1) The Rotary Club of Bukit Kiara Sunrise organized a 4-day leadership training camp for 50 students from SMK Sri Permata to help build their leadership skills and promote diversity.
2) The camp included leadership lessons, team-building activities, and discussions with successful community leaders. It aimed to help students improve their self-confidence and school performance.
3) Feedback from students showed the camp was effective in motivating them to work harder in school and build a better future. The Rotary Club plans to continue such camps to benefit more youth.
Communication release cr201003 0006 on leadership camp-wide
1. A Rotary Club of Bukit Kiara Sunrise Project
Communication Release
CR 201003-0006
March 2010
Making the Choice Now
Four-day leadership training camp for youths to build a better future
The students were put through a camp with a difference.
Themed “A Better Start. A Better Life”, the camp was
sponsored by the CIMB Foundation through the CIMB
Community Link corporate social responsibility (CSR)
programme. A special feature of the camp was the
selection of students from diverse backgrounds. The
students, from SMK Sri Permata, were deliberately
selected with a good mix of ethnicity, gender, financial
and performance backgrounds. Besides this, students
were taught to think beyond themselves and to support
others in order to achieve both their team’s potential and
most importantly that of their own.
The camp participants from SMK Sri Permata
Monday, 15 March 2010 – A group of fifty
students attended a 4-day leadership camp
from 15-18 March organized by the Rotary Club
of Bukit Kiara Sunrise (RCBKS) at the Agrotek
Garden Resort in Hulu Langat, Selangor. They were
students studying in Forms 4 and 5, preparing for the
government examinations.
The camp was officially opened by Rotary District
Governor Leslie Salehuddin together with Club
President Frances Po Yih Ming. Leadership Training is
part of a four-pronged initiative of the RCBKS
L-R: Dr Yee, DG Leslie and
Education Fund (REF). Together with the other three President Frances at the camp launch
prongs, namely the Education Assistance Awards, the
Youth Mentorship Programme and the Values District Governor Salehuddin said, “This is one of a
Education Programme, the leadership training camp number of activities organized by Rotary clubs
makes up a holistic approach by the club towards the throughout Malaysia to complement the efforts of the
development of youths in the community. Government bringing students of all ethnic
backgrounds together to promote diversity.” Such
camps, besides developing the leadership potential of
the students, also provide them with the benefit of
“This is one of a number of interacting with communities other than themselves
and discovering the important reality that deep down,
activities organized by Rotary others are not different from them, thus helping them
clubs…bringing students of all build self-esteem, self-confidence and promoting unity.
ethnic backgrounds together to Corporate trainers EQ Training and Development were
promote diversity.” engaged to develop the training programme based on
techniques proven to be effective in developing
leaders and effective teams in leading corporations.
2. President Frances in her opening remarks urged the
students participating in the camp to “recognize this as
an opportunity for self discovery and self improvement,
and with the lessons learnt from the camp you can make
your dreams real.”
The students were divided into competing teams
throughout the four days. The teams were given points
based on every student’s willingness to participate and
the quality of their responses. This proved an effective
way of encouraging the students to participate
meaningfully in the sessions to help their team progress
forward in the competition. The camp engaged students
using breakout discussion sessions, presentations along
with the traditional talks by speakers. After each activity
was completed, the trainer reviewed lessons learnt with
Mr Shankar of EQTD stressing a point to the students
the students. Besides class room activities, there were
Concepts such as “Empowerment”, “Visioning”, also ample outdoor activities such as participating in the
“Managing Change”, “Effective Habits” and “Values” commando-styled obstacle course, jungle trekking and
were taught to the students using relatable examples the “flying fox”. These activities helped the students to
and experiences. The students were selected from the understand among others, the importance of teamwork
school based on their potential and ability to improve and overcoming fear.
their performance. They were made aware that they
hold the key to their own future and they have the One highlight of the camp was a night of sharing by
power to make a choice to improve their performance “successful people” – experienced business,
immediately. They were told that for things to change, professional and community leaders who were invited to
they have to change first. Examples of and sayings by share their life experiences and values with the students.
famous leaders, such as Nelson Mandela – “I must be Another highlight was performances by the teams to
the captain of my soul,” and Mahatma Gandhi – “You their school Principal Mr Ong and teachers Mdm Lim,
must be the change you wish to see,” were employed to Mdm Kong and Mr Pathma who were invited to attend
motivate the students. one of the evenings. They were also joined by CIMB
Bank representatives En Yusuf M Hanipah and Ms Alice
Organising Chairman of the camp, Past President Tan, along with the Rotarians.
