This year, Camp Fire Alaska has an awesome new opportunity for young people: Our Leadership in Training Program at Camp K. This program gives teens aged 15-17 years old the chance to build their leadership skills in a camp setting. As applicants have been rolling in, we have been beyond impressed with why these youth want the opportunity to build these skills and specifically why they want to do so with Camp Fire Alaska. Take a look!
“Camp Fire Alaska has been a big part of my life and has contributed to my growth as a person. I would love nothing more than to work with the same people who have taught me so much in my youth. This will also provide a great learning experience and a chance to improve my responsibility. Enough words really cannot be said for the importance that this program holds to me and it’s of the utmost importance that I prove that.”
“The reason why I want to join is to improve upon myself by helping other Alaskan native youth. I want to experience leadership roles, take leadership into my own hands, and communicate with others. I would like to make a good role model for my little brother.”
“I would like to learn to be a counselor at Camp K because I have attended this program for many years and see the value that brings to younger kids. I would like to improve my skills in teaching youth on outdoor skills and learning how to be independent.”
“I have been attending Camp K for the past 5 years. Camp has been magical for me – it has increased my social skills, taught me leadership skills, and outdoor living skills. I want to participate in this program so I can be a leader like the ones I looked up to when I went to camp. I want to be that smiling face who greeted me when I first went to camp and made the first night easier.”
“I love to be creative, I love to gain new experiences as a growing adult, and I enjoy helping others. I believe this is a great opportunity to learn how to be a camp counselor. I have been a camper here twice, and I enjoyed every minute of being there. It would be my intention to give other people great experiences in their childhood.”
“I live in a single-parent home and it’s just my mom and me. She has always made sure I was given every opportunity to find things I enjoy and chances to learn from different role models. From rock climbing to spending my summers at Camp K. Summer camp is something I look forward to every year and my mom makes sure that I can attend as many as possible. Camp K is my home away from home and I am ready to show the younger kids how amazing and educational their summer can be. I have enough experience doing all the activities that I am already looked up to as a role model. I would like to show that this is a great place to grow, learn, and even advance from camper to LIT to counselor.”
“I have been doing camp K for about 3 years now, and campfire since I was roughly 5ish. I have the best memories of camp K, and would love to help other kids love this camp as much as I do. I’ve made friends, as well as beat Crow at gaga-ball while wearing a crown and tutu (My nickname was “Mr pretty pretty princess”). This is a dream come true to help these kids grow and develop the passion I have for being out in the wilderness, in the beauty of Alaska, while being offline and disconnected from the internet. Camp K has left me with some amazing memories and even some really good friends, every year I have loathed not going to all the camps. With this opportunity, I can meet people my age, have a ton of fun, and hopefully be really helpful to the staff who have brought me this amazing opportunity.”
At Camp Fire Alaska, we are constantly inspired by our youth. And this was just another example of how inspiring they can be.
The Camp Fire Alaska main office operates on the ancestral land of the Dena’ina people. Camp Fire Alaska runs programing on the lands of the Athabascan, Yup’ik, Chup’ik, Sougpiaq, and Inupiaq peoples. We value and thank them for their current and historic commitment to and protection of this land. We pledge to assist, in partnership, in the environmental stewardship of these lands. We strive to learn more about the history of the Native peoples of Alaska and the historic trauma they have suffered. We commit to being an active ally through activities, actions, and organizational decisions and practices. We understand that this is a dynamic process through which our Land Acknowledgement practices, and statement will evolve as we receive feedback from tribal partners and acquire a deeper understanding of and from the Native peoples of Alaska.
