Leadership Camp

09:00 The best leader I have known Warm-up, 15 min

Most of us have met a great leader who had no grand title: a coach, a teacher, an older cousin. Start by noticing what they actually did.

1. Think of one person who brought out the best in you. They do not need to be famous or senior.
2. Write three things they did, as actions you could see or hear, not adjectives. For example: 'remembered my name on day one', not 'kind'.
3. Write how each action made you feel and what you did differently as a result.
4. Circle any action that you could start doing yourself this week.

Solo: Write your answers, then say them out loud to yourself in under one minute, as if introducing this person.

Group: In pairs, take two minutes each. The facilitator collects actions on sticky notes and groups them on the wall. Notice how few of them depend on a title.

Related lessons: Leadership without a title (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/leadership-without-a-title/)

09:15 What exemplary leaders do Learn, 15 min

James Kouzes and Barry Posner studied what people do when they are at their personal best as leaders. Their model, The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, is a useful lens for this whole camp.

1. Model the Way: be clear about your values and act on them, so that people see what you stand for.
2. Inspire a Shared Vision: picture a better future and invite others to share it.
3. Challenge the Process: look for better ways, try things out and learn from mistakes.
4. Enable Others to Act: build trust and help others grow and take ownership.
5. Encourage the Heart: recognise contributions and celebrate what the team achieves.
6. Leadership is about behaviour, so it can be learned and practised. Go back to your warm-up list and match each action to one of the five practices.

Related lessons: Leadership without a title (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/leadership-without-a-title/)

09:30 Values sort Activity, 25 min

Your values are the compass you lead by. When you know them, hard choices become clearer and people can trust you.

1. Write 20 values on small pieces of paper or sticky notes, for example: honesty, faith, family, fairness, excellence, kindness, courage, loyalty, learning, service, independence, respect, humility, creativity, health, generosity, responsibility, gratitude, patience, adventure.
2. Sort them into three piles: very important, important, less important. Be strict: no more than eight in the first pile.
3. Narrow the first pile to your top five, then rank them.
4. For each top value, write one sentence: 'I show this when I ...' and one sentence: 'I find this hard when ...'.
5. Write your top five on the inside cover of your notebook. You will use them on Day 5.

Solo: Do the sort on your own, then explain your top two to a family member and ask them whether they see those values in you.

Group: Sort individually for 15 minutes. Then in threes, each person explains their top value and one moment it was tested. Listeners only ask questions; no judging.

Related lessons: What values are and finding your own (lifereadysociety.com/values-character/what-values-are-and-finding-your-own/); Responsibility and keeping your word (lifereadysociety.com/values-character/responsibility-and-keeping-your-word/)

09:55 Strengths spotting Activity, 25 min

The VIA Institute on Character describes 24 character strengths grouped under six virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance and transcendence. Knowing your strengths helps you lead in a way that is genuinely yours.

1. Read the six virtue groups: Wisdom (creativity, curiosity, judgement, love of learning, perspective); Courage (bravery, perseverance, honesty, zest); Humanity (love, kindness, social intelligence); Justice (teamwork, fairness, leadership); Temperance (forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-regulation); Transcendence (appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humour, spirituality).
2. Tick the five strengths that feel most like you, the ones that energise you when you use them.
3. For each, write one real example from the last year.
4. Ask: which of my strengths could help a team I am in right now?
5. Optional: the VIA Survey is free online and gives a ranked report. If you are under 18, use the VIA Youth Survey (for ages 10 to 17) and ask a parent before signing up.

Solo: Message two people who know you well and ask: 'What do you think I am good at when I am at my best?' Compare their answers with your ticks.

Group: Strengths spotting: in teams of four, each person tells a two-minute story of a time they were at their best. The others write down every strength they hear and hand over their notes. Everyone leaves with three outside views.

Related lessons: Exploring careers and knowing your strengths (lifereadysociety.com/careers-cv/exploring-careers-and-knowing-your-strengths/); Building real confidence and self-esteem (lifereadysociety.com/emotional-intelligence/building-real-confidence-and-self-esteem/)

10:20 Break Break, 15 min

Stand up, drink water, step outside if you can. Notice how you feel after the first hour.

