Leadership in Action (LIA) Overview. 

My LIA project entailed volunteering for six weeks at Camp Mechuwana, in Maine, USA. This camp is a non-for-profit organisation which supports those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and those with disabilities. Not only does it offer scholarships to ensure everyone is able to access a camp experience, but they have been known to make bagged meals for lower-income families and generally offer lots of support to their community. The vision is that children who have faced disadvantage are able to access the same opportunities as everyone else, and to limit the negative impacts of disability, poverty and hunger. Because costs need to be kept as low as possible, the camp is highly reliant upon volunteers. My goal was to offer support with the camp and organize activities for the young campers, to help offer the best possible experience for the campers, and to make sure the camp is maintainable. I also hoped that it would be a good opportunity to develop and implement the leadership and teamwork skills I have worked on throughout my Laidlaw experience, such as ethical leadership, adaptability, and resilience. 

LIA Reflections Week 1. 

 My Leadership in Action (LIA) project started by me getting picked up from the airport in a van covered completely in children’s drawings and doodles, and as we undertook the hour long drive to the campsite, getting stared at by basically every passer-by, I did start to wonder what on earth I had got myself into! Truthfully though, it was then that I really started to feel the excitement about working with the campers, and began to feel the positivity the camp emanates.  

My first week was relatively simple. My main goals were to start forming relationships with the other staff members, and to learn the ropes of the camp, both of which I felt went successfully. The permanent staff were split into three cabins, and as one of the earlier arrivals, I began by sharing my cabin with only one other girl who had also arrived that day. I introduced myself, and we agreed we both wanted to get stuck in straight away so we could meet the others and feel comfortable. Therefore the next morning, we got up bright and early and headed to the kitchen. 

I was told before I even started that as a charitable camp - the goal was to never turn a camper away, regardless of finances, and/or mental/physical impairments. I was aware this meant that as a staff, we would need to put in extra effort to keep the camp functioning on as low of a budget as possible. Part of this entailed working in the kitchen whenever we could. At my time of arrival, the camp I was volunteering to counsel was not starting for a couple of weeks, so I realised now was a great opportunity to find my way in the kitchen. We prepared and served three meals a day to groups that were using the camp facilities, and sure enough by the end of the week, I had met all of the staff whilst working there, and I felt comfortable knowing my way around the kitchen and the meals that we prepared, so I was signed off on my kitchen training. 

I also utilised my spare time to explore the camp facilities, taking walks around the site, and going on a walk with the other camp staff to a good point to view the sunset. I learnt how to use the golf cart, which was essential for travelling around the site, and watched movies with the rest of the staff in the evenings to try and improve those relationships. I figured out how to do my laundry and access the shops, and by the end of the week, I felt pretty set up and settled in.

Overall, I felt very positively about this week. Whilst there had not yet been many opportunities to show leadership, I knew that setting a good foundation of relationships and knowledge was important to be successful in this project, and I now felt confident knowing my way around the camp and working in the kitchen. That being said, there were still some aspects I wanted to improve on for the following week. 

Whilst I had made sure to spend time and speak to the other staff members, they were all a very confident bunch. Whilst we all got along and I felt relatively comfortable within the group, I am normally used to being the chatty one in a group setting, and I was conscious that I was one of the more shy ones. I therefore made one of my goals for the following week to have more one-on-one conversations with the others, so I could get to know them and they could get to know me more personally. I also felt that I was not as knowledgeable as some of the others on what the future weeks at camp would look like, as I had very much taken it one day at a time, so I found the camp timetable online, and made an effort to learn what was coming up in the following weeks.

LIA Reflections Week 2. 

Week 2 followed much of the same timetable as my first week, spending the majority of my time in the kitchen. However, now that I felt informed about how the kitchen worked, and faced with a few new arrivals, I was able to take on some more leadership, helping the newcomers to learn the ropes, which also took some pressure off of the main kitchen leader, who was already facing a massive week of cooking, as we were preparing meals for over 300 campers and camp staff, which is over 3 times the typical workload. This also gave me a chance to have more one-on-one conversations with the other staff members, one of my goals for this week, as I was able to reach out to some of the newer staff members and volunteer to show them around the site and help them learn on the job during the kitchen shifts. 

