Utah Middle Schoolers Learn to Level Up in School and Life
Middle schoolers from Sanpete County, West Valley City, Ogden, and Logan learned what it means to be a leader, connect with others, and improve themselves at a summer camp in June.
Students working together to solve fun challenges
Building a tower of paper in a practice of leadership
The camp was conducted by FOCUS Training, a Wisconsin-based leadership and college-readiness program. USU STARS GEAR UP students worked with Latrell Armstrong, a former college admissions counselor and student mentor, as their trainer.
Armstrong started the camp by gathering students and asking them what they geek out about. Students shared that they geek out over leopard-print items, Legos, and music.
Armstrong said the purpose of the activity was so he could “understand everyone in the room”.
The next activities were called the "Leadership Tower" and the "Creative Thinking Challenge”. During the Leadership Tower, students split into two groups, brainstormed, and built a paper-and-painter's-tape tower. Their biggest challenge was not being allowed to talk to each other while building the tower.
Students faced other challenges along the way, including choosing the group leader. The chosen leaders were pulled from their original groups and joined different groups they had not brainstormed with.
“When I finally got something to stand up, I was moved to a different group, and there wasn’t enough time to fix it,” a student said. “I was kind of sad.”
Armstrong said the purpose of the tower activity was to teach students new ways of thinking and to help them adapt to difficult situations. He said they will face more even more challenges as they transition from middle school to high school.
“Focus on leaving a good legacy in eighth grade,” Armstrong said.
During the Creative Thinking Challenge, students worked in groups to decipher brain teasers. Students earned hints by singing songs and galloping like horses.
As students worked through the puzzles, they learned that asking for help is acceptable and that the adults in their lives want to be a source of support for them if they are willing to help themselves.
“It’s a good thing to ask for help,” Armstrong said.
Students reported on a survey that they wish the camp were longer so they could work through more challenges.