LEAD
Leadership Empowerment & Development
Growth-focused leadership opportunities for today’s youth
Growing Up Today Looks Different
Change is tough, but Willowgrove’s Leadership Empowerment and Development (LEAD) program was created to provide a transitional launch pad for youth navigating change: growing up, aging out of regular camp programs, looking towards employment.
LEAD provides growth-focused leadership opportunities for today’s youth. Through fun team-building activities LEADers build confidence, learning to trust their own instincts, practising in-person communication, and providing a great balance of learning valuable life-skills and having fun at camp.
By taking on small - but important - camp responsibilities, LEADers complete essential roles within Willowgrove’s larger charitable work, learning the impact that small contributions can make within a community. After completing this program, LEADers will feel ready to take on more responsibilities and be motivated to enter the workforce.
Each week is a unique learning experience for our LEADers!
Click here to jump to the Sample Weekly Schedule.
Program Information
Program Pillars
Mentorship
In order to have confident youth they need safe, supportive places to practise making real life decisions, having responsibilities, and honing their instincts.
Part of Willowgrove Day Camp’s work in the community is providing young people with their first jobs.
Many youth have not had the opportunity to develop life skills which can make stepping into a job feel massive! So before becoming a staff member, campers first need to become LEADers.
The LEAD program was developed by an Ontario Certified Teacher, and is led and coordinated by engaging, supportive young adults.
These young adults are uniquely positioned to provide modern mentorship and leadership training. Who better to walk our youth through what it is like to grow up in today’s climate?
Belonging and Engagement
In order to have social and involved youth, they need engaged communities to play a role in - a village!
Willowgrove Day Camp provides youth with first-hand experiences that prove they matter, and shows how their actions have impact.
The reality is that many youth live with increased social isolation, aware of the world’s many problems, but overwhelmed by how huge, and unsolvable these issues seem. Growing up in this context can feel helpless when so much feels outside of their control.
By being in nature, and contributing to a tight-knit community, LEAD provides youth with the chance to witness the impacts of their involvement, and offers the reward of being a part of something greater than oneself. This alone can increase our desire for engagement and social involvement.
Growth Resilience
If youth are to believe that they can do hard things, they need to practice having responsibilities in supportive environments.
Simply put, Willowgrove Day Camp’s supportive community empowers youth by providing them with a safe space to fail.
Resiliency only comes from first falling down, and then getting back up again. Which means that without access to learning opportunities, and larger responsibilities, youth cannot learn resiliency.
LEAD puts youth in nature, and assigns simple, safe, but necessary tasks around camp for youth to challenge themselves with.
Under the patient care and supervision of their leaders, LEADers learn how to seek and provide peer-support, and find the perseverance that comes alongside rising to life’s necessary challeneges.
Program Details
For youth going into Grade 9 -11
LEAD Academy
LEAD Academy is the foundational component of Willowgrove Day Camp's LEAD program, designed for youth entering grades 9 and 10. This immersive experience offers participants a unique blend of leadership training, team-building activities, and hands-on responsibilities, all while enjoying the fun of camp life. Through LEAD Academy, young people develop essential skills like confidence, communication, and resilience, preparing them for future leadership roles and employment opportunities. Click here for a sample LEAD Academy weekly schedule.
LEADers in the Academy program receive 15 hours of community service for each regular week and 12 hours for each short week.
LEAD Practicum
Building on the foundation of LEAD Academy, the LEAD Practicum offers select participants an advanced opportunity to further develop their leadership skills in a more hands-on environment. This program is extended to those who have demonstrated exceptional potential during their first year, allowing them to take on increased responsibilities and mentor younger campers. LEAD Practicum participants gain valuable work experience, refine their leadership techniques, and play a crucial role in shaping the positive camp experience for others through a week long cabin group or program placement.
LEADers in the Practicum program receive 30 hours of community service for each regular week and 24 hours for each short week.
2025 LEAD Dates & Rates
Application Process
Parents/guardians complete the online application linked below
Create an account or log in with your existing account
Select Willowgrove Day Camp 2025 season
Select the LEADer you are registering (and any other campers coming to camp)
Add the LEAD Academy Youth Program weeks of interest to the cart
Complete the required parent/guardian forms including the LEAD Parent/Guardian Program Application form
Pay deposit and submit application
Youth complete the LEADer Program Application form. A link to the form is included in the application and should be completed within a few days
Both parent/guardian and youth forms will be reviewed by our Camp Manager who will contact families within a few weeks
Please note that once the first application has been submitted by the parent/guardian, the weeks selected will be held for you while the application is reviewed. If the participant is not accepted into the program, all fees paid will be fully refunded.
LEAD Academy
Sample Weekly Schedule
Monday
9:00 Arrival
9:30 Opening Ceremony - join the rest of the camp to start the week with some songs, and skits!
10:00 Icebreakers, Teambuilding, and program expectations - get to know the other LEAD participants for the week
11:00 Leadership Seminar - each week, participants will dive into a different topic all to do with leadership! Weekly topics include leadership qualities and styles, effective communication, goal setting, conflict resolution, and working as a team.
12:00 Lunch
12:30 Swimming - cool off and relax in the pool
1:30 Working with Children Seminar - topics vary each week and include behaviour management, leading activities, and relationship building to name a few!
2:30 Tuck - LEAD participants will rotate helping hand out freezies to the campers. If not handing them out, it’s a great time to start planning for upcoming activities.
3:00 CampCan - join the rest of the camp in a final activity, singing songs and watching favourite camp skits.
4:00 Departure
Tuesday
9:00 Arrival
9:30 Wide Game - assist with leading a wide game for our senior campers. Favourite wide games include counsellor hunt, and capture the flag.
10:30 Swimming
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Cabin Placement - participants will be placed with a cabin group for the week to shadow staff and put their developing leadership skills into practice!
3:00 CampCan Planning - together participants will plan a few songs and skits to lead at the next CampCan
4:00 Departure
Wednesday
9:00 Arrival
9:30 Diversity and Inclusion Seminar - weekly topics include mental health, understanding Autism, Bullying, Equality vs Equity.
10:00 Swimming
11:00 L.E.A.D Activity - LEAD Campers will get to spend time together enjoying camp programs like Outdoor Cooking, gaga ball and more.
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Cabin Placement
2:30 CampCan Prep
3:00 CampCan
4:00 Departure
Thursday
9:00 Arrival
9:30 Wide Game
10:30 LEAD Activity
11:00 Swimming
12:00 Lunch
12:30 Cabin placement
3:00 Special Event Prep
4:00 Departure
Friday
9:00 Arrival
9:30 Special Event - participants will assist our Events Team leading our Special Event program for our Intermediate, Sophomore and Senior campers. Special Event themes change each week. Camp favourites include MudFest, Carnival, Colour Wars, and Olympics!
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Special Event - after lunch it’s our Primary and Junior camper’s turn for their Special Event.
1:00 Self-evaluation and feedback
2:00 Swimming
3:00 Closing ceremony - Participants will join the rest of the camp to close out the week with songs, skits, and weekly awards.
4:00 Departure
“Not only is your camp tons of fun, but it is well organized and extremely well run. I also appreciate the kind and compassionate religious context of the camp.”