Still, there was a lot left to learn. We had the day camp (the camp I volunteered to counsel), commencing the following week, and I still was unaware of exactly what would be needed from me, and the campsite still needed some work to be ready for their arrivals. I therefore made it known that I was available to help out wherever needed, and dedicated more time to getting to know those in charge of the day camp. We had to clean, decorate, and paint floors in two buildings, and then make sure fridges were working and stocked, ready to house breakfast for the children. I also sat down with the head of the day camp to discuss safeguarding and a rough plan of how each day would look.

By the end of the week, I found I had learnt a lot of things about myself. I definitely felt more confident in the group and more friendly with my peers. I also realised that I had really enjoyed my opportunities to take on greater leadership and responsibility, but that I felt more confident doing this on a one-to-one basis. I think this is because I felt more comfortable to offer guidance and support to the new arrivals, as I understood more about the camp and had greater experience, but that when in a group setting, when others had been here longer than me, I felt less confident to speak up, because I did not feel like I had the experience to back myself. I do not necessarily think this is a negative thing, I recognised when to take a step forward and be more authoritative, but I also knew when it was time to take a step back and listen to/be supported by others. That being said, I also recognised that sometimes I did not feel confident to speak up when I had an idea for how to decorate or make things more efficient in the kitchen, and that I used my lack of experience as a scapegoat for this. Hence, I set a goal for the following week to become more vocal in a group setting and to share my ideas.

LIA Reflections Week 3. 

Week 3 was a very hectic week! The day camp finally started, so from 8:30am-3:30pm, I was responsible for looking after a group of thirteen 9-12 year olds, alongside two other members of staff. We ran team bonding activities for them, walked them to their activities, and offered support and encouragement whilst they were there. It was also around 30 degrees celsius or more every day, so we had the additional task of battling the heat, and making sure everyone got ample shade and water. 

Despite the chaos, this was one of my favourite weeks. It was really nice to get to know the children in my group, and it was a great opportunity to learn about their interests and which activities went down well, so we could improve the experience for the children week on week. 

I also felt that I improved my confidence amongst the staff. Now that I knew them better and was committed to being more vocal, I found that speaking to those around me about how the week was going was on the whole very positive. Part of this newfound confidence being vocal came from having to be authoritative around the children, as I was quite literally leading them for the day. 

Speaking to the others in my group allowed us all to identify our strengths and weaknesses, and by the end of the week we had established a good routine, each taking on different responsibilities. I took on the role of first aider for my group as I had previously had some training, so felt confident to be responsible for the first aid kit and the corresponding paperwork. I also spent time at the water running out-of-water activities such as ball games, for those who were unable to swim or chose not to that day, so they were not just sitting outside watching the others for an hour. 

Still, this week was not perfect. A large quantity of our children did not enjoy going boating, and the weather was making it hard to play sports. We realised that for the following week, we might need to change up our schedule slightly, to ensure the children remained engaged and happy, as well as safe. The kitchen was also getting stressful, as the cleaning up post-meal took a while, which was not pleasant considering the weather outside made it really hot in the kitchen.

I did however learn that I enjoyed working in a small team. I found that it was easier to keep on track of things in a small team, and that everything seemed to go smoother than when there were ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’. You realise that you need to be cohesive and work together because you only have each other to rely on. If any one of us was missing it would not work, because there would not be enough staff to get all the tasks done. This meant you had to trust each other, which I actually enjoyed, because it felt like you all supported one another. As we were a smaller group, communication was very easy because we could stay on top of what each other was doing, and so could address any issues that arose quickly, but also see each other's successes.

LIA Reflections Week 4. 

This week was a bit more challenging. Whilst we had big plans to keep them entertained during activities they were less fond of, this was somewhat hard to implement as we had children presenting new challenges this week, who needed a little more focused attention. Therefore, a lot of time this week was dedicated to behavioural issues, and identifying the best way to manage these, whilst also ensuring that the other campers were having fun and getting ample attention. 

This also taught us a lot about ourselves and each other, as we all responded to behavioural issues differently. I personally found that my natural response was to hold a calm conversation about their behaviour, how they were feeling, and why they were acting this way. Others preferred to raise their voice and tell them off, then later sit them down for a discussion. In the end, we all figured out that for this specific group, the right approach was a mix of both strategies. Some children responded better to being immediately told they were wrong, because then they could quickly apologise and move on. For others, being told off only made them angry and more likely to lash out, so it was best to sit them down and have a chat. I really learnt the importance of adapting to the needs of each individual child, and the importance of being able to rely on my team, so if one of us did have to deal with a behavioural issue, you could trust that the others would ensure the rest of the campers were being looked after. 

