Does your child display signs that he or she is a natural leader? Are you looking for a summer camp to help your child foster this trait?
The good news is, that even if a child isn’t a natural-born leader, they can still benefit from leadership camps and activities. According to Penn State, leadership activities help children gain confidence, as well as help them work in a team and solve problems in a creative manner.
And if your child is interested in a camp with a specific leadership program, we’ve got a few signs your child will benefit from a leadership camp.
Read on for more information.
1. It Will Give Them an Edge When Preparing for High School or College
If your child is still in middle school, college applications may seem like a world away. And that’s fine, you don’t need to start quizzing your child about which universities they’re interested in. But, a child interested in leadership may wish to use that quality in high school.
Many young children with leadership skills go on to attaining leadership positions in secondary education. Whether this means they’ll be captain of the football team or the director of the student-led musical, they’ll have the foundation to do so.
If your child is in high school and getting ready for college, a leadership camp can give them a competitive edge over the other university applicants.
While chances are that if your child graduates high school, they’ll receive an offer to a college, it may not be of their choice. In fact, in 2018, Harvard had a record number of applicants. If they want to attend a school that’s highly selective, they’ll want to amp up their leadership skills.
2. Your Child Is Creative But a Little Shy
It may sound counter-intuitive to send a shy child to a leadership summer camp, but it may be the boost they need to begin taking on leadership roles at school and in their community.
If you have a child who is creative and expresses an interest in things like collaborating with children or having a job where they’re above other employees, why not have your child attend leadership camp?
Although it may be difficult at first, a leadership camp will push your child out of their comfort zones. They’ll be forced to make creative decisions on the spot, as well as work with other children to solve problems. Leadership camp may actually pull your child out of their shell.
3. Your Child Is a Leader But Needs to Get Out of Their Comfort Zone
Being a leader in the real world means having to step outside of your comfort zone. But, being a leader in your child’s school or with a local community theater where they know everyone, may be too easy for your child. If your child is taking up leadership positions in communities where they already know everyone, or they’re one of the most popular kids in school, they won’t find themselves challenged at all.
A leadership camp will thrust your child into new opportunities to allow your child to extend their leadership skills beyond those they already. This is especially the case if your child attends a leadership camp they’ve never been to before. While they may know a friend or two, they certainly won’t be someone that everyone there knows. They’ll no longer have the advantage of being well-liked amongst all of their peers, or all of their peers knowing them.
This will prepare them for real-world situations such as working at an office or an internship or transitioning from high school to college. Being pushed out of your comfort zone is what being a great leader is all about, and all children need to be pushed at some point if they are to use their leadership qualities well.
4. Your Child Excels in Leadership, But May Need an Extra Push to Experience New Challenges
While pushing your child out of their social comfort zone is important to create a great leader, another way to do this is to create new challenges for your child. Camp does this in a way that can’t be accomplished at home.
Meeting new kids is a great way to expand your child’s horizons, but so are other things like learning to excel in new skills or to plan an event they’ve never planned before.
Summer camp, especially those geared toward children who wish to be leaders, faces kids with new totally new challenges. Maybe they’ll need to work with a group to figure out how to navigate an area in the woods, or to set up a viable campground. Most likely, these aren’t challenges you can offer them as a parent, nor are they challenges their schools can typically offer.
Your child will be experiencing new things left and right at a leadership camp, and that’s what helps to make a great leader.
The Signs Your Child Will Benefit From a Leadership Camp
In reality, the signs your child will benefit from a leadership camp are almost the same for all children. While there may be specific leadership camps that only children who wish to pursue leadership positions wish to be a part of, leadership camps can be fantastic for any child. It helps foster entirely new positive characteristics your child may not even be aware they had.
If you’re interested in sending your child to leadership camp, click here to get in contact with us. We can help you find the perfect place for your child this summer.
