For 90 years, the Louis August Jonas Foundation has been committed to helping young people grow intellectually, ethically, and globally through Camp Rising Sun, our full-scholarship, summer leadership program for teenagers from around the world. In the upcoming weeks, we will take a deeper look at our curriculum which has inspired, in so many young people worldwide, a commitment to compassionate and responsible leadership for the betterment of their communities and the world. 

In this issue, we will talk about how self-reflection and active listening are built into the experiential learning process. 

At Camp Rising Sun, participants are constantly moving from one activity to the next in order to take advantage of the limited time they have together. However, without taking intentional time to reflect, participants may miss out on important learning opportunities. 

Reflection is a core component of the recursive process of experiential learning. That’s why we’ve built intentional reflection activities into our program’s curriculum.  

Critical feedback and self-reflection help us:

• Process what went well and what went wrong in an experience

• Develop self-awareness of how our choices impact others

• Make meaning of a complex or confusing situation in a broader context

• Draw connections between multiple experiences 

• Identify areas for improvement and set goals for the future

Each program area and leadership experience at CRS is paired with an intentional feedback activity. The last 10-15 minutes of each activity are set aside for peer-to-peer feedback in small groups. Feedback during project time often centers on brainstorming solutions to setbacks and resolving group dynamics while feedback during instructions focuses on providing suggestions about how the presenter could improve their delivery of the lesson topic. These sessions are self-guided by participants with the support of counselors. 

The ability to give and receive constructive feedback is a vital leadership skill we hope to instill in our participants.  At the end of each day, the leaders of the day solicit feedback from the larger group on how their facilitation of the day impacted the community. Afterwards, youth leaders complete a self-reflection journal and meet with their assigned counselor for one-on-one feedback the following day. 

In addition to setting aside dedicated program time for peer feedback during instructions and projects, equal attention is devoted to providing opportunities to process that feedback in a variety of individual and collective spaces. 

Alone with a Fire and a Notebook

The most prominent example of dedicated self-reflection at CRS is the overnight vigil. At the end of each season, participants keep vigil at their own campfire from sunset to sunrise. Throughout the evening, each person writes a letter, which is sealed without having been read by anyone but the writer, and is mailed back to them by the Foundation on their 21st birthday. 

A Vigil is a time for campers to take a step away from the Camp community and reflect on the experience as a whole. A dedicated youth leader, under the guidance of an adult mentor, is responsible for coordinating the logistics of the evening, including gathering firewood, assigning campsites, reviewing fire safety, and handing out proper supplies. Proper accommodations are made for individuals requiring to stay closer to the main building during the night. 

It’s hard to imagine, but there are actually 60 small campfire rings spread out throughout the trails on the main campus. Throughout the season, a dedicated project team clears these small campsites in preparation for vigil night. 

While on the Vigil, each camper is expected to build and maintain a fire at their own site for the duration of the night. The strategic placement of the campsites creates an illusion of total isolation while in reality participants may be a mere 10 feet away from the nearest camper. 

In the spirit of our philosophy of “independence within structure,” staff members seamlessly rove the trails throughout the evening to monitor the wellbeing of participants without interfering in the privacy of the reflective process.

An Opportunity for Solitude and Reflection   

Vigils provide an extended opportunity for solitude and reflection, as well as a time for self-exploration and expression — all essential elements in the experiential learning process. This experience is meant to provide sufficient time for isolation and introspection. 

This time was especially important for Andy, a 2017 alum. “The meaning of [the] vigil experience in my life was huge because after vigils I realized what an experience it was, and I was able to really reflect on who I am as a person,” said Andy, adding, “I don’t have time to truly dedicate 9 hours for self reflection back home, so it was an amazing experience” 

Vigils leave participants feeling centered and thoughtful about bringing the lessons of Camp into their lives as they prepare to return home.

According to Leo, a 2018 alum, “during Vigil Night, I felt very calm and collected. I sat alone with just my fire and my thoughts. My mind was racing with all sorts of ideas to include in my letter, and I spent hours upon hours writing and reflecting on my life.” 

Intentional Space to Share from the Heart

Whereas vigils are a culminating activity for individual introspection, several activities are coordinated in the lead-up to vigils that provide guided reflective practice in how to listen and share from the heart.

At Camp Rising Sun, we use weekly circle spaces to:

• Build community and trust among group members

• Share openly and be heard, voice concerns, and explore identity

• Create an intentional space - clearly different from “everyday life” that makes a special, calming atmosphere and indicates time for reflection

• Help participants reflect on their purpose in life and set goals for the future

Wisdom Circles are a form of group practice where people sit together in a circle to listen and speak openly. The focus of the activity is to deepen the values of authenticity, caring, trust and openness to change. 

Campers and counselors are assigned to a weekly circle that acts as a support group throughout the entire season. Each week, groups meet to reflect on common themes that adolescents may experience throughout the progression of the season. 

Some of the topics covered in weekly circles include:

• Goal setting: students share hopes and fears for the upcoming season and set goals for their participation in the program

• Forming community: students reflect on the health of the community midseason through a series of “I” statements about their sense of inclusion and happiness in the program

• Returning home: students prepare to return home and consider how things may have changed while they were away and strategies to help with the transition

Later in the evening, these smaller groups converge in an all-group campfire, where selected counselors and campers take turns sharing introspective stories and musical performances, followed by important community leadership announcements.   

Talking circles have been (and continue to be) used by Indigenous cultures around the world as a sacred listening space for thousands of years. Sometimes called peacemaking circles, these traditions have influenced many circle processes today including restorative justice practices in schools and communities. 

While CRS reflects the value, as Randy Woodley describes, in being “able to hear our own hearts and our own stories in a safe space,” wisdom circles at CRS do not attempt to replicate any practices that are sacred or specific to particular Indigenous cultures.   

To read more about LAJF’s ongoing efforts to address and prevent cultural misappropriation in our program, click here. 

Excerpts of this article were derived from the Camp Rising Sun Curriculum Guide. For a full copy of our curriculum, please email contact@lajf.org