Scouts Week: Shaping Young Leaders

Students in 7th and 8th grades at TYO took part in an exciting new project this summer: ‘Scouts Week’. Aimed at providing them with an immersive experience combining adventure and learning, this initiative was also a lifeline. In a time when these young students endure numerous hardships, Scouts Week offered a respite, a sense of community, and an opportunity to build skills while having fun.

Scouts Week was designed by TYO Teacher and Scouts Member, Lama Abu Zarour, in partnership with The Rover and Ranger Troop of An-Najah National University. Aligned with the goals of our Education Program, it fostered social-emotional learning (SEL) through hands-on activities that encouraged students to step out of their comfort zones and work collaboratively.

“Scouts principles embody values and ideals that are crucial for the holistic development of children and teenagers. It encourages students to connect with nature and teaches the importance of protecting the environment. Besides many skills such as leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving, it fosters a sense of community and enhances confidence - all of which are very important in light of what our youth is having to endure lately,” Lama explained about the goals of the project.

Our Summer Program was divided into two sessions, allowing for different groups of students to join the project and participate in a variety of activities that incorporated the fundamentals of scouting. For example, during Treasure Hunts, they worked in teams, collaborating and thinking critically to solve clues and challenges. Students also learned hard skills, such as Morse Code, how to tie knots in various ways, and navigation techniques, with the goal of building preparedness, confidence, and communication skills.

In the second session, the approach was refined to enhance group dynamics and leadership development. “From the start of the program, I organized the 8th grade class in groups for all activities, not limited to Scouts Week, and students took turns in leading their groups. This allowed them to build teamwork and leadership skills early on, which they later passed on to the 7th graders,” Lama explained.

"I really liked the treasure hunt activity, it was exciting and full of teamwork. But the best part was teaching the other students how to decode Morse Code," Ahmad shared, highlighting the sense of responsibility he felt for leading his team to success.

One of the most valuable lessons of ‘Scouts Week’ happened through community service activities. Students went to Esa'ad Al Tufuleh, a local park in Nablus, to clean it up. This initiative instilled a sense of responsibility toward their community and the environment and was linked to important competencies in SEL: social awareness and responsible decision-making. Students felt proud of themselves as they observed the immediate impact of their own efforts, and their contribution to their community. “I felt good knowing that the cleanup we did at the park allowed other children to play in a cleaner and safer environment. When I went back there with my family, I told them we had to leave it better than how we found it,” Adam told his teacher Lama proudly.

The feedback from parents and community members has been very positive. Many parents mentioned having seen improvements in their children's confidence, proactivity, and sense of responsibility: “It has been quite stressful in our house and in the camp as a whole. I am grateful my children get to participate in TYO’s activities and have fun. Omar comes home lighter, more positive, excited to tell us about his day and show us his new skills,” Omar’s father commented about the impact of the program on his son’s behavior. 

People in our community also expressed appreciation for the park cleanup and recognized our students' efforts to contribute positively to the local environment. 

And as their teacher, Lama has noticed a change in her students' behavior: “They show increased maturity and a greater sense of community after the Scouts Week. One of them, Masa, was very shy and reluctant to participate at first. But through team activities like the treasure hunt and the park cleanup, she became more and more engaged and even took on a leadership role within her team. By the end of the week, she was confidently leading her classmates through navigation exercises, which demonstrated a newfound self-assurance and communication skills.”

All in all, it was heartwarming to see our students collaborating all week long, learning to communicate more effectively, supporting each other, becoming stronger teams and more resilient individuals, celebrating at each task completed successfully and at each new skill they gained. “Nothing beats witnessing their sense of pride and accomplishment after each activity; their sense of responsibility and their courage building up everyday a little bit,” Lama recalls.

For children and teenagers in Nablus, TYO’s Summer Program was a respite from all the tension they witness and the trauma they endure on a daily basis. And for our scouts, it was definitely a highlight: “I feel more confident now. I actually gained so many new skills. I think Scouts Week made me more courageous,” Rae’da, 8th grade.