1. Move for at least five minutes.
2. Have a snack and some water.

10:35 Self-awareness: intent and impact Learn, 15 min

Self-awareness means knowing both how you see yourself and how your behaviour lands on others. The Center for Creative Leadership points out that there is often a gap between what we meant and the impact we had.

1. You judge yourself by your intentions; other people mostly see your behaviour and feel its impact.
2. The gap is normal. Leaders close it by asking, listening and adjusting, not by defending themselves.
3. Notice your patterns under stress: do you take over, go quiet, rush, or joke? Name yours.
4. Emotions are information. Naming them helps you choose your response rather than react.
5. A simple daily check: What did I intend today? What impact did I see? What will I do differently?

Related lessons: Emotional intelligence: what it is and what the science says (lifereadysociety.com/emotional-intelligence/emotional-intelligence-what-it-is-and-what-the-science-says/); Naming your emotions (lifereadysociety.com/emotional-intelligence/naming-your-emotions/)

10:50 My leadership story Challenge, 25 min

Everyone has led something, even if it was small. Today you turn one moment into a short story you can use in interviews, applications and your Day 5 pitch.

1. Draw a timeline of your life so far and mark three moments when you took the lead: organising, helping, standing up for someone, fixing something.
2. Choose one moment. Write it in four parts: the situation, what you did, what happened, what you learned.
3. Label which of the Five Practices you used in it.
4. Cut it to 90 seconds when spoken.
5. Record it or tell it, then write down one thing you would do differently now.

Solo: Record yourself telling the story on your phone. Watch it back once and note one strength in how you told it and one thing to improve.

Group: In pairs, tell your story. Your partner names the practice they heard and asks one follow-up question. Swap. Volunteers share with the whole group.

Related lessons: Interviews: preparing, the STAR method and common questions (lifereadysociety.com/careers-cv/interviews-preparing-the-star-method-and-common-questions/); Leadership without a title (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/leadership-without-a-title/)

11:15 One leadership habit Activity, 20 min

Leaders are built by small, repeated actions. Pick one habit that matches your values and practise it every day for four weeks.

1. Choose one habit from your warm-up list or from the Five Practices, for example: arrive five minutes early, thank one person by name every day, ask one quiet person for their view in each meeting, finish what you promise.
2. Make it specific: when, where and how often.
3. Link it to something you already do (after the school bus, after Maghrib prayer, after lunch).
4. Decide how you will track it: a tick in your notebook or a note on your phone.
5. Tell one person, who will ask you about it next week.

Solo: Write your habit on a sticky note and put it somewhere you will see it every morning.

Group: Find an accountability partner in the group. Swap numbers through a parent or use the class platform, and agree a one-line check-in each Friday.

Related lessons: Humility, patience and self-discipline (lifereadysociety.com/values-character/humility-patience-and-self-discipline/); Responsibility and keeping your word (lifereadysociety.com/values-character/responsibility-and-keeping-your-word/); Daily habits for wellbeing (lifereadysociety.com/stress-resilience/daily-habits-for-wellbeing/)

11:35 Manifesto seeds Reflect, 15 min

Your personal leadership manifesto will be finished on Day 5. Today you plant the first lines.

1. Complete: 'I lead best when ...'
2. Complete: 'I believe a good leader always ...'
3. Complete: 'I will never ...' (a line you will not cross, linked to your values).
4. Read your three lines out loud. Do they sound like you? Edit until they do.

Solo: Write your three lines on a fresh page titled 'My Manifesto: draft'.

Group: Silent writing for ten minutes, then volunteers read one line each. No comments, just a thank you.

Related lessons: Meaningful goals and a personal mission statement (lifereadysociety.com/purpose-service/meaningful-goals-and-a-personal-mission-statement/)

11:50 Day 1 quiz Quiz, 10 min

Five quick questions to lock in today's ideas.

1. Answer on your own first.
2. Check the explanations and note anything you got wrong.

09:00 Did you hear me? Warm-up, 10 min

Most people listen while planning what to say next. This warm-up shows how much we miss.

1. Person A talks for one minute about a place they love.
2. Person B then repeats back the three main points and one feeling they noticed.
3. Person A scores the summary out of three.
4. Swap and repeat.

