NC Cooperative Council Leadership Camp

The Cooperative Leadership Camp is a week-long camp that allows teens to form a worker/owner cooperative and work together to solve business challenges as they develop leadership and team-building skills.

Cooperative Leadership Camp attendees are also eligible to apply for the $1,000 Jim Graham college scholarship during their senior year of high school.

Cooperative Leadership dates for 2024: June 24-28 2024 in Laurel Hill

Cooperative Leadership Camp FAQs.

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Cooperative Leadership Camp Agenda

Students learn about the big wide world of Cooperatives through hands-on workshops and experiences, but they also get a fun overnight camp experience!

Industry Workshops

  • A Day in the Life of a Line Worker
  • Game of Life: Reality of Money
  • Digital Skills: Green Screen Challenge
  • Food Cooperative’s Living Wage
  • Being a Co-op Farmer
  • Building a Worker/Owner Tee Shirt Co-op
  • The D, E, and I experience
  • Sponsor a student to attend!

And the Fun at Camp

  • Lake Side activities: SUP, swimming, Canoeing
  • Pool swimming
  • High Ropes Challenge
  • Hiking trails
  • Archery
  • Bonfires with S’mores
  • Meeting lifelong friends

What is #CLC?

Cooperative Leadership Camp is a 5-day overnight camp program hosted by the Cooperative Council of North Carolina. High School Students from all parts of the state are sponsored to attend for free by a local cooperative or supporting organization. (If sponsorship is not available through their local cooperative or organization, we have a limited number of CCNC Sponsored and self-pay spots.) Cooperative Leadership Camp provides up to 120 students cooperative emersion camp each year.

The program is an experiential learning process where the teens form a worker/owner tee shirt cooperative, elect a board, hire a general manager, and design, produce and distribute tee shirts. Throughout the week, they learn about leadership, cooperative governance, and the cooperative business principles. The teams put together Cooperative Principles Skits, have a leadership awards banquet night, and learn what it means to be a part of the greater good that cooperatives offer. The week also includes workshops from a wide range of cooperative industries including the agriculture sector, credit unions, retail, and utilities. Every activity is hands-on and interactive. Camp also includes swimming, canoeing, sports, games, and meeting new friends from all across the state.

The objectives are to educate, connect and promote the cooperative way of doing business and provide a fun learning experience for the students that are selected to attend. Students that are in their freshman year of high school and up to current seniors are able to apply for a paid spot.

Bus transportation is available, locations will be determined during the spring months depending on the locations of our students.

Check out the Cooperative Leadership Camp video on YouTube

Co-op Leadership Camp Photos

On a lake, with a pool and all the camp fun you could want!