WELS School
Wellbeing. Entrepreneurship. Leadership. Sustainability.
School Holiday Programs: Program Summary
Inspiring. Challenging. Fun. For All. Learn Essential Life Skills
WELS programs are inspiring, challenging and fun life learning experiences for young people of all ages. Our participants develop greater confidence and learn essential life and people skills - and have plenty of fun along the way. Many young people have told us that our program was a life changing experience! Participants and family tells us that they love our programs because they're inspiring, challenging and fun. We have programs for girls and boys of all ages, interests and capabilities. Join us!
​
This page provides more information on some of the main school holiday programs and camps we offer.
WELS Leadership Program
3 Day Program (day-based program)
Looking for a great life experience for your child these school holidays that you won’t find anywhere else? Do you want them to challenge themselves, develop their leadership and teamwork capabilities, have fun, meet new people and learn essential life skills? Would you like them spend lots of active time in the outdoors and out and about in the community – and away from screens and e-technology? If so, our Leadership Programs are just what you are looking for! Yes, some might say they do something like this. We really do it - in partnership with young people and families. Since, 2012, we have had the privilege of working with thousands of young people of all ages, interests and capabilities. Young people and families keep telling us that are program is by far the ‘best’ program they have ever done during the school holidays or during school time. Since 2012, our programs are consistently rated 9.5 out of 10 by both our participants and parents.
Here is a just a small sample of the positive feedback we have recently received from participants and parents:
“We can’t remember the last time our child was so motivated and keen to do something” - Parent
“Sign my kids up for your Program every school holidays. They love it!” – Parent
“Ben, please try not to make it so much fun…..we can’t get them to leave at the end of the day!!” - Parent
“I rate the Program INFINITY out of 10” – Participant
“There are so many great leadership opportunities and we get so much independence…..I also made new friends” – Participant
Our programs are challenging, inspiring and fun – and our participants are given lots of responsibility and choice about what they do. This is one key reason why our core programs are great experiences for young people off all interests and capabilities – from ages 5 to 14. Our programs are purpose-designed to be a multi-day (3/4/5 day) individual and whole-group journey, where each experience and each day builds into the next part of the program and the next day. The program is based on learning through doing – through active, practical, real-world and team-based learning. The are two key features of our programs each day. The main activity each day is a practical team-based challenge that is designed to practically explore the key theme/capability for the Program and the day. The second key feature is peer-peer led practical activities, where participants work with different people each day to plan and lead a different practical and fun team activity, game or challenge for other peers and teams. Each day, the program also offers participants the opportunity to choose to follow their passions and interests on one or more of the following activities: sporting and physical activities and games; social activities; relaxation and recreation; time to work on self-directed or team or individual projects and initiatives.
Every core Leadership Program is guided by the WELS philosophy - and has the same aims, approach and a similar structure. However, each program is unique and different, as it is tailored to the goals, interests and capabilities of the participants. Our programs are designed to be great stand-along experiences for people coming for the first time. Yet another unique difference of WELS is that we are committed to the ongoing development and wellbeing or our participants – and an ongoing partnership with participants and families that are interested in this. Therefore, our programs are also purpose-designed with a developmental lens, for returning and regular participants to build on their experience, relationships and learnings over many years – from starting with us as a young child, to graduating to our youth leadership camps as a teenager. A number of young people have joined us each school holiday periods over many years. Many of these young people have graduated to our youth focussed leadership camps and expeditions. Some now work with us a youth mentors, group assistance and leaders. That is the WELS way.
We work in partnership with young people to create these highly positive experiences because of passion and skills of our WELS team. You won’t find more passionate, qualified and skilled Program Coordinators and group leaders to work in partnership with your child/ren and family. Our Program Coordinators work with participants to create a highly positive, safe, supportive environment, where each person feels encouraged to challenge themselves, extend their comfort zones, take risks, try new things and explore their unique talents and potential.
Program Aims & Outcomes
The specific personal and social development aims of the programs are for each participant to:
Personal Development: Leadership of Self
-
challenge themselves and expand their personal comfort zone;
-
have a positive and fun experience;
-
develop greater self-understanding and self-confidence;
-
practise and develop increased independence and responsibility
-
practise and develop greater understanding about your unique strengths in teams and as a young leader
-
provide new opportunity to practise dealing with real challenges and develop increased resilience;
-
have time for recreation and relaxation with peers in different natural and urban environments;
-
identify and work on a personal leadership or teamwork challenge (opt-in);
Social Development: Leadership with Others
-
practise and develop increased understanding in what creates effective teams
-
practise and develop improved teamwork capabilities:
-practise and develop enhanced communication capabilities in teams
-practise and develop increased capabilities in cooperation
-practise different roles and responsibilities in teams
-
care for other people and team members
-
practise working with different peers to plan, organise and run real projects and activities
-
opportunities to develop new or stronger relationship with peers
Program Facilitation
All programs are coordinated and facilitated by one of our highly qualified, experienced, skilled and inspiring Program Coordinators. Each participant will be supported by positive, highly skilled and personalised coaching and mentoring from the program coordinators and group leaders
Program Outline
Note: The specific activities and schedule each day may vary depending on the participants, conditions and the Program.
Day 1
Program Structure and Options (tbc depending on specific program)
-
Full Day: Time: 9 am – 5 pm
-
Core Program 9 am – 2/3/4 pm
-
Extension and Enrichment Program: 2 – 5 pm
-
​
Main Activities
-
Participant Led Team Activity (each day): run team activity for peers
-
Recreation and relaxation (participant led)
-
Main Team Challenge: Search and Recovery Team Challenge
-
Extension and Enrichment Program: Participant Choice
​
Day 2
Main Activities
-
Participant Led Team Activity (each day): run team activity for peers
-
Recreation and relaxation (participant led)
-
Main Team Challenge: Team-based Amazing Race Challenge (out and about in the community)
-
Extension and Enrichment Program: Participant Choice
​
Day 3
Main Activities
-
Participant Led Team Activity (each day): run team activity for peers
-
Recreation and relaxation (participant led)
-
Main Team Challenge: Construction or Building Challenge
-
Extension and Enrichment Program: Participant Choice
​​​​
Extension and Enrichment Program: Participant Choice
Time: From 2/3/4-5 pm each day depending on the specific program, conditions, participant capabilities and preferences.
​
Participants doing the Core Program and a full day, who want an extra challenge and have the independence for the full day. This phase of the Program is built on participants choice and is largely self-directed time. There are a number of options for how participants can use this time, based on their preferences. The Program Coordinator will provide participants with mentoring, support and supervision on their participant-led activities or projects.
Participants can use this time to:
-
plan, organise and run community-based and team-based challenges, projects or activities that they will undertake in the local community
-
plan and work on a team and individual leadership or passion project, which they might choose to continue after the program
-
participate in self-directed team activities, sport and games
-
help plan and organise the overnight camp (if they are doing the camp after the core program or day-based program)
-
plan and work on a community service initiative
-
plan and work on mini-enterprise project
-
plan and work on a mini sustainability project
-
to relax, reflect and socialise
-
other activities, based on participant preferences
​
​
​​
WELS Program in Action - Photo Gallery
Check out the photo gallery to our 3 day program - in action. These are the types of team-based, practical, interactive, real world challenges and activities your child/ren will do.
Day 1 Team Mission
Day 1 Team Mission
Day 1-3: Friendship & Independence
Day 1 Team Mission