Day 15: SuperCamp

Do you remember your first exposure to SuperCamp? Most of the time it’s a powerful experience that leaves a lasting impression.

Rachel Winzeler, a Facilitator at SuperCamp Hong Kong this year, wrote about the first time she witnessed what it meant to be a part of SuperCamp:

Day 15: Supercamp

I was referred to be a facilitator. One day before the deadline, I received an invitation for tryouts. I e-mailed back a polite “thank you, but no thanks.”

As soon as the e-mail was sent, I thought again. And told them to forget the previous e-mail. Tryouts were in Chicago, during the worst blizzard all year. Sliding off the road twice, I pulled the car out of the snow bank with one hand on the gas pedal, and two frozen feet hanging out the door.

The interview, from 8am-5pm, was intense. My 3 minute bio flopped. It was like a day at camp, and I was in another world. These were professional people: 35 twentysomethings from all over the US came. These were good, successful people…the kind of people I wanted to work with. I came to the interview just to give it a shot. I left, really wanting to be hired. Only ten were chosen.

…

Supercamp made me step up. Work hard, play hard. The first night of training they had us stand and tell why we came. I said because there are kids that only I will reach—and I want to make it count. I want to be the most effective possible, with whatever tools I have. I was also there for me—because when I am the best for me, I am the best for you.

I nailed it. There were moments where everything clicked and I walked away from a piece knowing I had done an amazing job—couldn’t have done better. I ran with the big dogs.Supercamp has harnessed efficient ways to use and connect learning strategies in ways that are engaging and memorable. Feedback was constantly given:  we would present short pieces, and then immediately be coached and given chances to step it up to the next level.

One intense piece is called barrier breaking: the kids write a goal on a thick wood board, and then what is a barrier to obtaining that goal on the other side. They put the board on two cement blocks and break it with their hand—through the barrier to the goal. It is a deeply emotional and empowering time as the whole team gathers around, jumping and shouting “yes, yes, yes!”

Supercamp opens your eyes to see how things CAN be. You are challenged, given the tools, and then pushed out. You are supported and not forced, but looked in the eyes and told what you both know:  “You will regret it if you don’t go for it.” Supercamp celebrates your efforts and successes, but more than that, it celebrates the real you, and who you are.

From this place, I can face my questions openly: “Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Can I do this?” They surround me with the most powerful word in the English language, “Yes.” With the vision of what I want fresh in my face, I make a list of progress yet to be made. I go to bed tired, muscles sore–but tomorrow I will wake up to greatness, standing inside and outside of my door.

Another amazing testimonial from a new SuperCamper! We love hearing these types of stories and encourage you to contact us if you want to share about your experiences. Send an email to stories@supercamp.com detailing your SuperCamp experience and you just may see it show up on the blog!

Summer by the Numbers

The always thorough SuperCamp administrator Katie Terrill reflects on what it took to put together SuperCamp in 2010.

Remember your first impressions of camp? Being greeted by the most delightful staff member you’ve ever met? They were wearing one of those ridiculously stylish blue collared shirts you just had to have. We liked them so much too that over the course of the summer those shirts were worn over 15,000 days total. Watch out GQ.

Then you hopped in line and were given the sweetest lanyard your eyes have ever beheld. It’s gentle fold and brilliant colors almost brought you to tears. You promised yourself you would never take it off – and because you didn’t, those lanyards were worn over 22,000 combined days this summer.

Once you were checked in and your parents had gone you knew it was time to party. You ran outside with pure glee enveloping your face, jumped into the first hackey sack circle you could find and began dropping your honed skills and knowledge in all our faces. Because of your commitment to making it a great summer, we volleyed almost 600 hackey sacks in just a few short weeks. Calculate that amount of kicks…and the number of horrified groans you made when that precious ball of woven wonder hit the unsanctioned ground.

Then the most glorious thing happened. You heard a song that made your jaw drop. Your body had no choice but to begin clapping and grooving with the rhythm. Feet stomped, arms pumped and you vaulted up onto a chair that filled a magnificent Main Room. Giving it all you had, maybe even biting that lower lip, you clapped it in and dropped exhilarated into what can only be known as “Stock in Costco” – a folding chair. Not too soft, and maybe not quite “just right,” that chair was your friend for days. Thank you dear friends, for holding us up, supporting us whenever we needed you and at times even making us stand a little taller  – all of us together sat in over 10,000 of your kind. Good luck with your family tree.

We embraced and lived through 2,800 playbooks that contained just as many POW-OOOOOO-CHA’s. 12,500 pens later we’ve mastered Mind Maps and Fast Writing. Helping us along the way were 2,200 so deliciously-scented-you-just-might-eat-one Mr. Sketch markers. I call grape.

How can we forget our WHOA claps? Our hands were an array of colors and levels of tingly as we shared the clap with each other over 2,600 times. Of course there were the Power Whooshes. 1-2-3 (clap, clap, clap) Whoooooooooooooosh. Imagine that x 2,600 – because it already happened.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better you were presented with a terrific teal blend of cotton. At this moment you had a pinnacle of understanding – this truly is the fabric of your life. You caressed its texture with awe and wonder. You began visualizing all the feats you could accomplish wearing this amazing gift. Scaling a ladder and hovering 30 feet in the air wearing nothing but a harness and a ¾” thick rope was simple. Morning came and you could barely contain yourself. You threw it on and felt its power course through you. That summer, only 2,300 of these splendid babies were made, and you had one. With almost 7 billion people in the world, that’s impressive. Wrap that up with just as many brilliant made postcards written and mailed home. Whew!

