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Leadership programs for teens ages 15-18, with leadership opportunities at camp and in the city, during the summer and year-round
Where the Trail Blazers camper experience ends, the Trail Blazers leadership experience begins!
The Overnight Teen Leaders experience is rooted in our classic Overnight Camp program and takes place during the summer. This is the first step in a journey of skills training and leadership development.
Next, The Apex is dedicated to providing first-time counselors with tools necessary to transition from campers to staff. Apex participants will spend the first session of camp (June 28 to July 12th) engaging in regular training sessions, shadowing other counselors, and bonding as a group. Then Apex members will spend session 2 and 3 as full counselors. Participants will return home between sessions and be a stipend in two parts after the 2nd and 3rd session of camp.
The APEX offers the support, both financially and professionally, that our young leaders need to sustain their commitment to the program and to camp. In the end, we aim to create a more invested, more diverse workforce for Trail Blazers and the camp industry at large.
All of our leadership programs are designed with our participants’ futures in mind. The programs are built around real-world experiences and practical skill development. Our young leaders will learn how to work with children by being part of our counselor staff. Our young leaders will receive professional development for their future employment from guests speakers and specialists. Our young leaders will learn outdoor skills. These elements come together to create Trail Blazers leaders.
Our leadership programs are grounded in the summer, but they don’t stop there. We aim to engage all our leadership campers year-round, both in the city and at camp. Participants will have opportunities to continue honing their skills through internships with our year-round team or job opportunities in our school programs.
Importantly, we want to remove the barriers that keep our potential leaders from taking part in our leadership programming. We have eliminated all tuition costs for our leadership campers and most of our programs provide stipends or pay to the young leaders.
One of our core values is care and respect for others. In our Leadership programs, this value comes to light in the way we lead others. Training opportunities, professional development, coaching sessions, and workshops are modeled after our staff training program, deepened through leadership and work experience.
“With practice, you will get better”
These are a couple of our main messages at Trail Blazers and we mean what we say. Another one of our core values is care and respect for self. In our leadership programs, this entails looking ahead, setting goals, and making plans to get where we want to be this year, next year, and down the road.
As a Trail Blazers young leader, we are going to expect a lot from you! At Trail Blazers, we collaborate, we ask, we try, and we persevere through challenges. We believe that we learn best when we try new things and challenge ourselves.
We value care for the environment. Our summer and year-round leadership programs are immersive experiences that provide opportunities to reflect on the world around us, and to discover our role in protecting and shaping it. We use environmental science activities and outdoor exploration to understand that in all environments, even in the city, all living and non-living things are connected.
We value care for community. Our leadership programs bring this value into action –through discussions and needs assessments, our young leaders plan and implement projects to benefit their communities.
Two Week Program
Session 1: Does not run – alternative programs available.
Teen Leaders Session 2: July 15 – July 29
Teen Leaders Session 3: August 1 – August 15
Campers entering Grades 10 – 12
Duration: 2 weeks. The Teen Leaders Program is offered for both girls and boys in both sessions.
Note: Boys and girls will participate in this program together, with separate sleeping accommodations.
Trail Blazers programs are offered on a tiered basis linked to your family income. Your tier is self-selected during the application process. If the price of the program remains out of reach for your family, even with your tier discount, please feel free to select the next tier level down. Additional scholarship funding is available to families for whom the Tier 1 price remains out of reach. This scholarship can be requested after registration. Our aim is to make summer camp possible for all kids who are excited about Trail Blazers. We look forward to working with you to make this happen!
Tier discounts are applied as a coupon, you will receive a coupon code during the enrollment process. Apply this code to your cart to receive the tier discount.
TIER 1 (Family Income up to $50,000 annually)
Leaders in Training: $750
TIER 2 (Family Income $50,000-$75,000 annually)
Leaders in Training: $1200
TIER 3 (Family Income $75,000-$100,000 annually)
Leaders in Training: $1700
TIER 4 (Family Income over $100,000 annually)
Leaders in Training: $2550
FULL PRICE
Leaders in Training: $3000
Transportation is provided from Brooklyn NY and Newark, Elizabeth, and Paterson, NJ.
Enrolling and Payment
A 30% deposit is required upon registration. Payment in full is due May 1. A 5% administrative fee is charged for all Trail Blazers programs.
During registration, you can set up an automatic payment plan or choose to make payments manually. Please email us at registration@trailblazers.org if you have questions or would like to discuss payment arrangements.
If you are interested in being considered for additional scholarship assistance, you will first submit your registration. Then, complete the Scholarship Request Form and the Summer Food Service Form on your parent portal dashboard. Scholarship allocation is made on a rolling basis, as available.
This policy has been updated to reflect the operational and financial realities of operating our program and aims to strike the right balance between ensuring the financial stability of the organization, our ability to support and underwrite families who need it most and prepare for the summer in the most effective way.
Please note: Preparing for camp programs is a year-long endeavor, with substantial full-time staff working to prepare safe and exciting camping experiences. Our refund policy reflects the expenses associated with this.
During the season, they will live together as a group and learn leadership techniques from senior staff. They will plan their off-site trips, shadow senior counselors in their day to day work, and participate in workshops to learn and develop new skills.
Our APEX participants who completed year one will have the opportunity to become Junior Counselors. In this role, they will live in smallcamps and assist the Senior Counselors with all aspects of their day to day work. They will also take part in coaching and feedback sessions with Team Supervisors. They will continue leadership skill workshops and will help plan The APEX off-site trip.
APEX participants can then return as Senior Counselors. They will lead a smallcamp through the summer, as well as participating in continuing professional development throughout the season. APEX Senior Counselors will also help lead staff training sessions and assist in planning the full staff off-site Vagabond during training.
APEX participants will also have opportunities to participate in professional development and team building events multiple times during the off-season. They will also be offered the opportunity to be employed in our after school programs or in an internship capacity with our year round administrative staff.
Eight Week – Full Summer Program
The APEX: June 28 – August 15
Campers entering Grades 10 – 12
First year participants must be age 16 before the final day of the camp season
Duration: FULL SUMMER. The APEX Program is offered for both girls and boys in both sessions.
Note: Boys and girls will participate in this program together, with separate sleeping accommodations.
Enrollment in The APEX program requires campers to apply for admission to the program.
Campers who want to be considered for The APEX should reach out directly to the Director of Overnight Programs, Kevin Wickersham: kwickersham@trailblazers.org
Enrollment is FREE, but participation is subject to approval by the Camp Director.
In addition to no program costs, participants will receive a small stipend upon completion of the summer.
Pending
Pending
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