Explorers Collaborate with Olivet College Uncategorized by Sonya Bernard-Hollins - July 10, 2018July 17, 20180 Olivet College sponsored the 6th annual Travel Writers Academy in collaboration with its Women’s Leadership Academy and Athena International. Girls participate in the Magic Carpet game to show leadership, teamwork, and getting to the goal together! Olivet, Michigan- In 2013, the Merze Tate Explorers took travel writing to a new level. A collaboration with the Ladies’ Library of Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo College led to our inaugural Residential Travel Writers Academy. Since then, collaborations with the University of Michigan and Olivet College have provided girls in grades 4th-12th, the opportunity to experience college while traveling around their state as travel writers. Their mission: to create an annual Girls Can! Magazine that shares all of their adventures with their community and beyond. Explorer, Nayanna, tells what it means to contribute to the community. A recent collaboration with Olivet College took the Explorers to a new level. In addition to working as travel writers, they joined nearly 50 more girls from across Michigan for the inaugural Olivet College Girls Leadership Camp. The camp provided girls with interactive tools toward leadership using the Athena International 8 Principals of a Leader model. The model calls for women leaders who: Girls write what it means to Act Courageously. Live Authentically Learn Constantly Advocate Fiercely Act Courageously Foster Collaboration Build Relationships Give Back, and Celebrate! Olivet students share the benefits of education at Olivet with girls interested in college enrollment. Girls work to build the largest spaghetti tower using one marshmallow, tape, imagination, and teamwork. The Explorers and other girls were part of the international pilot program that will be used to model similar camps across the world in years to come. Traci Corey, a board member of Athena International and director of Olivet College’s Women’s Leadership Institute, spearheaded the program and the partnership with the Explorers. Traci Corey presents Explorer, Zane, with a Certificate of Completion. During the intensive weekend of team building and goal setting, the young leaders discussed everything from self esteem to giving back to the community. Look for the exclusive story and photos of the camp in the 6th annual Girls Can! Magazine edition coming in October, 2018!