Solo: Listen to a two-minute podcast clip or voice note from a relative. Without replaying it, write the three main points and one feeling. Then replay it and check.

Group: Pairs, with a strict one-minute timer called by the facilitator.

Related lessons: Active listening and asking good questions (lifereadysociety.com/relationships/active-listening-and-asking-good-questions/)

09:10 Active listening that negotiators use Learn, 15 min

The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School describes active listening as far more than nodding. It highlights three techniques.

1. Paraphrasing: restate the other person's main points in your own words so they can correct you before misunderstandings grow.
2. Inquiry: ask open questions to understand how they reached their view and what interests sit behind it.
3. Acknowledgment: name the feelings or concerns you hear. Acknowledging is not the same as agreeing.
4. Active listening is not passive: staying silent or saying 'I understand' is not enough.
5. Useful openers: 'So what you are saying is ...', 'What makes this important to you?', 'It sounds like you are frustrated about ...'.

Related lessons: Active listening and asking good questions (lifereadysociety.com/relationships/active-listening-and-asking-good-questions/); Negotiation basics: BATNA and interests (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/negotiation-basics-batna-and-interests/)

09:25 Listening triads Activity, 25 min

Practise the three techniques with a speaker, a listener and an observer.

1. Roles: speaker, listener, observer. Rotate three times, six minutes per round plus two minutes of feedback.
2. Speaker topics (pick one): a decision you are struggling with, something you would change at school, a goal for next year.
3. Listener must use at least one paraphrase, two open questions and one acknowledgment.
4. Observer tallies each technique and notes one moment the speaker opened up.
5. After each round the observer gives one specific piece of feedback.

Solo: Have a real five-minute conversation with a family member about their day. Use all three techniques, then write down what you learned that you would normally have missed.

Group: Triads spread around the room. The facilitator rings a chime at each change. Students may choose a light topic if they prefer not to share anything personal.

Related lessons: Active listening and asking good questions (lifereadysociety.com/relationships/active-listening-and-asking-good-questions/); Empathy and understanding others (lifereadysociety.com/emotional-intelligence/empathy-and-understanding-others/)

09:50 Speaking up with confidence Learn, 10 min

Leaders say what needs saying, respectfully. You covered assertiveness and presentations in earlier lessons; here are the essentials to apply today.

1. Assertive is clear and respectful; aggressive is clear and disrespectful; passive is respectful but unclear.
2. Use I-statements: 'I am worried that ...' rather than 'You always ...'.
3. For short talks, a simple shape works: your point, your reason, an example, your point again.
4. Slow down, pause, and look at people, not the floor.

Related lessons: Speaking up: assertiveness, I-statements and saying no (lifereadysociety.com/relationships/speaking-up-assertiveness-i-statements-and-saying-no/); Public speaking and presentations (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/public-speaking-and-presentations/)

10:00 The one-minute stand Activity, 25 min

Impromptu speaking builds the confidence to speak up in meetings, class and interviews.

1. Write ten topics on slips of paper, for example: 'Should school start later?', 'The most useful skill nobody teaches', 'One change for our neighbourhood', 'Is it better to be liked or respected?'.
2. Draw a topic, take 30 seconds to think, then speak for one minute using point, reason, example, point.
3. Listeners note one strength and one tip.
4. Do a second round with a new topic and try to apply the tip.

Solo: Do three rounds and record each one on your phone. Watch the first and the last and note what improved.

Group: Groups of five. Each person speaks twice. The timekeeper holds up a card at 15 seconds left. Clap for every speaker, whatever happens.

Related lessons: Public speaking and presentations (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/public-speaking-and-presentations/)

10:25 Break Break, 15 min

Rest your voice, have some water and a snack.

1. Step away from screens.
2. Stretch your shoulders and neck.

10:40 Feedback with SBI Learn, 15 min

The Center for Creative Leadership's Situation, Behaviour, Impact model (SBI) keeps feedback specific and fair. Adding Intent makes it a conversation.

1. Situation: name when and where. 'In Tuesday's meeting about the bake sale ...'
2. Behaviour: describe what you saw or heard, not your judgement. 'You moved on before we agreed the date.'
3. Impact: say the effect it had on you or the team. 'I felt worried, because people left without knowing when to bring things.'
4. Intent: ask about their thinking. 'What were you aiming for when you moved on?'
5. Use SBI for praise too: specific praise is more useful and more believable.

