Quantum U
is an 8-day college summer camp that specializes in giving high school graduates
and current college students the skills they need to have a successful college
career. One important life skill that Quantum U emphasizes is
communication.
In an
environment of emotional safety, like at home, it is easier for teens to
communicate their feelings with others. They can experiment and practice in such
an environment because they know it's okay and that they will be accepted.
When
students leave home and enter college, they lose that safe environment they’ve
been accustomed to for so long. With the uncertainty of new surroundings,
new college students often struggle to communicate with the people around them, in fear that
they will be rejected or misunderstood.
At Quantum U, team-building activities are weaved in
throughout the day. Every morning before breakfast, campers sing special team
cheers for the facilitators. Music and rhythm are powerful aids to bonding. When
campers learn how great it feels to reach out and connect with others, they
automatically begin to think further beyond themselves than they did
before.
A few days
into camp, when the trust level is high, campers are divided into groups of four
and are asked a series of questions about their inner dreams. Team Leaders are
very aware of their trust levels, and each question in the series moves a little
deeper on the trust gradient. With each answer, students venture a little
further out of their comfort zones. After they've spent a few minutes sharing, a
Team Leader asks them, "How does it feel to share those dreams with someone?"
Since the
process of getting there is gradual, the teens often don't realize until this
point how brave they're being. Their reaction is typically, "Wow! I'd never
imagined I could do this!" Most of them say it feels great - scary, but great.
Yet, just a few days earlier many of them could not have done it at
all!
At this
point they've spent several days in a place where they're accepted for who they
are. They know that if they speak they'll be heard. It still makes them feel
vulnerable to tell something so personal to people they just met days before.
But it's a lot easier for them to step out of their comfort zones when they know
they won't be laughed at, belittled, put down, or judged.
Quantum U is held this summer from July 14 through 21 at
Colorado College in Colorado Springs. For more information on
enrollment visit the Quantum U website or call
800-285-3276.