Camp Excell: Excellence in English Language and Leadership
Madagascar and Morocco, 2008

I. Background

   A veteran team of international educators and outdoor and cultural enthusiasts developed Camp Excell - Excellence in English Language and Leadership, to build practical language and positive leadership skills in talented, motivated students selected in developing countries for their ability to benefit from an exceptional learning opportunity.

   Camp EXCELL is an American “summer camp” experience where groups of 18 to 24-year-old young adults live in a learning community. They participate in a variety of sports, language, music, and community activities ensuring rapid progress in English and the application of leadership principles within teams.

   Every camper arrives full of enthusiasm, and creativity. Every camper leaves with a personal action plan for continuing to use leadership and language skills in home, school, and community. Quarterly check-ins encourage goal achievement, and keep connections going and ideas alive.


II. Program

   Culture and Language: Excell campers speak English during all activities. To expand daily practical language instruction, participants learn American songs (rock, blues, jazz, folk, and Broadway hits), view and discuss American films, create skits, and participate in ongoing conversations with American directors and counselors in residence.
 

Leadership: A core element of Camp Excell is practical instruction on leadership qualities and skills as evidenced in politics, athletics, business and community service. Teaching and presentations are tied to four core values: Integrity, Teamwork, Community, and Perseverance. Participants take turns leading teams in discussions, skits, sports, and community service.

   Sports: With attention on leadership principles, team-building, and language, campers participate daily in American sports including softball, Frisbee, flag football, and basketball. We have a field day with metaphors, and an exciting “world series” finale.
 

III. Goals, Results, and Activities

   Goals: Camp Excell seeks to enable motivated and qualified students from developing countries to make rapid progress in English and to practice leadership principles through an energetic program of sports, music, conversation, classroom instruction, theater, and community service. Participants in Camp Excell return to their school and work environments to apply language and leadership skills, and to motivate others to follow their example.

   Results: At the end of Camp Excell, each participant will have

• acquired new, practical vocabulary in English

• participated in community service projects

• learned English songs and performed them in concert

• practiced four sports ending in the “world series.”

• learned positive principles of leadership and applied them to real-life group situations

• written and shared a plan for using language and leadership skills developed during camp

   Activities: Camp activities take place in a community environment where each participant has his or her responsibilities during meals, games, and service projects. English is used throughout all activities, which include:

IV. Dates and Logistics, 2008

Dates: August 1 to 12, 2008 Madagascar- Manambato, Canal de Pangalanes
August 18 to 29, 2008 Morocco – Benslimane

Logistics: Participants live in bungalows with full board.
Excell’s daily program runs 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

V. Participant Selection

Camp Excell Philosophy

 “Excell” stands for Excellence in English Language and Leadership. Camp Excell brings together Malagasy students and American educators to share time and place for two weeks of intense language and leadership training using an active, fun curriculum that includes sports, singing, reading, writing, films, outings, and community service.

Camp Excell bases its curriculum on four core values: integrity, community, respect, and perseverance.

Integrity: We provide opportunities for participants to demonstrate strong character, based on personal integrity and a sense of fair play. During camp, we ask participants to assume a variety of leadership roles within their teams. We stress that good leaders inspire trust among their followers, and that trust comes from integrity: the quality of adhering to values and following through on announced intentions.

Community: We ask participants to think about their community, at home, at school, at work and within Camp Excell. With leadership styles and skills in mind, we ask each camper to answer the question, “What can I do to make a positive impact on those with whom I live and work?” During camp, we take on community service projects to model the process. We encourage participants to think about world community issues such as health and the environment.

Respect: We believe that young people learn and perform best when they live in an environment of mutual respect. We believe respect comes from knowing and honoring each individual’s contributions, and from celebrating differences in age, ability, race, geography and culture. Team members support and encourage each other in all their Excell activities.

Perseverance: We believe that reaching individual and group objectives requires perseverance. We promote a strong work ethic among participants. We offer a full-day, not-for-the-faint-of-heart immersion in multiple training activities, all conducted in English. We encourage participants to work hard to reach Excell language and leadership objectives and we recognize team and leader achievement through frequent feedback to support and challenge participants.

Our goal is that Camp Excell makes a positive impact on young leaders’ behavior when they return to their homes, schools, and jobs. We want each participant to leave Camp Excell with a fresh perspective on strategies for leadership, teamwork and community service, and on fun ways to gather people together to work, play, sing, read, write, and help others. Above all, we want each participant to put the Excell values—integrity, community, respect and perseverance—in action in their lives and communities.

Camper Profiles

Mélodie

I am 22 and I live in Antananarivo. I have no brothers or sisters. Sometimes it’s not very cool to be alone. I like joking and I am adventurous, generous, and ambitious. I am also curious, especially about handicrafts. When I see a new handicraft, I immediately want to know how to make it. For hobbies, I love singing, dancing, cooking, and going out with my friends, but my favorite hobby is making handicrafts. I like creativity. That’s why I want to build a factory for handicrafts. At the moment, I am studying marketing at IMGAM (Institute de Management et des Arts et Métiers), and I am learning sewing. I have another activity which I love very much. I am a scout leader, which helps me to be open-minded, to educate, and to be educated.

