A New Design in Adult Leadership Development

Background

The White Stag Leadership Development Program has trained more than 20,000 youth in leadership skills since its founding in 1958. A volunteer–run, non-profit organization, it currently provides two weeks of leadership camp each year to youth from all over California and beyond. During the past two years youth from other states, Taiwan and France have attended the program. We have grown from 87 participants in 1997 to 333 in 2011.

The White Stag program teaches youth eleven leadership competencies which encompass the wide variety of skills needed by leaders to effectively perform their responsibilities. Its aims are:

• Character development, which it defines as encouraging people to do what is right, no matter what, and to serve themselves and others.
• Personal fitness, and in its programs it encourages individuals to accept physical and mental challenges, to surpass their own expectations, expand their knowledge, skills and abilities, and strive for continuous personal improvement.
• Citizenship training, in which it helps individuals to develop a positive attitude, influence those around them, and to join in and shape their community.
• Leadership development, in which it inspires individuals to engage life as an ongoing adventure, to challenge themselves, and to lead others to pursue excellence.

The White Stag Academy has committed to a vision of 10,000 youth learning leadership each year. To attain this vision, we need to grow the program. To grow the program, we need to grow its leaders.

During 2011-12, we will provide ongoing training to new adult leaders concurrent with the youth staff development program. We have set 2-3 hours during each weekend of staff development that will be available exclusively to the adults.

Why the White Stag Program

The White Stag Leadership Development Program recognizes that their program makes a unique contribution in the arena of youth leadership development. No other program teaches such a comprehensive leadership curriculum in an outdoor setting. We are the only program in the United States to offer a multi-year, tiered program tailored to the emotional and cognitive abilities of youth from age 10½-18. Unlike any other program, our spirit and traditions including our ceremonies affect individuals on a deeply personal level, encouraging and motivating them to pursue personal excellence.