If you’ve read anything about the 2023 National Jamboree, you’ve probably heard something about a place called Leadership Heights. It’s usually described as an “engaging, inspiring and immersive leadership experience that has never been seen before in Scouting.” However, you may be wondering to yourself, what does that all really mean anyway?

Hi, I’m Sam Leitermann-Long, the Deputy of Thematics for Leadership Heights. I have the unique and incredible job of being one of the people who to help bring this experience to life, and I thought I’d spend a little bit of time today helping you dive into the experience of Leadership Heights and understand what this experience is all about.

Why Leadership Heights?

Back in 2018 Scouts BSA added a fourth aim to the Aims and Methods of Scouting, the aim of Leadership Development. This aim was added so quietly that lots of people still don’t realize it exists, and while many scouts across the country are getting quality leadership development through their troops, their council National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) courses, the Order of the Arrow, NYLT Leadership Academy, National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE), and many other programs, some are still looking for an experience that helps them to understand their potential as a leader.

Even those of us who have had the privilege of leadership training can still benefit from an experience that helps us reassess our opportunities as a leader, and reminds us that every scout has the potential to be a leader in their troop, their council, their communities, their county, and the world. Simply put, Leadership Heights is a crash course in understanding your leadership potential, and a primer on essential leadership skills.

So what is Leadership Heights, really?

So you might be saying, “okay, that sounds great and all, but what does Leadership Heights really look like?”

As you hopefully can see, Leadership Heights is an experience in four parts. During the onboarding process, you will be able to take an interactive survey that helps them to measure and assess their current leadership skills and goals. In only 15-20 minutes, you will get a comprehensive picture that helps inform your Leadership Heights experience. It might sound boring, but don’t worry the fun is just getting started! Onboarding will also include short leadership games and other interactive displays and activities.

Once you’ve have gone through this process, it’s on to the Experiences! Scouts will hike up the hill to the J.W. Marriott, Jr. Leadership Center and Gene H. Yamagata Hall located on Robert E. Murray Leadership Ridge with their leadership cohort. On the way, the group will participate in a series of activities that will help them get to know each other and learn more about what they’re going to experience during their time at Leadership Heights. When you get to the top of the hill, the fun begins! The core of Leadership Heights is the leadership experiences, a series of interactive experiences that test their leadership, communication, and team-building skills. Some of those experiences are:

• The Escape Room – Participants will be challenged to work together and communicate to escape the room within the time limit.
• Leadership Trails – Stations of leadership activities and games will be set up along the various trails on Robert E. Murray Leadership Ridge.
• Simulation Rooms – Scouts will be given different “real life” scenarios and have to create  an action plan while under the pressures of time and materials.

A diverse set of experiences will help scouts to truly understand the variety of skills that make up a leader, and to gain a full understanding of their leadership skills. Along the way, they’ll bond with patrolmates in a series of fun challenges and gain key outcomes that will help them build a toolbox of leadership skills that they’ll be able to use for like.

Another opportunity that scouts going through the Leadership Heights experience will have is participating in our Speaker Series. The Speaker Series will be an opportunity for scouts from all over the country to hear from leaders in their respective fields. In addition, to all of the exciting experiences the scouts will participate in at the National Jamboree and during their Leadership Heights experience we believe hearing from role models and leaders from a wide array of business, non-profit, government and military will help the scouts to launch their leadership journey.

Finally, it’s time to reflect and commit with our interactive experience called, Elevate. Elevate will ask scouts to commit to furthering their leadership journey and contributing to their local, national, and global communities. Scouts will leave Leadership Heights committed to a future goal, and we’ll showcase those goals throughout the National Jamboree and beyond. The learning of Leadership Heights will extend beyond the National Jamboree, and we hope will have impacts we could never have imagined.

How do I sign up to participate?

Well, if you’re signed up as a participant for the National Jamboree, you’re signed up for Leadership Heights! We’re so excited to have you with us at the 2023 National Jamboree, and we’re working hard to craft the best experience possible for all scouts. But we need your help! If you’re a scout who is attending the 2023 National Jamboree, spread the word about Leadership Heights so everyone knows about it and join us in getting psyched up for the experience on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

How do I sign up to serve on staff?

If you think you have what it takes to join us as a member of the Jamboree Service Team (aka staff), sign up through the Jamboree website! We need talented leaders and facilitators, particularly those who have gone through NYLT, NAYLE, NYLT Leadership Academy, NLS, and other leadership training programs in Scouts BSA.

And if you are already sold on joining our team, please register for the 2023 National Jamboree and select one of the following Jamboree Service Team positions: 

• Leadership Heights Facilitator
• Leadership Heights Experience Staff
• Leadership Heights Show Production Staff
• Leadership Heights Show Stage Talent
• Leadership Heights General Staff

If you have questions about signing up, email info@leadershipheights.org and we’ll help get you started!

We believe that everyone is a leader and we can’t wait to meet you! See you on the Summit!