Highlights
Videos
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Pictures
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Format & Structure
- Highly Participatory: Students will be assigned to small groups or "Character Teams"
- School counselors serve as team facilitators or "Character Coaches"
- Some upper-level students (11th and 12th graders) will serve as Leaders of their Character Teams
- An upbeat, supportive atmosphere will be highly encouraged and ensured by the Character Coaches and Leaders
- Character Shirts will be given to each camper as a way to build community
Content & Activities
- Community Service: Character Campers will spend one half day actually performing community service. They will serve as "big brothers" and "big sisters" to Children and adolescents in the State College area. Character Leaders and Coaches will facilitate discussion and reactions within their Character Teams.
- Character-Building Exercises: Team-building exercises will be incorporated to work on and reflect on various Character Essentials, including Teamwork, Interpersonal Skills, Appreciation of Diversity, Conflict Resolution, and Communication Styles. Character Coaches and Leaders will evaluate campers on these essentials.
- Character Action Plans: Near the end of the Camp, each camper will develop a personalized Character Action Plan. Campers will share this action plan with their school counselors and use it to help implement character initiatives in their school district and surrounding community.
- College Leaders: A couple of Penn State Student Leaders will speak, offering advice and encouragement to the campers on the topics of character and leadership.
- Career Planning: Character Campers will participate in self-assessment activities to uncover and explore career areas of interest. Campers will also learn about the skills and qualities valued most by colleges and employers and how to acquire these sought-after skills in and out of the classroom.
- Team Competitions: Character teams will compete against each other on events such as boating races (across the lake), karaoke skits, and volleyball tournaments. Character Points will accumulate throughout the camp and each member of the winning Character Team will receive prizes. Character points, teamwork points, and facing-adversity points are also factored in.
Resources
Becoming The Best Me, 2nd Edition will be given to each camper and school counselor. This resource features "10 Career & Character Essentials" for high school students. The campers will learn about each of these 10 Essentials and incorporate them into their Character Action Plan.
Instructor's Manual for Becoming The Best Me, 2nd Edition will be given to each School Counselor. The Instructor's Manual presents numerous activities and strategies for character educators to utilize within their schools.