Still however, I really enjoyed my week. We have been going on some weekend trips since we got here, to Portland, Freeport, and this week, a trip to the mountains to see some great views and… a MOOSE!! 

For the following week, I really want to make sure to focus on the activities we can hold for when children are not responding too well to a certain activity, or for when we have some free time. Having spoken to the campers, they have a lot of ideas for games, and some of them have seemed to show interest in extra craft time, so I would like to incorporate these themes.

LIA Reflections Week 5. 

This was again another positive week. I volunteered to learn how to run the low ropes course, so that we could offer this to children in their free time. We also started watching movies instead of doing sports, as the heat outside was dangerous to be in for too long. We also ended up with a schedule that incorporated more free time, so we started to lead some of the games the children were interested in playing. Due to good staff numbers, we also had the opportunity to take one day off each week, which gave everyone a turn to have a break, but also meant that everyone had an opportunity to take charge of the sessions a bit more. 

I had learnt early on in the camp how to make friendship bracelets, and a few children asked about them, and also about doing crafts more generally. I therefore ran some bracelet making sessions in the free time, and made sure that children who wanted to be involved had access to the materials. I really enjoyed this, as I was sharing a hobby with others and seeing them enjoying it like I did made me happy. I also really enjoyed getting involved with the games we played in free time, which I did run on occasion, but was generally run by another counsellor who had grown up in the USA, and was more familiar with them. Sometimes they were even run by the children themselves, who loved sharing their favourite games with each other and being temporary leaders. 

I really learnt a lot about the importance of teamwork and adaptability this week. With the hot weather and the campers looking for new activities to do, we really had to adapt. Delegating leadership responsibilities to the children was really enjoyable as you could see it boost their confidence and that they all responded well to trying out each other's game ideas. We also learnt a lot about delegating leadership responsibilities between the counsellors, making sure we targeted each of our strengths, and ensuring we all got an opportunity to relax as well as lead. 

The only issue with this less structured format is that you did find yourself spending more time with some children than others, for example I spent a bit more time with the children who enjoyed crafts. Next week, I want to focus on setting boundaries, so that whilst the children still have some time to do what they enjoy, there is an opportunity for all the children to mingle with both each other and the staff.

(Additional note: Also learnt a lesson in anger management this week, as England lost the Euros 1-2 to Spain, a game I watched alongside the rest of the staff, including someone from Spain… I managed to hide my sorrows by drowning myself in kitchen work….).

LIA Reflections Week 6. 

This week was by far my favourite, which made leaving even harder! The children were loving the new activities on offer, and this week some of the staff had built a homemade obstacle course, so I jumped on the opportunity to assist in its delivery, knowing that the children would love it! It felt like the camp had really found its feet and was working well. 

I provided feedback on the scheduling from the previous weeks, alongside others, which ended with the children having more time swimming and playing games, and less time boating and doing sports, which was based upon the children's feedback, and which they all responded well to. I also made sure to spend lots of quality time with all of the children this week, spending the whole session in the water with them instead of being on the side-lines. We also had learnt that the children liked having more say and responsibility, so we spoke to the schedule creator for the day camp, who agreed we could adapt the schedule on the day to what the children wanted to do, provided we let everyone know about the change with ample time. This meant we were able to really deliver a camp tailored to these children, and they responded really well. This created such a positive energy, making for a great week at camp. 

The children also found out I was leaving at the end of the week, which was a hard lesson in the fact that disappointing people is not fun! It was also difficult having to say goodbye to the other staff members, whom I had become so close to so quickly, due to the intense nature of the six week project. Despite the fact this was all a bit upsetting, it really made me appreciate how wonderful of an experience this had been, and how much I had learnt about myself than others. It was so amazing to be able to get stuck into this project, and I met a group of amazing people I will never forget. I learnt that I really enjoy teamwork, which is not what I expected in my first week, where I favoured leadership in one-on-one situations. Turns out, with good communication and trust, it is actually really nice to work in a team and delegate responsibilities, not only because it means the person who is doing a task has the best skills for a job, but also because it eases the workload, and makes the work you do all that more personally fulfilling, because it matches your interests. That being said, it was made easy considering the wonderful team I had around me - I miss them all already!! Overall, I could not have asked for a better LIA project, and I am so glad to have spent my 6 weeks out in Maine.