Leadership in Action: Lessons from Winter Camp

Leadership is easy to talk about in a classroom. It is much harder to practise when your fingers are cold, your pack feels heavier with every step, and your group is counting on you.

That was the reality facing Senior School students in St. Michaels University School’s Outdoor Leadership program during separate winter camp trips to Mt. Washington in January and February.

Outdoor Leadership is a multi-year elective that blends classroom preparation with progressive field expeditions. Students develop technical outdoor skills, practise risk assessment and environmental stewardship, and assume increasing leadership responsibility. The winter camp is among the program’s most demanding experiences, requiring students to apply those skills in real mountain conditions.

Snowshoeing into winter terrain, building a quinzee — a snow shelter hollowed from a packed mound of snow — and working together in demanding conditions, students were pushed to make thoughtful decisions and support one another.

“I learned that leadership in those moments is about paying attention to how people are feeling and stepping in to support them,” said Grade 11 student Adam Zilber. “Staying calm, offering encouragement, or just checking in made a big difference.”

Building More Than a Shelter

The winter camp has included cold-weather expeditions for the nearly 30 years that the program has run. Supported by experienced guides who ensure safety throughout, students learned avalanche awareness, safe stove operation in cold temperatures, and how to manage camp routines and shared responsibilities.

Craig Farish ’90, Head of Outdoor Education, said this year’s participants were a diverse international cohort, including many boarders, who embraced the whole experience and had a blast despite limited snowfall.

Working together, students established a winter campsite from the ground up and constructed a quinzee sturdy enough to sleep in overnight.

For Grade 11 student Luciana Perez Karam, spending the night inside the hand-built shelter stands out most.

“Sleeping in the snow in the middle of nowhere… it’s something that will always be the highlight of my camp experience,” she said.

Leadership in Challenging Moments

While the physical demands were part of the experience, students said some of the most meaningful lessons emerged in moments that required patience, resilience, and care for one another.

Leadership opportunities naturally arrived, Adam explained, when noticing others were struggling and offering support before frustration took over.

It also meant adjusting to the needs of the group. Grade 11 student Drew McLeish-Shaw said one of the most valuable lessons was learning to “meet everyone where they are at.”

“Whether it was slowing down our hiking pace and taking more breaks or giving a little more help to the people who needed it, everyone got a chance to see what it was like to be in charge,” he said, referring to the trip’s leader-of-the-day rotations.

On the final morning, as students packed up camp on a tight schedule in cold conditions, Grade 11 student Grace Liao reflected on patience under pressure.

“A big part of leadership is staying positive and patient when things get stressful.”

Learning That Feels Real

For many students, the experience stood apart from traditional classroom learning.

“What I love most about having Outdoor Leadership as part of school is that it gives us opportunities we wouldn’t normally experience in a regular classroom,” said Grade 11 student Iris Wu. “It pushes us out of our comfort zones in a safe and supportive environment.”

Adam agreed.

“Outdoor Leadership feels real and meaningful, not just something you study for a mark,” he said. “You actually have to work with others, solve problems, and take responsibility.”

After nearly three decades of winter camps within the Outdoor Leadership program, the lessons remain consistent. When students step outside their comfort zones, they discover how to make steady decisions, support one another, and lead with compassion and confidence. For many, those lessons endure long after the snow has melted.