YAB Leadership Camp at the Mountain Institute

The Friends of Deckers Creek Youth Advisory Board traveled to The Mountain Institute’s Spruce Knob Mountain Center on June 8 for a week of leader development and team building activities. Eleven YAB members and group advisors made the journey back to West Virginia’s highest point following an amazing FLOW camp experience in 2008.

FODC and TMI staff, Nathan and Kevin, worked to coordinate the camp, and TMI assisted FODC with match funding. TMI group leaders Emily and Jeff planned 5 days of outdoor activities and reflection including a 2 night backpacking trip, a challenging hike to the picturesque boulder field (watershed boundary!!), survival skill team-teaching, swimming, and endless games and riddles. 

YAB members grew closer and shared goals and recruitment strategies for the future of YAB. They are currently creating a podcast on their experience and will address the FODC board of directors at their July meeting. YAB loves TMI and the staff for countless reasons, some of them include: kitchen cleanup dance parties, pita pizza and hot chocolate, campfires, beautiful sites, beaver pond swimming, yurts, and Tsuga. Also a big thank you to the Mountaineer Boys & Girls club for providing transportation, NASA ERC for podcasting equipment, YAB parents for being flexible, and Siranni’s in Davis, WV for the best pizza ever!

YAB Super Pyramid at TMI!