TDI Leadership Program
Even though the TDI campers met virtually at TDI@Home 2021, we were fortunate to hold the TDI Leadership Program in person on the NVU campus, including some integration with the virtual program. It was a great week! We are looking forward to everyone being together on campus again this summer.
Our Leadership Program is open to participants (referred to as “Leadershippers”) who are camp alumni entering grades 10, 11, and 12. Started in 2004, the program has evolved from a one-year to a two-year to a three-year program, with very specific structure and goals for each year. In the program’s first year, participants focus on asking themselves, "Who am I as a person and a learner?". The second year’s focus shifts to "Who am I as a teacher and a leader?". The third and final year focuses on understanding, “Who am I in the broader world?".
Along the way, Leadershippers develop an understanding of different styles of learning, and which are the most effective for them. They learn how to use that information to become better and more versatile leaders and teachers, and how they can help others achieve the same understanding and be successful themselves.
The program culminates with each participant teaching, co-teaching, or assisting a TDI class, with administrative duties, or with dorm counseling their last year. In recent years we’ve had 20 to 25 participants in the Leadership Program. Many Leadershippers continue on to join the staff and use the skills they learned to create a valuable and unforgettable experience for our campers.
Leadershippers have many opportunities to guide activities and work directly with campers, gaining important skills and learning about themselves and others along the way
“The Leadership Program helped me understand why I seemed to struggle with learning things in certain ways and excelled in others. It helped me adapt to the educational environments I was in and use my different set of abilities to my advantage. It boosted my confidence and helped me become a successful learner, then helped me turn that knowledge around to help others like me.”