MMLI returned to Miniwanca this October for the first time since 2019. Students from four schools participated: Notre Dame Preparatory School in Pontiac, OJ DeJonge Middle School in Ludington, Pentwater Public School in Pentwater, and Whitehall Middle School in Whitehall.

Miniwanca’s Michael Harter, who serves as Director of Conferences, Community, and School Programs, said the goal of MMLI is to teach middle school students how to be active participants and agents of positive change in their local communities.

“By bringing together students from different schools in Michigan, our goal is to create an active community of middle school-aged leaders who are equipped with concrete leadership tools and ready to act should the opportunity present itself,” said Harter.

MMLI is funded through a combination of generous donations from local community partners like the Oceana County Community Foundation, individual school funding, and the American Youth Foundation.

Whitehall teacher Aaron Boyd returned to Miniwanca for his 11th MMLI. “It’s a great opportunity for schools to get outside of their walls and explain how to go about student leadership,” he said.

Miniwanca staff facilitate four days of community building and leadership development activities specifically developed for children in grades 6, 7, and 8. Advisers from each school observe the activities or partner with Miniwanca staff to aid in the curriculum, tailoring it to meet their students’ needs.

“The favorite moments are definitely watching the kids laugh and engage in their positive communities,” Boyd said.

MMLI lays the foundation for continued leadership opportunities when the students return home. “During MMLI, each school group creates a plan to address a community need,” Harter said. “The Miniwanca team meets with each school quarterly to follow up on those projects, debrief, and reconnect on lessons learned at MMLI.”

Pentwater teacher Kelly Sisung said her students plan to create a support group that, with the aid of a counselor, helps their peers navigate stressful situations and resolve conflicts. This was the first year Sisung experienced MMLI and Miniwanca, and she was impressed at how much the program impacted her students.

“The confidence my students gained in themselves has stayed with them and the staff, and I see it in their daily interactions with the rest of their peers,” she said. “They are more willing to listen to others before they speak, and when they do speak, they do it in a way that reflects that they heard what the other person said.”

Harter said Miniwanca is thrilled to bring MMLI back to west Michigan, and he looks forward to welcoming more students next year. “As we are rebuilding the program, we hope to add more schools in 2025,” he said. “I encourage any interested schools to reach out for more information.”

Sisung hopes to bring more Pentwater students to MMLI at Miniwanca next year and urges other schools to join, too.

“Other schools should consider sending their students to MMLI because seeing your students in a different environment is an incredible opportunity,” she said. “As a result of being in that different environment, they sometimes show hidden aspects of themselves. They then bring that back to school and can be a catalyst for change.”

To learn more about MMLI, contact Harter at mharter@ayf.com.

The post Young leaders unite at Michigan Middle School Leadership Initiative at Miniwanca appeared first on American Youth Foundation.

Michael Harter, Miniwanca Director of Conferences, Community and School Programs, facilitated the leadership workshops with the support of Nestlé Purina. This valuable partnership is rooted in the founding of both organizations (William H. Danforth founded Purina and co-founded the AYF.) and continued company culture.

“Nestlé Purina is committed to increasing engagement with youth in their communities, and they give us the opportunity and space to offer high-quality programming for leadership and youth development.”

During the daylong program, the participants first toured the Purina manufacturing facilities in Davenport or Clinton, Iowa. Then, Harter led them in teambuilding activities focused on leadership and collaboration.

“The leadership lab opens up a world of possibility to youth who didn’t know it is existed before,” he said. “In a short time, it challenges them to question what they know about leadership. It’s not just being in charge. Every young person has the capacity for leadership, and it’s a skill that can be learned and practiced.”

He said the Purina Leadership Labs offer teens a sample of AYF programs, and all are encouraged to attend the weeklong National Leadership Conference.

“NLC and the Purina Learning Lab are both based in experiential education,” Harter said. “The learning labs take place in a short amount of time, but we want to give these students a taste of what leadership development can feel like outside of an academic experience.”

Harter said programs like this are vital as the AYF works to increase its reach and relevance.

“The work of the AYF is not the experience at camp. It’s what a person brings home with them, how they have grown and how they can make an impact on their community,” Harter said. “The more the AYF can reach out into communities, the wider the ideas of best self, and balanced living, and positive community can spread.”

