"At The Inspire Project, we empower students to ask insightful questions, explore disciplinary boundaries and confront conventional ways of thinking."
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A summer leadership program that brings together economically, ethnically and experientially diverse high school students for a one-week, rigorous leadership experience in an adventure-filled, outdoor environment at the base of Lake Simcoe.
Students will leave this transformative immersion program with a unique set of skills which will enable them to be stronger leaders, lead more intentional academic careers, embody a service oriented mentality, build grit and resilience all with a global scope.
The program will be led by highly trained staff who have been chosen for the unique paths they’ve followed, their passion for inspiring and developing youth and their decades of experience shaping and enriching young minds.
Hafeez and Hiren are the Co-Founders of The Inspire Project. They have a comical, somewhat unconventional and very close friendship that dates back over a decade. They bonded over their love for travel, personal growth and search for a meaningful path. They have both lived and worked all over the world and decided, after each had uniquely meaningful experiences with youth development programs over the past decade, to develop The Inspire Project.
They have both been involved in serving as Counselors and Directors for these youth programs globally for the past 15 years. The Inspire Project stemmed from these experiences and their realization that a combination of location, access and exposure precluded thousands of students who could benefit from these transformative programs.
Hafeez and Hiren launched The Inspire Project in the hopes that students, regardless of cultural background, prior experiences or financial means would be able to join this one of a kind experience.
One of The Inspire Project’s defining principles is lifelong coaching and mentorship. We provide Participants with a uniquely meaningful onsite experience, exposing them to new ways of envisioning their academic and professional careers, helping them develop the skills to realize this new vision and building a service-oriented mentality. However, we recognize that this path is a journey, the foundation of which will be built while onsite at the program, but which will require repeated exposure and mentorship to actualize.
To ensure this support and continued guidance is available to all Participants even after the onsite program, The Inspire Project’s Alumni Association will provide one-on-one coaching with a Mentor they connected with during the program. Quarterly phone or in-person “meet-ups” will be scheduled between Mentors and Participants during which Mentors will provide guidance on post-secondary school and program selection, preliminary career planning exercises and continue the formative support and instruction started onsite.
Finally, Participants will have access to the network of fellow Inspire Project alumni throughout their lives to facilitate social and professional connections, share job opportunities, foster collaboration on projects and causes, and build community.
Youth between the ages of 14 and 17 will build a shared sense of community while working on a myriad of skills that will allow them to leave with a new-found sense of self, purpose, understanding of their own capabilities and how their efforts can better the world.
Participants invited to join The Inspire Project will stem from a diverse set of socio-economic, ethnic and experiential groups. We intentionally bring together youth from families of different means, which allows us to bring participants to camp who otherwise could not afford to go, and to provide everyone with a uniquely diverse experience.
Each day of this rigorous program will include a combination of outdoor activities, sports, team building exercises, unique leadership sessions and career- and self-building workshops led by renowned educators, motivators and mentors.
Content
Skills
From the start, our Participants will hear from several “Content Skill Experts” who have considerable expertise in a professional area of focus (i.e. international development, academia, finance, medicine, governance, etc.). Participants will have the ability to self-select into one of these content teams and will work under the Content Skill Experts for the remainder of the program to develop a thesis project demonstrating a robust understanding of the content area.
Functional
Skills
Participants will be exposed to the skills below by “Functional Skill Experts” through workshops integrated throughout the program’s curriculum. This will help build unique competencies that will support their growth and development throughout the program.
Mentorship
& Guidance
Mentorship and guidance opportunities go far beyond the camp experience. The relationship between the student and mentor will continue throughout the subsequent academic year. The mentor will establish quarterly “check-ins” to provide academic or professional guidance. Further detail on this program is provided in the “Lifelong Inspiration” section.
Content
Skills
- Academia
-Professorship - Creative Arts
-Journalism
-Music
-Visual Arts & Drama - Finance
-Banking
-Venture Capital
-Private Equity - Healthcare
–Medicine
-Policy & Public Health - International Development
-Global Heath
-Energy
-Agriculture &
Food Security - Law & Governance
-Corporate & Public Service Law
-Public Office - Technology
-Coding
Functional
Skills
- Altruism
- Creative Thinking & Inquiry
- Effective Communication
- Entrepreneurship
- Goal Setting
- Identifying Your Strengths
- Leading Through Empathy
- Resilience & Positivity
- Strategic Leadership
Participants will undergo a transformative seven-day journey that will shape their outlook, skills and global perspective through leadership exercises, rigorous professional inquiry, skill building sessions and outdoor activities (such as campfires, hiking, kayaking and more).
We welcome participants from a variety of backgrounds (religious, ethnic, political, sexual orientation, socioeconomic etc.). We will foster an environment that is inclusive and open, allowing these leaders to fully engage and be willing to listen, share and have fun.
*We would like to ensure anyone who qualifies is able to join this transformative experience. As a result, partial and full scholarships are available for families requiring financial assistance. Any camper who is accepted will have their tuition set based on their family finances. We will do our very best to ensure finances are not a barrier for anyone.