Teen Leadership Institute

Teen Leadership Institute (TLI) is a bridge between the traditional Tawonga camper experience and 12th grade staff in-training program. We have found that a rising 11th grade program positioned solely at Camp is not sufficiently differentiated from the camper experience. This unique program enables teens to take the Tawonga mission on the road and then return to Camp to give back as leaders. Tawonga’s values are infused into TLI from the first moment of the program until campers get on the bus to head home. The format of TLI differentiates more fully between the camper experience, when the mission is being created for campers by staff, and the SCIT experience, where teens help create the mission for campers.

This program is geared toward older teens and combines elements of travel, adventure and leadership. While the travel component of TLI looks similar to a quest because it’s on the road for the first two weeks, it also includes extensive service projects with meaningful impact, leadership training, and outdoor adventures. This format is more similar to how we have successfully done teen programs, historically, through our Teen Service Learning model.

Yes – because of the higher physical and social emotional demands of TLI, TLI Campers must apply and interview for the program to set expectations, make sure it is a good fit and set them up for success. Campers interested in TLI should follow the steps bellow:

1. Make sure your parent or guardian registers you through their Camp-In-Touch account, just like they would for any other Tawonga program. You will be automatically put on the waitlist until you go through the remaining steps.
2. Complete the online TLI Program Application. We will email all registered teens and their families the application at that time.
3. Sign up for an interview. The link to sign up for an interview is in the application and will also be sent to you once the application is completed. Interviews are conducted virtually over Zoom and generally take about 30 minutes.
4. Complete TLI Camper Interview

When you register for the TLI program the system will automatically change your status to “waitlist”. All applicants are placed on a waitlist until we make final program decisions by mid January.

For the first two weeks we will be staying in college dorms, eating breakfasts and dinners in the university dining halls, and having evening social time in a communal meeting space.  Most days will be scheduled from 9AM – 3PM with either Tawonga-led programs, service projects, or outdoor adventures with professional outfitters. Later afternoons typically include two hours of “float” time for showers, rest, optional activities, and just hanging out. After dinner we will gather in our traveling cabin groups, called “havurah“. The final week at Camp will very much resemble the usual Tawonga schedule of two programmatic blocks after each meal.

Yes, TLI campers will complete between 15-20 service hours over the course of TLI. Tawonga is happy to provide documentation of the completion of those hours at the close of the program.

We will consider all gender lodging options, based on interest. Some lodging for teen programs will be all gender for all teens, such as our group campgrounds with close adult supervision.

Yes. The program will be tech-free. No cell phones, internet, or screens will be allowed during this program.

We will have amazing and experienced staff leading this program! They will travel with the teens and live with them in community over the three weeks they are together, and will be in regular communication with our at-camp directors. The staff will receive additional training on teen mental health, building community and the leadership curriculum. The staff will do daily check-ins with the teens and have close supervision of the group.

Teens will be expected to sign a behavior agreement prior to participating in TLI, and all teens and their families will be required to attend a Town Hall prior to the program that will outline behavior expectations and consequences. During the first week of the program, we will engage in community and individual expectation setting. Once expectations are set, we will expect teens to fully uphold our community agreements, and will follow strict behavior guidelines and consequences in response to behavior outside of our agreements.

Campers will have the opportunity to have one to two phone calls with a camp therapist or their own at-home therapist while on the road. The Rainbow Lounge will also be available to teens, once they arrive at Camp for the last eight days of the program. If a teen needs an exception for more regular support, we can consider this in an individual conversation with your family. The staff traveling with the teens will have training in teen mental health and skills to support on a day to day basis.

Teens will be on a group flight, accompanied by Tawonga staff, from the Bay Area to Portland. In Portland we will get around in rented vans. From Portland to Tawonga our group will travel in a 56-passenger motor coach, much like the buses we take to Tawonga each session.

Lodging for the TLI teens and staff will be a combination college dorms, one to three nights of camping, and the final week in our new Teen Village cabins.

No. Teens will have many other fun outdoor adventures but there is not a backpacking component of this program.