At Camp Excell, I have learned how to speak English much better. I have new vocabulary and I know how to be a good leader. This part was marvelous. I have made a lot of new friends. We have become a big family and we always have fun together. I also gained a greater sense of responsibility and solidarity, and the opportunity to learn about important and famous leaders in sports, politics and business was wonderful. I learned how to play American sports, such as softball, frisbee, basketball, and American football, which are very exciting to play even if they are tiring. I loved the way that team members encourage each other. It is very wonderful and very touching. To have attended this camp was very profitable for me and has given me great benefit in my life.

To conclude, I just want to note that the Camp Excell expressions “I can do it,” “never say die,” and “always have fun,” have special meaning for me. I feel stronger, more dynamic, courageous, and daring. I will remember these expressions and Camp Exell forever.

David

I am nineteen years old, of Chinese descent and from the big city life of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. I study marketing and communications at a graduate business school. I want to understand people’s needs and hopefully accomplish my own dream one day: have my own island and, in time, create a new world order.

I love drawing, a real passion, sports (above all ping pong), reading horror novels, and most importantly, being with my friends and talking about everything. For me, everything that can help me improve myself is welcomed. I came to Camp Excell in order to improve my English, but this camp is special because at the same time, you learn leadership and you do new sports. This is a camp to improve yourself. I have also made many new friends. Please try to attend Camp Excel, to have fun discovering useful things.

Mirana

I am 24 years old. I’m from Antananarivo. I like drawing, singing and having fun. Some people describe me as smiling and generous. I can add that I enjoy food-- when I’m hungry, I’m able to eat a mountain of rice despite my little stomach! Currently I work as an airline stop-over agent. I check in passengers and their luggage. I find my job fascinating.

I had never been to camp before, so being at Camp Excell in Majunga is a big experience for me. I’ve learned four important values- integrity, community, respect, and perseverance. I am now trying to apply these values to my life.

I love how we learn at Camp Excell. I improve my English and I have fun! I love American sports. Playing sports in the hot sun was so cool. Softball and frisbee are the two games that I’ve enjoyed playing the most. At the end of the camp, I hope to be a good leader and to speak very good English.

Feno

I am 21 years old and still a student. I am studying agronomy, but I am also deepening my knowledge about business and human resources management. I like being in touch with people and making new discoveries. How amazing it is to recognize that the world is not only the little area where I live. How wonderful it is when you put one foot out of the box. I have been able to visit new places since I was a freshman in college, but traveling from Tana (my home town) to Majunga with the Camp Excell group is a big event for me. Everyone in the group has special talents. Each participant was my superior in at least one area, so I could learn from them. There are 32 participants and the youngest was 12 and the oldest 26. This variety was the spice of the camp. As for me, I have drawn new insights from the analysis of successful people in the U.S.

I don’t want write too much, because if I were asked to write all that I learned from Camp Excell, I would have to write thousands of pages. Each hour of the camp was filled to the maximum with good times and fun. There are things you may study for thousands of hours in a class, but at Camp Excell you can understand them in only two or three movements.

Note: Feno has volunteered to assist in organizing Camp Excell 2008 in Madagascar.

Fela

My mother told me my name means flower petal, but I don’t know if I’m one. They are so delicate, pretty and feminine. And they need special care. Me, I’m more independent and dynamic. I like when things are done quickly and well.

My fields of interest are finance and drama. There is no relation here, right? I know, but I study finance and my passion is drama. It allowed me to discover other countries like La Reunion and France. I thought I would have to continue my studies without learning drama. Then I found the solution which became my dream: to build my own theater where I will be the manager. But before that, I have to work hard and deepen my knowledge and experience.

I’m also very curious. That’s the reason why I decided to attend Camp Excell. It was a great opportunity to improve my English by working with Americans without leaving my country. And I was not disappointed. Our days are filled with American sports, practical English, leadership courses and team life, all combined with fun. Just what I expected!!!

Note: Fela was selected recently by SAFRI, the South African Foundation for Excellence, funded by the Daimler Chrysler Corporation in Germany, to participate in a six-month business internship in Germany.

Andry

I am 21 years old. For 18 years I lived in Antananarivo. That was the only life I had experienced, but right after my high school degree, I left my home town to go to France to do my university studies. I studied electronics for three years. In France I had the chance to meet new people and to experience new thoughts. Most importantly, I learned the hard way about independence. Dealing with everyday life when you are alone and somewhere new is a tough experience, but it helped me to grow up. In the long term, I would like to create a tech assembly plant to put Madagascar on the technology map, like what the South Asian countries did.

Camp Excell is for me an opportunity to learn leadership in order to bring my ideas into reality. On the other hand, it is obvious that immersion in the English language is the best way to improve my English. Now that I’m back home, I am ready to do my best to be successful and to help those who have financial difficulties, either through a small community service project in the field of education or an organization to teach success stories to young people. Camp Excell will help me achieve this.

Note: Andry is now managing a textile factory in Antananairivo.