Related lessons: Feedback: giving and receiving it well (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/feedback-giving-and-receiving-it-well/)

10:55 Feedback role-plays Activity, 25 min

Practise giving and receiving SBI feedback in three realistic scenes.

1. Scene 1: in a group project, a teammate has missed two deadlines. You speak to them privately.
2. Scene 2: your friend asks how their speech for the Model UN went. It was strong but too fast.
3. Scene 3: as a junior volunteer at a beach clean-up, you tell the coordinator that new volunteers did not know where to go.
4. For each scene: one person gives SBI feedback, one receives it (listening, thanking, asking a question), one observes.
5. Observer checks: Was the behaviour observable? Was there a judgement word? Was intent asked about?
6. Rewrite one line that did not work and try again.

Solo: Write all three scenes as SBI scripts. Then pick a real situation from your own life and write the SBI you would like to say. Decide whether and when to say it.

Group: Groups of three with role cards. Players can step out of role at any time. Debrief as a whole group: what made feedback easy or hard to hear?

Related lessons: Feedback: giving and receiving it well (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/feedback-giving-and-receiving-it-well/); Speaking up: assertiveness, I-statements and saying no (lifereadysociety.com/relationships/speaking-up-assertiveness-i-statements-and-saying-no/)

11:20 Persuading the principal Case study, 25 min

Influence is about understanding what the other person cares about. You will plan how to persuade a real decision-maker.

1. Scenario: a group of Year 12 students at an international school in Sharjah wants a quiet study room open at lunchtime. The principal has said 'We do not have staff to supervise it.'
2. Question 1: what is the principal's position, and what might be the interests behind it (safety, staffing, fairness, cost)?
3. Question 2: what are the students' interests behind their position?
4. Question 3: list three options that could meet both sets of interests (for example, a rota of volunteer prefects with a teacher on call, a trial for four weeks, a sign-in sheet).
5. Question 4: write a 60-second opening that starts by acknowledging the principal's concern, then proposes a small trial with a clear ask.
6. Question 5: what will you do if the answer is no? Write your best alternative.

Solo: Answer all five questions in your notebook, then deliver your 60-second opening to a parent playing the principal.

Group: Teams of four prepare for 15 minutes. One team member plays the principal for another team, using a role card with two hidden concerns. Debrief: which interests were uncovered by good questions?

Related lessons: Negotiation basics: BATNA and interests (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/negotiation-basics-batna-and-interests/); Active listening and asking good questions (lifereadysociety.com/relationships/active-listening-and-asking-good-questions/)

11:45 Voice check Reflect, 10 min

Take stock of how you communicated today.

1. Which of paraphrase, inquiry and acknowledgment came most naturally to you?
2. When did you hold back today, and why?
3. Add one line to your manifesto draft: 'When I disagree, I will ...'.

Solo: Write your answers in your journal.

Group: Two minutes of silent writing, then a quick round: one word each to describe how you feel about speaking up.

11:55 Day 2 quiz Quiz, 5 min

Five questions on listening, feedback and influence.

1. Answer on your own.
2. Read every explanation.

09:00 Five things in common Warm-up, 10 min

Trust grows when people find common ground quickly.

1. In your team, find five things you all have in common that are not obvious (not 'we all go to this school').
2. Find one thing that is unique to each person.
3. Choose a team name that reflects something you found.

Solo: List five things you share with someone you find hard to get along with, and one thing you admire about them.

Group: Teams of four to six, mixed by the facilitator so that friends are split up. Five minutes, then each team announces its name.

09:10 How teams develop Learn, 15 min

Bruce Tuckman's model, from the mid-1960s, describes stages that teams go through. MIT Human Resources presents it as a basis for conversation rather than a diagnosis, and notes that teams do not always move in a straight line.

