Welcome to Young Masterminds Initiative and the Camping to Connect experience!

Through innovative experiences and focused education, we’ll help you imagine a better life, define a higher purpose, and embrace a brotherhood of personal and community leadership that can last a lifetime.

In this handbook, you will find the tools to get started with us. Read through the following information carefully and make sure to follow the required steps.

Contracts, agreements and releases to sign

Before we start… You and your Parent/Guardian need to review and electronically sign the following important documents:

Student Contract and Code of Conduct (Student click here)

Parent/Guardian Agreement and Release of Liability Waiver (Parent/Guarding click here)

Preparing For Your Camping To Connect Experience

Camping to Connect is Young Masterminds Initiative’s outdoor mentorship and rite-of-passage experience.

During the Spring and Summer months, Young Masterminds go on 3–5 outdoor adventures in their home state, and even be invited to programming in another state. Camping, hiking, backpacking and cycling are some of the most common adventures that our participants experience.

These experiences are opportunities for growth and connection that are both challenging and empowering.

Please note that to take part in the Camping to Connect program, you must confirm that:

1. You have parental or guardian consent, or are 18-years of age.

2. You are free of any physical, mental or emotional disability and physically fit in every way to be able to participate in this program, which may include; hiking, climbing, bouldering, kayaking, backpacking expeditions, snowshoe hiking, etc.

3. Your participation in Camping to Connect has a risk of physical injury and you fully accept responsibility for all such risks as a condition of participation.

COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS

Our Community Agreements are a combination of behaviors, values and practices that our community wants to see demonstrated within Young Masterminds Initiative (“YMI”). All of our staff, volunteers and board members commit and strive to regularly practice with each other and with you, your families and communities. These agreements focus on well-being, equity, diversity and inclusion and growth. They include:

• Liberation as a focus. We aim to create a space where people can show up fully in who they are, how they are. Embracing and accepting all identities are essential to this work. We commit to healing, self- awareness, and service to each other.

• Practice presence and self-focus. Do whatever you need to be here, in this present moment, as it is. Focus on how you can integrate this work into your learning for personal development. Pause to check in with thoughts, feelings and body sensations, tuning into self.

• Commit to learning and growth. Understand the difference between overwhelm and discomfort. Know that discomfort is the root of all learning and growth. Overwhelm is not. Understand how your feelings and experiences relate to larger systematic issues and push beyond discomfort to expand your thinking.

• Center People of Color. We deliberately take action to acknowledge and center people of color, especially black and indigenous people, and the diversity that exists within the spectrum in our present-day work. Our history is rich with the contributions of people of color and we give reverence to that strength, resilience, and talent.

• Practice equity. Equity ensures that everyone has access to what they need to reach their full, healthy potential. In a truly equitable society, no one person would be more or less likely to experience social privileges or burdens based on their social identity.

• Practice the difference between impact and intent. This is the beginning to rupture repair. Try to understand and acknowledge impact first. Denying the impact of something said or done by focusing on intent is often more destructive than the initial interaction, as this places emphasis on the doer of the statement/action rather than on the person impacted.

• Multiple Truths. We acknowledge that there are multiple and concurrent truths everywhere, all the time. Using the both/and framework, we recognize that all truths can exist, support, and be in conflict with each other in the same space. We deeply acknowledge these truths, especially in our stories. This practice honors multiple realities and does not diminish or negate one’s perspective.

• Try it on. Be open and be willing to “try on” new ideas or ways of doing things that might not be familiar, entirely comfortable, or what you prefer.

• We are all students as well as teachers. We honor each other’s experience, voice, and presence as learning opportunities for us all.

• Hold space for each other. Practice giving skillful feedback in response to statements and actions made by people rather than critiquing or criticizing people themselves. Refraining from blaming and shaming. Holding also means to practice mindful listening. Try to avoid planning what you’ll say as you listen to others. Be willing to be surprised, to learn something new. Listen with your whole self. Practice being curious and listening with your heart connected to the head.

• Move up/Move up. Notice your behaviors and the power you have in spaces. Actively practice behaviors that you don’t normally maintain to encourage full participation by all present. For example, take note of who is speaking and who is not. If you tend to speak often, consider “moving up” into listening for other voices. If you tend to listen often, consider “moving up” to speaking while maintaining awareness about privilege, power, and multiple identities in the room.

• Get consent. Ask first and respect their wishes if the answer is no. Ask for consent before speaking about  another person’s experience.

Our Commitments to You

We also want to lead with our commitments to you, including:

• We are committed to your emotional and physical safety and well-being including during 1:1 and group mentoring sessions, on your YMI experiences.

• We are committed to facilitating group sessions and experiences on a regular basis.

• We are committed to developing our mentor-mentee relationship and helping prepare you for a successful experience.

• If you fulfill your commitments to YMI, we will match you with quality programs that will help develop skills to thrive in the future.

• We are committed to supporting you through the transition back home from your Camping to Connect experiences.

• We are committed to connecting you to the wider YMI community and ongoing resources.

• We are committed to working with you for the long-term as you identify and pursue your purpose and goals to thrive.

• We are committed to social justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, and building an organization with raised consciousness to impact how we work with you and how we work together as a team.

• We do our best to return all calls within 24 hours. However, if for some reason you don’t hear from us, please try again the next day.

If you haven’t done so already…

You and your Parent/Guardian need to review and electronically sign the following important documents:

Student Contract and Code of Conduct (Student click here)

Parent/Guardian Agreement and Release of Liability Waiver (Parent/Guarding click here)