Today club members braved the spring(?!) weather [aka snowstorm] to venture north of the state line to Union, Michigan for a visit to Summit, Five Star Life's 350-acre leadership training center. We heard from Aubrey Danielson, Executive Director and several of the organization's staff who provided insight and information about their varied programming. At Summit, Five Star Life integrates the soft skills kids develop through character, mindset, and leadership curriculum with a variety of specific hard skills (equine, archery, nature education, adventure, art, etc.). Summit provides the perfect on-ramp for kids to pursue and develop these hard skills, an introduction to a new world of possibilities, while also focusing on mindset development. Programs offered include:
- Equine Learning and Horsemanship
- Adventure Learning (high ropes course, rock wall & team building )
- Target Learning with Archery and Hatchet Throwing (in partnership with USA Archery/US Junior Olympics)
- Nature Education (fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, gardening, birds of prey, botany, & more)
In 2005, Five Star Life embarked on a journey to fight the silent epidemic: the student dropout rate. 7,000 kids were dropping out of school every school day based on the Department of Education’s figures. Condoleezza Rice said we were in the middle of creating a two-class society: the educated and uneducated. Five Star Life’s mission is to change the face of culture by changing the mindsets of kids. Research shows that at the core of each person’s success or failure is a mindset. Research also shows that kids drop out because they do not value education and ultimately do not value themselves. Five Star Life attacks this root issue by infusing our proprietary curriculum that teaches kids how to develop successful mindsets which is the beginning of their transformation!
Thank you, Aubrey and the Summit crew for hosting our club today!
On July 15, the Elkhart Rotary Club has scheduled a fun Leadership Day at Summit that will include options including: Equine, Hatchet Throwing, Boating, Archery, Fishing, Elk Experience and the HIGH ROPES Course. Look for more information coming soon or check with club President Elect, Julie Cotton.
For more information about Five Star Life and Summit, visit: https://www.fivestarlife.org/