It’s the end of this school year and the 26th in YLCC’s history! It all started 27 years ago when Andy Thibodeau and I did our first ever speech at London Central Secondary School in London, Ontario.
From a modest debut (we did it for free) our careers began. We had NO idea where it would take us. Speaking and working with student leaders I had this crazy idea; I brought on two more partners to start Y
outh Leadership Camps Canada (YLCC). Together, the four of us ran YLCC's first summer program 26 years ago for about 50 campers.
Now, all these years later, I still own YLCC and two of the other founders are still involved in working with youth across Canada:
Ian Tyson and
Andy Thibodeau.
During the 2017/18 school year we worked with close to 200,000 Canadian youth and educators. What an accomplishment! This includes the SUPER successful
Global Student Leadership Summit – One of THE best student leadership events of the year. It was so well received that we already have 1,500 people registered for the next Summit in 2020.
At a retreat we recently held for our full time directors we made a list. The 10 of us thought about all the superstar teachers, colleagues, and supporters that helped YLCC achieve our STUpendous year. The list quickly surged to over 100 amazing humans. People that have done so much for us, their schools, communities, and most importantly the youth we all work with.
Each year I am incredibly blown away by what we all do. The lives that you and I impact in a positive way, and the encouraging feedback we receive – THANK YOU!
As we wrap up the school year we begin another year of what started it all: Summer Camp! This year 1,700 youth from a dozen different countries will come to our camp on the shores of Lake Simcoe! We can’t wait to get started!
Each end is a new beginning. For YLCC, we literally end one season with the beginning of another. Schools are already booking their fall retreats at the
Leadership Training Centre, booking a
CYSB speaker for the first semester of school, and adding their names to the waiting list of the SOLD OUT
Ontario Student Leadership Conference (OSLC).
Until we meet again somewhere, some place, this will be my last blog of the school year. I may drop into your mailbox from time to time. See you in September!
Lead on.
Lead Together!
