Leadership education is critical to the WA experience. We work to teach our participants how to actively maximize their skills and talents to be their very best self. In teaching this, we also try to model this behavior, too, not just through the leadership in action of our trip leaders but also as an organization.
One way we do so is we get involved. Nothing shows the capacity of leaders like rolling up your sleeves and lending a hand. With 26,000 alumni and a wealth of knowledge on our leadership team when it comes to the outdoors, youth development and the summer camp experience, we love to give back to these varied communities. Here are some of the ways you will see us lending our leadership skills in our communities and beyond:
Tom is thrilled to serve on the board of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. As a place that really has come to define many aspects of the Hollands’ lives, Tom is passionate about serving on this important board to protect, preserve and enhance this iconic national park. Tom also serves on the board of City Kids Wilderness Project which helps youth from Washington DC learn, grow and thrive to be their best selves. Their medium for doing so is connecting these students with the outdoors.
Catherine serves on the board of pARTners a local organization dedicated to providing art education to children in Teton County. She loves causes that deal with youth and the arts and has enjoyed making art more available to all local students.
All of us at WA also commit ourselves to making the world a better place for youth. With 13,000 summer camps in the United States, children have options, and our leadership team has always believed in assisting those programs so that they can serve their participants in the best possible way.
This assistance sometimes comes in real-time help and support during times of crisis or need throughout the year, or in volunteering our time to better an association of camps and outdoor programs. Right now, we are thrilled as members of our team returned recently where they were speakers at the Wilderness Risk Management Conference presented by NOLS. Additionally, we are have been asked to speak at the upcoming American Camp Association national conference in Nashville. At the conference, we have been asked to speak about 2 topics that the camp community is looking for expertise upon: ‘International Travel with Students and Campers’ & ‘Developing Impactful Wilderness Expeditions.’
Leadership can mean different things to different people. For us, it means that we continue to lend our support and skills to areas of passion for us: kids, the outdoors and camp.