fbpx

Campers In Leadership Training

CILT starts every December 1st at home and is for campers currently in 10th grade or higher. 

   COST: $845 (Includes Two Weeks At Camp) 

SUMMER DATES: July 14 – 26, 2024

READY FOR CILT 1?

Campers in Leadership Training (CILT) is a leadership program designed for girls entering into their final years of high school. CILT begins at home during the fall season (campers must be in grade 10 or higher to begin CILT at home in the fall).

Why grade 10 or higher? Grades 10 – 12 are the years where campers often feel they are becoming too old for camp, but are still too young to serve as summer camp counselors. We feel this time of “limbo” is a crucial time in a young woman’s life since the world is often bombarding this generation with pressures on how to dress, how to act and what to believe through social media, TV, school, and peers. CILT is an accountability program as much as it is a discipleship program, and every CILT has a designated mentor at home, as well as at camp, who will be staying in contact with them throughout the year.

The CILT program is designed as an encouraging community of like-minded Christian campers and staff who want to challenge each other to dig deeper into God’s word and grow in their relationship with Him. The program offers girls the opportunity to stretch and challenge themselves through a structured program that holds campers accountable during their time both at camp and at home.

Read Our Focus to learn more about the heart of Mt. Gilead and why we believe so much in our CILT program. 

CILT I

Young ladies entering 10th grade are eligible to enroll in CILT I every November after school season is underway. During the school year, CILTs are working on requirements, developing a resource file, and preparing for the busy summer ahead. Once CILTs arrive at camp in June, they will prepare to embark on a trip that will change their lives forever. CILTs, their instructor, and other qualified personnel will leave for a week-long outdoor living experience, typically backpacking and/or canoeing along the Deleware River. CILTs will experience first-hand God’s awesome creation and learn important lessons in teamwork and communication. Once the CILTs return to camp their second week of training consists of working with a cabin, leading activities, songfests, service hours, Bible study and CILT class.

An optional International Leadership Development Trip (LDT) is offered every two years for both CILT 1 & 2 Campers

CILT II

After the first summer wraps up, CILTs are anxious to continue their training and get started on their second-year requirements. CILT 2 begins as soon as CILT I ends. Then the summer begins with three weeks of training. CILT 2 participants are required to attend our staff training week, otherwise known as “Pre-Camp”. During this week, CILTs will have the opportunity to see the workings behind camp, as friendships develop, activities are planned, staff are trained and duties are assigned. For CILT II’s who plan to work for Mt. Gilead following graduation, they will also have the opportunity to earn certifications in Lifeguarding, CPR and First Aid. The second week of CILT is filled with training in their areas of specialties, Bible study, outdoor skills, and camp service hours. Finally, the third week of training arrives when CILTs get to put all their knowledge into practice when they live-in with a cabin for a full week under the supervision of another counselor. Upon successful completion of all the requirements, CILTs will have a graduation ceremony at the end of the second week of camp, parents and extended family are all invited!

READY FOR CILT 1?

  • CILT is not just a girls scouts style program. CILTs will indeed learn fire building, outdoor cooking, canoeing, first aid, camping, etc. However, CILT is just as much a discipleship program as it is an outdoors training program. Girls who join CILT will be studying the Bible, meeting with a mentor at home year-round, and completing some community service requirements while away from camp in the fall, winter, and spring season. 
  • CILT is not a guaranteed fast track to being a camp counselor. Although CILT is a leadership training program and is designed to train campers to serve with the same biblical leadership skills that are required from our counselors, completing CILT I & CILT II does not guarantee that a position as a counselor will be offered or available. The decision to hire CILT II graduates is still left up to the discretion of the Summer Camp Director and Executive Director and is also based on staffing needs for that summer. Assuming that the CILT II graduate meets all of the criteria for serving as a counselor and assuming there is availability remaining to hire for the summer, CILTs can begin serving as co-counselors the summer after graduating CILT II (one year earlier than our counselors who did not attend CILT). 
  • CILT is not for everyone. CILT is a lot of fun, but it’s not a “walk in the park” either! Girls entering CILT will want to have a desire to learn and grow in God’s word, to put others first, to sacrifice part of their personal time in order to complete the requirements, and they must be ready for physical work. The CILT canoe trip is a 4 day / 3 night trip down the Delaware River. Campers will be in paddling upwards of 4+ hours a day, setting up their own tents, and cooking their own meals over a campfire. CILTs are also required to hike Big Pocono Mountain with campers during the summer and must be able to work an entire 14 hour day alongside our college staff during their training times here at camp. CILTs requires stamina, perseverance, a passion for camping ministry and must be physically able to complete all of the tasks that a counselor would need to accomplish.
  • CILT does not avoid topics. We understand that our campers come from all walks of life resulting in differences in both faiths and denominations. As a summer camp, we want to be sensitive to all of our camper’s backgrounds. After sharing what the Bible says about a specific question a camper might have, we ultimately refer our campers to their parents and pastors (if available) once specific biblical interpretations come into question during group discussions at camp. However, as a non-denominational Christian ministry, many parents ask us for a Statement of Faith before choosing a camp for their child since they are understandably concerned about what their child will learn from our staff while exploring what the Bible teaches. For this reason, our ministry has a Statement of Faith. Our staff and CILT II graduates are required to understand our Statement of Faith and the biblical verses listed in it. When specifically asked by a camper, our staff will give the Bible verses pertaining to the subject a camper has in order to guide the conversation. As a parent, it’s important to know that we will not avoid the Bible verses regarding the topics mentioned in our Statement of Faith while training CILTs.  If you are not comfortable with our Statement of Faith – or the Bible verses that support the statements, our CILT program may not be for your camper.

Learn a little bit about our CILT program and Leadership Development Trip from Maddy during one of our previous LDT Vlogs to Nicaragua!