We developed our summer leadership training programs around the premise that students should strive to be effective leaders who demonstrate excellence by their approach and by their accomplishment -- the kind of leaders that, by virtue of their ability to lead and superior service, will prompt a teacher to write them an uncommonly powerful letter of recommendation for college, or will justify having a teacher or even their peers consider nominating and advocating for that student for truly special awards and selective honors.
Our leadership-focused offerings have been constructed with the view that the most significant way to encourage students into earning and taking real future leadership roles is to develop the skills and capabilities that will enable students to speak up in class, to solve problems creatively and to communicate with confidence. Ultimately we strive to have each student demonstrably improve from whatever level of ability they come with to camp - those who are strong leaders already should hone their skills and acquire new ones, and students who are just beginning to explore how they can put themselves on a leadership track should leave camp with a much clearer vision of what their personal next steps are, and improved skills that will allow them to begin their journey.
Enthusiasm for leadership is a universal goal of most leadership programs and camps, but it is in our view too low an accomplishment to be one of the primary goals of a leadership program, as most students come into the program enthusiastic to assume leadership roles and 'make a mark'. Education Unlimited®'s leadership programs go beyond promoting a general sense of enthusiasm for the idea of being a leader, and instead help students develop a sense of confidence and of perspective such that leadership is seen not as the exclusive goal in and of itself, but rather as a means to greater accomplishment in one's life, a tool for personal empowerment, and as a springboard to provide meaningful service to one's community.
Click the tabs below to learn more about the program curriculum for high schoolers and middle schoolers.
Whether online or in person, Education Unlimited proudly offers top tier curriculum in our A+ Summer Leadership program! To learn more about our online program, click here.
High School Leadership Camp
Leadership skills are one of the most important traits that students will need to learn in order to be successful within any industry or profession, yet many of these skills are abstract and can be difficult to teach. Education Unlimited is proud to introduce a new camp that focuses on creating great leaders through three key areas of leadership development:
Knowing Yourself as a Leader: By understanding motives and personal values, students will be provided with a firm foundation to build the leadership skills that best suits their individual leadership style. Through personality and leadership self-assessment tests, students will benefit from guided self-evaluation to determine the management style that best fits their leadership goals. As part of the self-assessment, we will also consider how to best communicate with other types of leaders.
Communicating with Others: Once students understand their leadership style and goals, they are then provided with the skills they will need to communicate that direction to others. Our communications studies will cover presentation skills, meeting management and effective writing for the workplace.
Each week of camp, students will:
- Give a persuasive or informative presentation
- Lead meetings with their peers
- Write proposals and communicate to others with clarity and professionalism
- Practical Hands-On Experience
These projects may include:
- Planning and implementing an event for a large student body
- Development and implementing a marketing campaign for an upcoming event
- Arranging and completing a community service project plan with an action plan for implementation
- Developing and performing a community needs assessment, then creating a presentation of results and suggested actions
Middle School Leadership Camp
Our middle school session of A+ Summer Leadership encourages the development of leadership skills spanning the areas of communication, entrepreneurial thinking and project planning/small team leadership. Students will rotate through multiple classes daily, and the program will culminate in a capstone leadership project which allows students to apply the skills they learn throughout the week. Communication Skills and Entrepreneurial Thinking seminars are the cornerstones of the core curriculum, and in these two courses students will learn by doing, create project plans, and work on learning to present their plan to an audience with the goal of learning how to bring a project from the idea stage to actual implementation. The Project Planning and Small Team Leadership (supplemental learning time for overnight and extended day camp students) is a workshop period where students will further explore ideas presented in their two core seminars, learn theories of leadership, have time to develop their project ideas and flesh them out, and receive personalized assistance on their projects.
Communication Skills: Our communication skills unit instills confidence and develops effective interpersonal skills through fun and interactive public speaking exercises, such as campaign speeches, student congress, and negotiations. Students will develop multiple speeches and will practice speaking in public during each day of the program (all participants).
Entrepreneurial Thinking: Leaders need to think creatively, market their ideas, and work with limited resources. In this unit, students will develop their skills as leader-entrepreneurs through hands-on activities designed to encourage their skills as marketers and innovators. Example activities include marketing campaign design, brainstorming methods, budgeting skills, and creative problem solving (all participants).
Project Planning & Small Team Leadership: Project management and small team management are fundamental skills of any leader. In this unit, students learn study skills, organization techniques, and project management best practices, giving them a skill set that will help them in small group work in school and beyond. Students will also explore various leadership roles, including that of project steward, manager, coach, and more (overnight and extended day participants).
From online camps to day and residential programs there is an A+ Summer Leadership program to meet every need!
| Program | Grades | Location | Start Date | End Date | Price Options | Register |
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From online camps to day and residential programs there is an A+ Summer Leadership program to meet every need!
Click below to view your preferred schedule:
| Click Here to View Sample ON-CAMPUS Schedule | Click Here to View Sample ONLINE Schedule |
Education Unlimited believes in small-group, immersive learning with subject matter experts and experienced teachers. We strive to provide industry-leading instruction to all of our students and hold all staff to the highest possible standards. Staff assignments vary by program and location. Some of our recent staff members for this program include:
Emily Mullaney, MA - Camp Director and Instructor
Emily Mullaney is a teacher and doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, working towards a PhD in Education Leadership with a focus on how to best support beginning teachers as they enter the field. In addition to her 7+ years of teaching experience in subjects such as language, culture, and high-school English, Emily has spent the last 15 summers working with children at various summer camps. She believes in the value of the summer months to continue a child’s social, emotional, and academic development and is thrilled to bring her extensive experience to her role as Camp Director.
In addition to her current doctoral work, Emily has a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education, all from the University of Connecticut.
Amanda DeDiego, PhD - Instructor
Dr. Amanda DeDiego is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wyoming, teaching both graduate and undergraduate honors courses ranging from fundamentals of counseling to graduate practicums. She has a PhD in Counselor Education from the University of Tennessee and is also a National Certified Counselor with a Master’s Degree in Community Counseling from University of North Georgia. While working on her PhD, Dr. DeDiego worked as a research assistant on a two-year FUTURE program which allows students with intellectual disabilities to attend college level classes and receive intensive work skills training through internships.
Dr. DeDiego has years of experience in mentorship and leadership roles with youth. In addition to her four years with Education Unlimited, she has conducted team building and leadership training with youth using rope course activities; she has published articles and hosted conference presentations on the topic. She has volunteered her time as a grief counselor and mentor for children through organizations such as Project Dignity.
James Webb, PhD - Camp Director
Dr. James Webb is a seasoned instructor and lecturer with a PhD in Educational Theater from New York University. He has taught at numerous colleges and universities in the greater New York City area, with courses ranging from Fundamentals of Acting to Interpersonal and Vocal Communications. Prior to spending his summer months with Education Unlimited, Dr. Webb spent 14 years as the managing director of the Irene C. Edmonds Youth Theatre Program in Tallahassee, Florida.
Dr. Webb is a seasoned actor of over fifty stage productions; he has held roles that vary from Scar in The Lion King to Booker T. in Ragtime. Dr. Webb has been the recipient of numerous honors and accolades throughout his career, honored for both his original playwrights and acting. In addition to his time on stage, he has appeared in numerous films and done commercial and voiceover work. Dr. Webb also holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from The University of Florida and a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater from Florida A&M University.