The post Purina Leadership Labs expand AYF reach across the country appeared first on American Youth Foundation.

Join on Zoom

Miniwanca has seen some exciting updates to our full-time staff team in recent month.

Former Director of Programs Michael Harter has accepted a new position as the Conferences, Community, and School Programs Director. Harter continues to develop the AYF’s longest-running program, the National Leadership Conference, with co-directors Beth Wilson and Erin O’Brien. He also works with Miniwanca’s community and school partners to create engaging, powerful programs year-round.

Paul Kerchberger, who joined the American Youth Foundation in 2021 as Recruitment and Retention Manager, has stepped into the Boys Camp Director role. He looks forward to returning to his programming roots and growing the Boys Camp program in new ways.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be reentering the world of program this summer,” Kerchberger said. “The Boys Camp Director is the role where I can have the most impact on programming and participation. I spent most of my time at my previous camp in a leadership position. I have seen nearly every situation imaginable in a summer camping setting, and my fondest memories are working toward achieving our mission goals with both staff and campers.”

Bethany Wise is new to the AYF this year, taking on the Girls Camp Director role. She follows in the footsteps of Emily Knuth, a who served as Girls Camp Director in 2021 and 2022. Knuth has returned to her full-time work as Associate Director of the Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University.

“Serving as the Girls Camp Director was the honor of my life. I led with my heart and gave it everything I had,” Knuth said. “I thank the 2021 and 2022 seasonal staff, campers, and their families for trusting me in this role.”

AYF Vice President Liz Marshall said Knuth was vital to Girls Camp’s success as Miniwanca carefully welcomed campers during the pandemic. “We are so grateful for Emily’s dedication to Girls Camp as we reopened after 2020,” Marshall said. “Her leadership and positive energy helped us navigate those challenging times, and we appreciate her excellent guidance.”

Wise brings several year of experience as a teacher and outdoor educator to the job. “I feel incredibly honored to be the next Girls Camp Director. I am committed to keeping Miniwanca a truly amazing place that positively impacts the youth that come through our doors,” she said. “I have heard so many stories about Miniwanca, but I can’t wait for that first day of summer 2023 when I get to experience the buzz of everyone arriving full of hope and excitement.”

Griffin Vogler continues to serve as Director of Operations at Miniwanca, overseeing the facilities and food programs. The Operations team has been hard at work readying camp for the winter months and looking ahead to welcoming even more youth in 2023.

The post Meet the new Miniwanca Directors at virtual townhall appeared first on American Youth Foundation.

He volunteered on the National Leadership Conference and Miniwanca Boys Camp staff until 2021, when he joined the full-time team as Boys Camp Director. This summer, he takes on two roles: Miniwanca Director of Programs and NLC Co-Director. Here, he shares what summer 2021 taught him, how he cares for his own mental health during the busy camp season, and the one game he could play every single day.

Your career has always reflected an interest in youth development, particularly mental health. When and how did you realize this was a field you wanted to work in?
I first went to college to become a teacher, but decided the classroom wasn’t the most fulfilling career for me. I started working for various camps and outdoor education centers and earned a degree in experiential education instead.

During the winter, I found work in a psychiatric residential treatment facility, where I used the games, and group activities from my youth empowerment work. I intended to find another outdoor education or camp to work at the following summer, but a decade later, I was still working with that same company, this time as a licensed therapist. I used my background in experiential education to create an intensive outpatient program where kids who needed help could come and enjoy the experience of treatment.

Why did you decide to return to the AYF full-time in 2021?
The AYF was instrumental in my own empowerment. The mission and vision of the organization opened the world to a 14-year-old from a small Midwestern suburb. The rocky trails of Merrowvista and the sandy paths of Miniwanca are home to some of the most transformative experiences and conversations in my life. I jumped at the opportunity to bring that community together again, to give back to another generation of founders, especially now. I was excited at the challenge summer 2021 presented, and I’m even more excited to take on a bigger program year in 2022.

What lessons did you learn during summer 2021 that you are applying to summer 2022?
I learned just how important experiences in community are to youth and how difficult it was for folks to rebuild our community. We celebrated that challenge together.

We learned the founders’ vision of a balanced life is more important than ever. Young people made incredible sacrifices for the greater good and carried a great deal of the burden of the pandemic. The weight of those sacrifices affected them so many ways. Youth empowerment means listening to what youth tell us they need, and we learned even through adversity and uncertainty, young people thrive.