Academics, team times, and some remarkable singing and dancing led us into the home stretch. Over already? You couldn’t believe it. But wait. What’s this? Another gift – something to remind you of the changes you’ve made and will continue as you head home. You may only be one voice, but a voice that will be heard. We shouted it all out together, “I Make A Difference!”. This medal reminded us that for the past few days we’ve focused on the Me – combined with the Indian word of “Dal” (meaning: a ready source of proteins for a balanced diet) we realized that the word MEDAL really means that sometimes we need to focus on bettering ourselves to be part of a healthy balance.

It’s a good thing we ordered 2,400.

(All statistics used in this mind-blowing blog post are true and accurate).

A Thanksgiving Attitude

Our trusted Facilitator and loved SuperCamp administrator Marina McDonald shares some whooshed Thanksgiving love.

Watch this video and then ask yourself, what is it that you like in your life?:

Thanksgiving comes around and I find myself still sitting at the kids table with a paper plate and spork. I sigh deeply, look at my 30 year old sister and laugh because she is sitting next to me.

At SuperCamp I listed a series of “I am” statements including “I am a teacher, I am a friend, I am hilarious” in the first step to writing realistic, specific and measurable goals for myself. I took time to reflect on who I am and the goals I set. Admittedly, I would have to look back at my playbook to find specifically (how ironic) which goals I talked about. What happened to the goals you set at camp? How far along are you to accomplishing those goals?

In high school, I focused on the obstacles I faced to get to college including parents, teachers and the multitude of never ending exams.

College: same thing. I was focused on getting past these “obstacles” so I could enjoy life in the job I worked so hard for.

With this perspective, I was trudging through life. I did not realize until now that in high school and college I was growing, learning and developing those “I am” statements. Reality check.

Every Thanksgiving, I look in the mirror and reflect on what I am thankful for. Just like the little girl, I love my house, I love my mom and why not?–even my haircut. Simple things shift my focus from looking at the obstacles to admiring the opportunities.

In the end, I replace my “attitude” with “gratitude.”  I am grateful for all the work my mom put into making my lunches, taking me to school, and making sure I got what I needed all before she headed to the factory to work a 10-hour shift. I am grateful for the teachers who were constantly reminding me what assignments I was missing so they could catch up on a huge pile of papers to grade while they mulled over their leftover choices.

Reflect on your camp. Reflect on life. What are your goals? Who are you grateful for?

What are you saying to yourself in the mirror?

Sweet haircut, by the way.

All I Do Is Win, Win, Win

I want to say a big huge THANK YOU to all of you who participated in the “Get Paid to Rave About SuperCamp” contest we ran this past summer. Every single person who walks through those main room doors has their own special and unique version of this little experience we call SuperCamp, and it was such a treat to read a few of those stories this summer.

So I bet you’re wondering who won, huh?

Can I get a drum roll please?

1st Place

2010 Stanford Senior Forum grad Olivia Ross

Prize: $100 Visa gift card

Olivia (left) with her team, ICandy, during a pre-breakfast cheer.

Runners-Up

Two-time SuperCamp grad Kaela Palmer

Prize: $50 Visa gift card

Kaela, middle, with her team.

-and-

Three-time SuperCamp grad Philip “King Phil” Stone

Prize: $50 Visa gift card

Phil, 2nd in from the right.

 

Here is Olivia’s “rave”:

Before SuperCamp, part of me was other people’s opinions and actions. Through SuperCamp, I learned how to make the most out of every moment and be myself, not what I thought others wanted me to be. The summer of 2010, I attended Senior Forum at Stanford University, and it changed my life in more ways than I could have ever hoped for.  Lifelong friendships were created, and academic skills were learned that will forever stick with me. I learned life skills that will forever change the way I live. SuperCamp was truly a life-changing event, and it has impacted and will continue to impact my life in a variety of ways.

The best part about SuperCamp was sharing the experience with so many other people. I realized I could be myself and still have people behind me to support me in anything I would choose to do. The support and love created in each camp is… indescribable.  To walk into a room and know 100 people have got your back and understand you more than anyone else is one of the best feelings in the world. The trust I built with my team is one of the strongest bonds I’ve ever felt, and it was easy sharing my feelings with my team members. I knew they were there for me and would support me in whatever I wanted to do. Throughout the course of the camp, I realized I had known these people for less than ten days and I was closer to some than people I had known for years back home. I really carried this feeling of trust home with me, and my relationships with my friends and family have never been stronger. I realized how important the people in my life are and have grown closer to them ever since.

Another part of SuperCamp I took home with me is the 8 Keys of Excellence. I’m on a swim team, and before SuperCamp, in school and swimming, I tried to reach my goals but sometimes they fell through. I kept blaming this on other people or things I couldn’t control. But at camp, I realized that it wasn’t other people, but me all along. The choices I make directly impact my life, and if I follow through with those choices I can do anything I set my mind to. I used the “This Is It” key for the drive to pursue my goals, and the “Ownership” key to own up to what mistakes I have made in the past. I’m striving hard and committing to my choices at home, and living the 8 Keys everyday in every possible situation.  Since camp, my grades have skyrocketed and I have seen success in and out of the pool. Through SuperCamp, I realized I can make life changing decisions. Everything I do, speaks. Everything is a choice.

SuperCamp skills will continue to be something I apply in my daily life. SuperCamp has given me the motivation, determination, and self-will to power through everything and create strong healthy relationships. My self-confidence has increased, and I am living life based on my choices to succeed. The skills I learned this summer will forever stay with me, as will my camp friends, and my SuperCamp Memories. THIS IS IT.

 

Congrats to our contest winners and thanks to all who participated – you are all winners in our book!

 

Just because the contest is over doesn’t mean you can’t still share your awesome SuperCamp stories with us! Feel free to comment below or send to cpollock@qln.com.