Job Doc

Enjoy Life Leadership Academy – an option for teens this summer

Pattie Hunt Sinacole discussing a summer leadership program, led by Evren Gunduz

Ask the Job Doc. Boston.com

April 29, 2024

2 minutes to read

Q. We live south of Boston, and we are looking for summer camps or programs for my teen. We are thinking of something that might be helpful for college prep, but not something as heavy as SAT prep, etc. He will be working sporadically over the summer caring for a friend’s child, but we need more to fill his time. Any ideas?

A: Teens are under quite a bit of pressure with juggling grades to mental health, and everything in between. One program to consider is Enjoy Life Leadership Academy, which is a week-long residential leadership camp for high school teens. This summer, they are offering two locations, Babson College and Stonehill College. The program attracts teens worldwide. When a teen graduates from this program, they will return home a changed person. And for the good! It is a life-changing program for teens. Evren Gunduz, the Founder and President, shares that “Teens graduate from this leadership camp equipped with the skills and mindset to be active, effective, and notable leaders to themselves and others.”

Gunduz has been designing and delivering leadership training for years, even decades now. According to Gunduz, “Leadership skills are becoming one of the most important arrows in a teen’s educational quiver and give teens a huge advantage to achieving success in their college and job career. In 2023, the U.S.’s top Universities admitted less than 5% of applicants and Admissions Counselors looked for a teen’s leadership experiences on their resume as a main differentiator in a world where test scores don’t tell the whole story. In addition, 83% of employers say that a young person’s leadership skills are the #1 characteristic they hire for in their first job. Teens are not getting the leadership education from their schools that they need in order to succeed in the real world. The Enjoy Life Leadership Academy fills this massive skills gap.”

It is hard to describe what teens learn during their week at this leadership camp. Your teen may not even be able to describe it to you. Gunduz provides more detail: “The curriculum is delivered in an experiential learning model that incorporates tons of team-building, leadership simulations, group discussions, demonstrations, and workshops. Teens are taught leadership by being put into leadership roles and experiencing the tensions and triumphs of leadership. Teens say it is the most fun, informative, and uplifting week of their lives as the programming also incorporates an emphasis on being present in life and harnessing the power of joy in what we do.”

Specific learning objectives include communicating with others, managing group dynamics, setting the vision for both individual and group outcomes, creating core personal values and expanding one’s comfort zone. These objectives might sound a bit dry for a teen. However, during this week, your son will not be sitting a in chair for hours every day, and he will not be reading from a textbook. Instead, he will be immersed in a high energy environment full of positivity. Visit https://www.enjoylifeeducation.org/leadershipacademy.