I remember early in the 2021 camp session, I watched 85 young people playing on Bryant Field and knew we brought more balance to their lives. We all came back to Miniwanca to rebuild the community. Next summer, we will return ready to build ourselves and each other even more.

What is Miniwanca doing to support our community’s mental well-being this summer?
Our days are long – Miniwanca doesn’t see darkness in the summer until nearly 10 p.m. – and there is an instinct to pack as much into that time as possible. This summer, we are creating programs that allow folks more room for balance while at camp.

There are few experiences more therapeutic than reflecting on the Lake Michigan beach in late June, and I know many people who have come to life-shifting revelations at camp. While our staff are not therapists or mental health professionals, it is still important that we recognize those needs in young people.

In 2022, this means recognizing that mental and emotional health is at the center of their development and empowerment. We know young people need extra help and support for their own well-being. That’s why we are taking time to train and learn as an organization. We will have staff trained in LEAD Camp Mental Health Certification to make sure the youth in our care are supported while at camp and have the skills, tools, and networks away from camp to grow, too.

You are also one of three NLC co-directors this year. What did the AYF feel this co-directing team was the best option for conference this year?
NLC has been staffed by volunteers for as long as I can remember, and it’s only possible because of their dedication. Erin O’Brien, Beth Wilson, and I have worked closely together for years at NLC, and our strengths really complement each other.

Erin brings a background in education and curriculum development to the leadership team. Beth is a longtime small business owner who pushes the program to its highest potential. We feel we are a great team to help the community not just with the immediate needs of NLC 2022, but also to build for growth in the next few years.

NLC reaches teens at a pivotal time in their lives. What value do you feel NLC adds to their transition from youth to young adults?
We give young people capstone experiences. We build the conference around finding ways to empower young adults to find their own agency for change in themselves and communities. We also create an environment where young adults can build their values and find ways to become their best selves.

Having a community to explore and build with during this critical developmental stage is so important. Many participants find a lifelong community in their NLC class. They have adults in official mentor roles who can be counted on year-round, not just at Miniwanca. They have peers who provide empathy and support. The NLC community is powerful for youth when they are hungry for community and connection in new ways.

What are some of your favorite Miniwanca or NLC traditions or activities you look forward to each year?
One of my favorite things each summer is watching the progression from “stranger in a strange place” to “founder of camp.” Giving and exchanging founder medals is a favorite tradition, and I really like getting another so I can give it away. Now I get to give them away by the hundreds!

At NLC, some of my favorite moments are celebrating the accomplishments of the Second Year Quest.  I love the bittersweetness of the last day of NLC, too. It is so rich with emotion and gratitude.

Miniwanca is a family affair in the Vogler-Harter household, and your three kids are also active participants in AYF programming. How have their experiences at camp affected their lives?
Even before their parents were employed by the AYF, the organization shaped who our children are today. Every year, even with such understanding of the programing, I’m astonished by their growth in a few short weeks. They are remarkable kids who can express their values, lead their peers, and better understand themselves and their place in the world because of their time at camp. We were afraid making camp a bigger piece of our family life would take away from the Miniwanca magic, but we couldn’t have been more wrong. They left camp in 2021 with the same giant smiles as they had every previous summer.

You wear many hats as Director of Programs and NLC Co-Director. How do you care for your own mental health and wellbeing, especially during the summer?
In the summer, I take time for gratitude in small ways daily. I try to stay present and participate in the community as much as possible. The fruit of my labor is the laughter and growth of youth in the program season. Being a part of that is so fulfilling.

I also make sure I take time to myself. I am a very introverted person, so small bits of solitude help me recharge. Sometimes that means a nap during rest hour, and sometimes it means standing in a field looking at stars in a rare moment of quiet.

In the off season, I love games and time with my family. Card games, board games, made-up games to complete chores – all kinds of games and play keep me in a positive mental space and able to be my best self. If every day could include game of cards, that would be perfect.

Self-care isn’t only about the fun stuff. Sometimes it’s taking the time to reflect on my own balance and how to fill my day with intention toward balance. It is impossible to be my best self if I am not caring for myself. 

The post Staff Spotlight: Miniwanca’s Michael Harter appeared first on American Youth Foundation.