Leadership Development
For campers who complete grades 9 or 10 in June 2025.
Program Goals and Learning Outcomes
Camp Thunderbird’s Leadership Development (LD) Program allows youth to learn outdoor adventure skills in a supportive and safety-oriented environment. Learning outcomes include self-discovery, group dynamics and management, working with children, and technical skills for successful wilderness travel… all key ingredients in developing well-rounded outdoor leaders. We do this through in-person practice supported by highly trained and experienced Y staff. Campers face experiential challenges together, work through these with their peers, and are encouraged to think about how their actions affect others. Counselors help the group find solutions using democratic and/or consensus-based decision-making tools to work toward outcomes that benefit every member. Through deliberate practice of the Y core values of honesty, respect, caring, responsibility, and inclusiveness, this program supports youth by building interpersonal skills, greater empathy, confidence, and resilience for their future challenges. It is often referred to as “life-changing”.
Leadership Development counselors introduce LD campers to skills for leading groups of children, and LD campers are allowed to put those ideas into practice. They will shadow some camp counselors and help lead a group of younger children, with the supervision and support from fully qualified camp staff. Working directly with children and then reflecting on that experience with peers and mentor counselors has proven to be a highly valuable element of our Leadership Development programs.
LD Base Camp
In this 4-day program, campers participate in outdoor skill activities at camp, such as canoeing, climbing, hiking, orienteering, and archery, while being introduced to the skills needed to lead and teach these activities. Campers will shadow a counselor leading a younger group, and participate and a day-long hike on camp property. Campers sleep in cabins at camp each night.
LD Quest
5 Day Quest
In this 5-day program, campers will participate in a 1 night out trip on camp property planned by the group. They will learn about packing for a camping trip, food preparation, and different skills needed to lead others on shorter outdoor adventures. Campers will also participate in outdoor skill activities, such as canoeing, rock climbing, hiking, orienteering, and archery with a focus on the skills needed to lead and teach these activities.
12 Day Quest
In Camp Phase
Before the expedition, LD staff will facilitate group cohesion through guided team building and discussion. Then participants will work together to plan and pack for their expedition. On return, facilitated expedition reflection and debriefing are led by LD staff. LD Campers will also have enough time in camp to experience all of the camp activities that they love.
Expedition Phase
While on their backcountry expedition, participants will be learning navigation, weather interpretation, camping, and the other skills required for safe, self-supported backcountry travel. Counselors and guides provide instruction, support, and a “safety net” while the campers take turns being “leader of the day”, and work together to set a pace, navigate, and practice minimal trace wilderness travel/camping. The counselors also guide discussions related to group management and care of children, to prepare participants for their time as apprentice leaders in camp programs.
These trips will be physically and mentally demanding. Each day varies and participants should be prepared for up to 10-hour days on the trail or in the boat and temperatures that could dip to single digits with heavy precipitation.
Campers spend 7 days in camp and 5 days on expedition.
LD Hike expeditions are an opportunity to experience Vancouver Island’s premier alpine and coastal hiking in Strathcona Park and on the Juan De Fuca trail.
The Strathcona expedition starts and ends at the Paradise Meadows trailhead and campers will hike towards Mt Albert Edward. This park is truly special with gorgeous mountain views, mysterious alpine lakes, and mountain birds alighting on an outreached hand. A summit attempt will depend on a thorough safety assessment.
The Juan de Fuca Trail offers hiking along rocky beaches carved by the Pacific Ocean and through diverse forests with panoramic coastal views. From many points along this rainforest trail, one can see the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountains. With a keen eye, one might even spot a pod of whales.
LD Canoe expeditions travel to the Sayward Forest and navigate the Sayward Canoe Route, which features Mohun, Amor, Brewster, Fry, and Cambell lakes. Campers enjoy paddling on calm waters and sleeping at campsites only accessible by boat, making for a special outdoor experience. This canoe trip includes some land portions, where they hike with a backpack and portage the canoe along rugged trails.
Leadership Development as a path to becoming a camp counselor.
The LD program provides participants with transferrable skills for working with children and in the outdoors. Many of our Camp Thunderbird counselors spent two consecutive summers as LD campers, followed by one summer as a volunteer Program Assistant. This is our recommended path for joining the staff team. Whether participants choose 5 or 12-day programs, they will be building the skills and experience that set them on this path.
2025 REGISTRATION OPENING DATES
RETURNING CAMPERS
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 @12noon
NEW CAMPERS
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 @12noon
Returning Camper Information Click HereLEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
| Activity Name | Link | Start Date | End Date | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership Base 4 Day - All Gender | Link | 5-Aug-25 | 8-Aug-25 | $700.00 |
| Leadership Quest 5 Day - All Gender | Link | 21-Jul-25 | 25-Jul-25 | $862.00 |
| Leadership Quest 12 Day - Canoe Outtrip All Gender | Link | 30-Jun-25 | 11-Jul-25 | $2,510.00 |
| Leadership Quest 12 Day - Canoe Outtrip All Gender | Link | 28-Jul-25 | 8-Aug-25 | $2,510.00 |
| Leadership Quest 12 Day - Hike Outtrip (JDF trail) All Gender | Link | 14-Jul-25 | 25-Jul-25 | $2,510.00 |
| Leadership Quest 12 Day - Hike Outtrip (Strathcona) All Gender | Link | 11-Aug-25 | 22-Aug-25 | $2,510.00 |
Transportation Information
Registration in overnight camp DOES NOT include bus transportation you must register separately for a To Camp and From Camp bus. Campers can be driven by car by a parent or guardian or registered for bus transportation from the Downtown Y or the Westhills Y.
REGISTER FOR OVERNIGHT to and from CAMP BUSSINGCamper Drop-Off Time
The times listed below are bus departure times, and buses do not wait for late participants. PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES EARLY to allow for health screening and bus loading. Guardians need to stay until the bus departs.
| Camp Program | Driven by Car to Camp | By Bus from the Downtown Y | By Bus from the Westhills Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Camps | 9:00am | 8:00am | 8:30am |
Camper Pick Up Time
Traffic on Fridays can be especially heavy please give yourself ample time to arrive. Late parent/guardian arrival further delays our bus service.Westhills: Bus arrives between 4:20-4:30 and continues downtown at 4:30 sharp. Children not picked up by 4:30 will remain on the bus and travel downtown.
| Camp Program | Driven by Car at Camp | By Bus to the Downtown Y | By Bus to the Westhills Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day Camp | 3:45pm | 5:15pm | 4:20-4:30pm |
| Overnight Camp | 2:30pm | 5:15pm | 4:20-4:30pm |