Youth Program

“What does being a leader mean to you?”

This was a question we asked our participants halfway through our 11 day youth expedition. During youth expeditions, participants gain valuable hands-on working experience in some of Montana’s most incredible places. We also facilitate group discussions about their personal goals and development.

During this particular discussion, we were asking our participants some questions that prompted them to think about how they can show up as leaders. When initially asked what being a leader means to them, the answers were pretty basic. “A leader is someone who has to be in charge of a group,” was the group consensus. Our discussion prompted them to talk about the people who have been important, and traded stories of impactful moments of gratitude. We continued to think deeper into the definition of leadership. Do our friends that we look up to have a designated position? Don’t we still view them as leaders in their own way?

Next, our curriculum described some truths of leadership, some of the most resonating ones being that leaders are people who make others feel included. We discussed that while there is not one correct way to lead, through new experiences we gain tools to be leaders in different circumstances.

The youth participants set individual goals for themselves to show up better as leaders throughout the remainder of the expedition, whether that means including all members of the group, contributing ideas in a work brainstorm, or even just having good morale that spreads through the group.

As their definitions of leadership became more concrete, they felt more empowered to take steps towards leadership. It was incredible to see the growth and excitement that flowed through our group for the rest of the hitch. What started as a group of strangers evolved into a cohesive group of young leaders, each showing up for each other in ways that they hadn’t before.