The Red Cross Leadership Development Camp brings together students from the Washington, DC Metropolitan area for a week of leadership development activities. Thirty students are selected from a pool of applications to be “delegates” at the camp, and ten of the previous year’s delegates are selected to be “facilitators.” Most of the delegates are public school students from Montgomery County, the District of Columbia, and Prince George’s County.
This year a teacher from the Frost School was on staff and was part of the selection committee. She convinced the team to accept six students from the Frost School, as they needed to work on their leadership and social skills. These were the only students accepted who receive special education services.
This camp was the first experience for most of these Frost School students to be away from home on an overnight trip with other kids their age. A few showed some resistance as the week of camp approached, but all followed through. As the week went on they began to adjust well, breaking away from each other and forming new friendships. Much to the surprise of the staff who knew their background, it was the Frost students who were encouraging others to take part in activities and offering to lead them.
As the week progressed, the Frost teacher began to hear comments from the other adults about how respectful and dedicated the six Frost students were. They were always there to lend a helping hand and assure that everyone was having a great time while learning. Two Frost students won the Delegate of the Day award, an award given each of the five full days of camp to the one delegate who was providing the most leadership.
On the last day of camp during the last activity of the week, one of the Frost students left the group and began to isolate himself. The Frost teacher approached him to talk, but he stood and began to storm off. At that point she noticed that he was shaking and crying stating that he would never fit in and that coming to this camp had been a waste. He believed that everyone at the camp was laughing at him. The teacher became worried and tried to call one of the therapists at Frost to speak with this student in crisis. Before she could complete the call another Frost student had left the group to approach the student in crisis. He knelt in front of him and tried to quietly console his peer in need. Soon after, more of the Frost students approached to help. It is almost as if they were all looking out for each other in a discrete way. One of the Frost students brought “S’mores” and another simply provided words of encouragement. They completed a small circle around the student encouraging him to come back, and explaining that people were laughing with him, not at him. Their loyalty and enthusiasm slowly brought a smile to his face. One at a time they encouraged other delegates to join their circle and soon a small group was formed. The adults stood back in awe of the support that the students were giving. They had never seen anything quite like it.
This type of support is part of the Frost School’s Therapeutic Community. Our students learn it, internalize it, and generalize it. It helps them learn to support each other and helps them make the right decisions when they leave Frost.
How does the story end? The camp director has requested that the Frost School refer more students to the camp next year.