Graham Bennett briefed, “The main objective of the
camp is to equip the students with leadership skills with The Principal and teachers were taken aback as soon as
the intention of improving their overall school they arrived by the unexpected rousing reception they
performance.” received from their pupils showing their great
Students scaling the wall at the obstacle course Solving one of many outdoor puzzles
3. appreciation. The performances which were very The high level of energy nearly brought the roof of the
spirited became moving when the students decided to hall down and by the time the performances concluded,
sing the school song and to give a presentation of there were quite a few teary eyes among the audience.
thanks to the school, the Rotary Club, CIMB and EQ These were powerful sessions for both the students and
Training and Development (EQTD). others who attended them.
Shu Wei making a presentation on what the theme, Crossing a stream during jungle trekking
“A Better Start. A Better Life” means to her
REF Leadership Training Programme (LTP) and the Run the same group of students through both
REF Values Education Programme (VEP) programmes at different intervals/term breaks so
The LTP and the VEP are two of the four prongs of the that the effectiveness of both programmes can
REF. The objective of the LTP and the VEP is to equip be measured clearly
secondary school students of age 15-19 from lower
income families with leadership skills and positive Beneficiaries
universal values with the underlying objective of Total 50 students preferably from the same
improving their overall school performance. The LTP is school
designed to develop leadership and team building skills. From lower income families
It is typically a camp style programme which provides Students who are evaluated by the teacher to
participants with experiential learning opportunities. The have the attitude/ability to improve
VEP is a workshop developed to teach universal life Currently under performing students
values such as Self-confidence, Honesty, Racially diverse composition
Responsibility, Compassion and Humility.
Some Topics Covered in the Leadership Camp
Goals of the Programme Team Leadership and Personal Dynamics
Improve student’s willingness to participate in all Test of an Educated Person
school and class room activities Team Power
Improve academic results by 10-15% Improve Skills and Knowledge Power
other qualitative comments by teachers in report Jungle Trekking and Survivor Skills
cards The Professional Approach with Studies
Mind Power
Programme Components Visioning
A 4-day 3-night leadership training camp
conducted by professionals Some Topics Covered in the Values Workshop
A 2-day values education workshop conducted What are Values
by professionals How to Practice Values in Our Lives
Follow-up with principal and teacher to assess Values in Action
student progress and take remedial/corrective Inspiring World Leaders
actions if necessary The Meaning of Truth and Peace
The Meaning of Love and Non-Violence
Malaysian Values
4. It was evident that the students were capable of trainers. It is also within easy reach (10 minutes) of a
improving themselves further. In a session where they medical clinic.
were asked what the theme, “A Better Start. A Better
Life” meant to them, Kalaiveni Mariappan said, “If we
get better training like this when we are young, we can
get a better life.” Adrina Adam said, “I have decided to
make the choice of working hard now, and not
procrastinating.” For Eng Shu Wei it was, “I learnt to, be
“You have the power to choose
confident, not give up, try my best to solve my whether to succeed or not,
problems, overcome fear and discover my dream in
life.” Sik Jia Yin says, “I will be more focused and be
and to determine your own destiny.
more determined in what I do.” Do not surrender it. ”
The competition among teams was not about winning or
losing. It was about collaborating to bring the best out of
everyone. The students learnt that failing is not
permanent until they stop trying and that mistakes point
the way to success. Indeed by the end of the camp,
there were no losers; only winners who benefited
tremendously from an extraordinary camp.
The students were taught to think beyond themselves
and to appreciate Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self”
as a guiding life principle. They were reminded that they
were pioneers in this inaugural camp organized by the
REF. And as pioneers they had a special responsibility
to succeed in their studies after the camp. REF
Presenting a sketch during Performance Night Chairman, Dr Yee Yoke Leong in his closing remarks
reiterated to the students that, “You have the power to
For most of the students, it was the first time they were choose whether to succeed or not, and to determine
participating in a camp of this nature. Held during the your own destiny. Do not surrender it.” Simply by
one week term break, the students were transported by understanding this responsibility and by putting the
bus from the school to the Hulu Langat camp site. The personal effort to succeed, the students would already
site, about 40 minutes from Kuala Lumpur, has have looked beyond themselves, proving that it is
excellent facilities for seminar, outdoor activities and beneficial for such camps to be organized again in future
quality dormitories and rooms suitable for students and and giving others the opportunity to attend it too.
L-R: En Yusuf M Hanipah (CIMB), Principal Mr Ong, PP Graham presenting the certificate of
President Frances and Ms Alice Tan (CIMB) at the attendance to a participant
Performance Night
The RCBKS Education Fund was officially launched on 14Nov2009 as a project of the Rotary Club of Bukit Kiara Sunrise. The
objective of the fund is to support the development of youths of age 15-19 from lower income families, who desire to “help
themselves” become useful members of society, by providing them with education opportunities, leadership training, values
education and mentorship, putting them on the start of the road to a better life. For more information contact ylyee@pc.jaring.my