to ballet, to hockey, to violin, in order to give their children ‘the best start in life’. This is one sort of challenge for the urban youth. However, they may not necessarily learn that the motivation for teamwork and leadership is not self-centeredness. Youths may work in a team, and take up leadership positions but do not always develop the corresponding virtues of humility, responsibility and courage necessary for them to become upright, useful adults in society.

During the camp, campers will be challenged in these areas. They will be placed within their own tribe. Members of a tribe will not only work together during challenges and games, but will also live, eat, sleep, learn and do almost everything in camp together. Youths will learn to develop a common tribal identity, once they feel comfortable with each other, and have a glimpse of what they can achieve together. They must learn to build trust and hope. If they are willing to compromise, they learn from one another, and be humble. They will start to identify with one another and develop a synergy that was not there before. This is how communities grow, expand and thrive. Leadership chances are also plentiful, as the day’s schedule is usually packed with multiple competitions, and opportunities.

On the last day of WWSC, exemplary campers will be awarded for their behaviors of example to the others, as a way of demonstrating that character is hard-earned but worth working for.