Evaluation Report of the Ontario Camp Leadership Centre at Bark Lake [microform]

Both participants in the Ontario Camp Leadership Center at Bark Lake and their sponsoring organizations agreed on the benefits of the leadership development experience and enthusiastically endorsed the program. Researchers conducted a 19-question telephone survey of 202 program participants and a 32-question survey of 40 sponsors and 20 non-sponsors to determine the impact and value of the 3-week summer sessions in leadership training for young men and women aged 16-18. Sponsors thought the intense program helped participants develop a variety of interpersonal and leadership skills. Although most sponsors wanted more timely information, they felt the program benefited their organizations, the youth themselves, and the community at large. They intended to continue sponsoring participants. Participants enjoyed the program's challenges, felt they gained significant and enduring leadership skills, and thought the Bark Lake program was outstanding among leadership programs. Because participants were the program's best advertisement, non-sponsors missed the opportunity to learn about the program. Most non-sponsors did not send participants because of inconvenient timing or scheduling conflicts. Important elements of the successful program were the emphasis on personal orientation, the focus on leadership, the exposure to new people and ideas, and the facilities. The telephone questionnaires are appended. (SB)