Camp iDENTIFY Develops the Leaders of Tomorrow

IMG_0430Camp iDENTIFY, a five-day leadership camp, is designed to invigorate and instruct teenagers on how to become better, more equipped leaders. “It’s one of the few leadership camps that teaches teenagers that they’re more than just what the world tells them, and they can dream as big as they want to,” said one camp participant.

The mission
The staff seeks to “facilitate the transformation of today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders.” Their mission is to provide a safe atmosphere where today’s teens can understand how God views them, to provide an opportunity where the campers can learn their full potential and to allow young people to experience situations that test their leadership and make them better prepared to take on the challenges of their generation.
“What would it be like if people truly realize who they were created to be and how to reach their full potential?” asked Camp Founder Andrea Hazim. “I think that instead of seeing the world plagued with identity crisis, we would see a society firmly rooted and established d in their God-given identity. It’s easy to why so many people live with low self esteem, feeling unworthy.”
As president of a leadership and personal development organization called Elev8 Life, Hazim said “We have been successful in developing vision, identity and purpose in teens and adults who then impact modern common culture with the New Kingdom. Camp iDENTIFY for teens in leadership is my personal favorite. It is always a special privilege and an honor to groom teens to become tomorrow’s leaders today. In Camp iDENTIFY’s inaugural year we trained 30 teens on the campus of Florida Atlantic University. This year our vision has expanded and includes 80 teens. My prayer is to see as many teens as possible be empowered with the tools necessary to reject deadly statistics and overcome the odds.”
Reflecting on her experience last summer at Camp iDENTIFY, Sophie said, “It was an incredible experience that I enjoyed for so many reasons. The friendships I’ve made have been so lasting, and the leadership skills I learned have totally revolutionized the way that I work with other people. From personality talks to purity talks, camp iDENTIFY was an experience that totally changed my life. I can’t wait to go next year!”
Camp iDENTIFY teaches three main principles: “iStand-know your identity and discover your full potential. Reject average and leave low expectations behind. iLead- uncover your inner leader. Become a trail blazer and change agent for your generation,” and lastly, “iServe- bless and impact those around you. Practice leadership and experience the rewards of helping others win.”

IMG_0097A day at camp iDENTIFY
Typically the day starts with food, focus and fitness. Then there is a group share time followed by the morning session and outdoor challenges. After lunch and free time, the afternoon session includes another outdoor challenge. Then campers have time to play sports and hang out followed by dinner and an evening event. The day ends with a time of reflection and journaling. Isaiah, a camper last year, said, “I met so many people, and we did so many team building exercises. But more importantly, I got to find out who I was as a person and who I am in Christ. It was an awesome learning experience. I can’t wait to go back next year.”

The effect
Attending Camp iDENTITY creates a lasting impact on all who attend, making them more competent and ready to change the world. This transformation is witnessed by the parents of the campers. One of the mothers, Dr. Maritza Paz, said, “My daughter was at camp iDENTIFY this summer, and all I can say is, that I dropped her off on day one with a bunch of other kids that didn’t know each other, and when I picked her up, she was part of a family. One of the biggest joys I received was attending the parent’s night at the end of camp. When I saw everything really come together for them, all the exercises they had been doing and the team building was just taken to another level. All I can say is she responds differently now when she’s in a group. She takes ownership of her actions, she’s responsible for who she is and she steps into who she can be. I can’t recommend it enough. They go in as a child and they walk out as a leader.”
For more information on camp iDENTIFY, visit www.identify.life.

Gabriella Morris is a homeschooled student and writer at Good News. She can be contacted at [email protected].

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