1. Forming: excitement and uncertainty, lots of questions, low output. Leaders set out the mission, goals and roles.
2. Storming: frustration and disagreement over goals and roles. Leaders refocus on goals, break work into smaller steps and build conflict skills. Disagreement becomes less polite.
3. Norming: people feel safer sharing real ideas and welcome constructive criticism. Revisit ground rules.
4. Performing: high commitment and competence, flexible roles. Changes such as new members can send a team back to an earlier stage.
5. Ending (MIT calls it Termination or Ending; it was not part of Tuckman's original four stages and is often called adjourning): acknowledge the transition, finish deliverables, share lessons learned and celebrate.
6. Storming is normal. A team that never disagrees may not be sharing honest views.

Related lessons: Teamwork with different personalities and cultures (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/teamwork-with-different-personalities-and-cultures/)

09:25 The Marshmallow Challenge Challenge, 35 min

Designed by Tom Wujec, this classic challenge reveals how teams plan, test and collaborate under time pressure.

1. Each team gets 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 metre of tape, 1 metre of string and 1 marshmallow.
2. Goal: build the tallest freestanding structure in 18 minutes. The whole marshmallow must be on top. Height is measured from the table to the top of the marshmallow.
3. Rules: you may break spaghetti and cut tape or string; the bag cannot be part of the structure; nothing can hang from a chair or ceiling; if anyone is holding the structure at the end, it does not count.
4. The facilitator calls the time at 9 minutes, 5 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute and counts down the last 10 seconds.
5. Measure and record every structure, from shortest to tallest.
6. Debrief (10 minutes): When did you first put the marshmallow on? Who led, and how was that decided? What stage of Tuckman's model did you see?
7. Share the lesson from Wujec's work: kindergarteners often build taller structures than business students, because they start with the marshmallow and test as they go, while adults tend to plan at length and place the marshmallow at the very end.

Solo: Build alone for 18 minutes. Then read the lesson in the last step, rest for five minutes and build again with a fresh kit (or reuse unbroken pieces), putting the marshmallow on early and testing often. Compare the heights and write what changed.

Group: Teams of four to six at separate tables. Spaghetti is brittle, so remind everyone to keep sharp ends away from faces. Eat nothing that has been handled during the build, and check for food allergies before handing out kits. Rotate the timekeeper and observer roles.

Related lessons: Testing an idea cheaply: customer conversations and simple experiments (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/testing-an-idea-cheaply-customer-conversations-and-simple-experiments/)

10:00 What makes teams effective Learn, 15 min

Google's Project Aristotle studied what made its teams effective. The researchers found that how team members work together mattered more than who was on the team.

1. Psychological safety: people feel safe to take interpersonal risks such as admitting mistakes, asking questions or proposing ideas, without fear of embarrassment. Google lists this first in importance.
2. Dependability: members reliably do quality work on time.
3. Structure and clarity: people understand expectations, the process and the consequences.
4. Meaning: the work has purpose for each person.
5. Impact: people believe their work makes a difference.
6. Leaders build psychological safety by asking for views, thanking people for raising problems and admitting their own mistakes first.

Related lessons: Teamwork with different personalities and cultures (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/teamwork-with-different-personalities-and-cultures/); Time management, reliability and managing your manager (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/time-management-reliability-and-managing-your-manager/)

10:15 Break Break, 15 min

Tidy up the spaghetti, wash your hands and take a proper rest.

1. Clear the tables.
2. Have water and a snack.

10:30 Team roles Activity, 25 min

Meredith Belbin described nine team roles, each a tendency to behave, contribute and relate to others in a particular way. They are preferences, not boxes.

1. Action roles: Shaper (drives the team forward), Implementer (turns ideas into practical plans), Completer Finisher (checks details and finishes well).
2. People roles: Co-ordinator (clarifies goals and involves everyone), Teamworker (supports and keeps harmony), Resource Investigator (finds contacts and opportunities).
3. Thinking roles: Plant (creative ideas), Monitor Evaluator (weighs options carefully), Specialist (deep knowledge).
4. Pick your top two preferred roles and one you rarely play. Give an example from the Marshmallow Challenge.
5. As a team, map everyone's roles. Which are missing or over-represented? Who will cover the gaps?
6. Remember the criticism: roles can oversimplify people. Use them to talk about strengths, never to label someone.

Solo: Choose your two preferred roles and think of a recent group project. Which roles were missing, and what happened as a result? Write one way you could stretch into a role you rarely play.

Group: Each person writes their top two roles on a sticky note. Teams stick them on a nine-box grid and discuss gaps. Teammates may suggest a role they saw someone play, kindly and with an example.

Related lessons: Teamwork with different personalities and cultures (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/teamwork-with-different-personalities-and-cultures/)

10:55 Conflict and inclusion across cultures Case study, 25 min

In the Gulf, many teams include people from ten or more nationalities. Differences in language, directness and timekeeping can cause conflict, or become a strength.

1. Scenario: a Year 11 team in Dubai is preparing a robotics competition entry. Members are Emirati, Indian, Filipino, British, Egyptian and Korean. It is the second week of Ramadan.
2. Problem 1: Hyun-woo says very little in meetings, but his written ideas are excellent. Two members assume he is not interested.
3. Problem 2: Omar and Priya argue loudly about the design. Omar is direct; Priya feels attacked and starts missing meetings.
4. Problem 3: meetings are set for 3pm, when fasting members are tired, and some members want an evening meeting that clashes with Iftar.
5. Question 1: which Tuckman stage is this team in? What evidence tells you?
6. Question 2: for each problem, what would a leader without a title do? Write a specific action and the words they might use.
7. Question 3: write three team norms that would prevent these problems next time.

Solo: Answer the questions in writing, then think of a real mixed team you have been in. Which of these problems did you see?

Group: Teams discuss for 15 minutes, then one team role-plays Problem 2 (Omar, Priya and a peer leader) for two minutes, with observers giving SBI feedback. Players can opt out and narrate instead.

Related lessons: Handling conflict, repairing friendships and apologising well (lifereadysociety.com/relationships/handling-conflict-repairing-friendships-and-apologising-well/); Kindness, respect and tolerance (lifereadysociety.com/values-character/kindness-respect-and-tolerance/); Empathy and understanding others (lifereadysociety.com/emotional-intelligence/empathy-and-understanding-others/); Teamwork with different personalities and cultures (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/teamwork-with-different-personalities-and-cultures/)

11:20 Write a team charter Activity, 20 min

A team charter turns good intentions into clear agreements, building structure, clarity and psychological safety.

1. Purpose: one sentence on why this team exists.
2. Roles: who does what (use your Belbin map).
3. Norms: five agreements, for example: 'We let people finish speaking', 'We say if we cannot meet a deadline 24 hours before', 'We schedule around prayer and family time'.
4. Disagreement: how will you disagree well, and who decides if you cannot agree?
5. Check-ins: how and how often you will review progress.
6. Everyone signs or initials it.

Solo: Write a charter for a team you are really part of (a club, a study group, your family on a busy week). Share it with one member and ask what they would change.

Group: Each team writes its charter on A3 paper and pins it up. Teams do a gallery walk, adding one sticky-note idea to another team's charter.

Related lessons: Starting with friends: partners, roles and agreements in writing (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/starting-with-friends-partners-roles-and-agreements-in-writing/); Time management, reliability and managing your manager (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/time-management-reliability-and-managing-your-manager/)

11:40 What kind of teammate am I? Reflect, 10 min

Look back at today honestly.

1. When did you feel safe to speak today, and when did you not?
2. What did you do today that helped someone else feel safe?
3. Add a manifesto line: 'In a team, I will ...'.

Solo: Write your answers in your journal.

Group: Silent writing, then each person thanks one teammate for something specific, using SBI praise.

11:50 Day 3 quiz Quiz, 10 min

Five questions on teams.

1. Answer on your own.
2. Read every explanation.

09:00 Fast or slow? Warm-up, 10 min

Some decisions need speed and some need care. Notice how you decide.

1. The facilitator reads six quick choices (for example: a free day, study or rest? a friend asks to copy homework, yes or no? lead the project or support it?).
2. Decide each in five seconds and write your answer.
3. Go back and mark which ones you would decide differently with ten minutes to think.
4. Discuss: which kinds of decisions should never be rushed?

Solo: Write six choices you face this month, decide each in five seconds, then revisit them slowly.

Group: Students hold up cards or move to sides of the room for each choice (no running).

Related lessons: Cognitive Biases: Why Smart Brains Make Mistakes (lifereadysociety.com/critical-thinking/cognitive-biases-why-smart-brains-make-mistakes/)

09:10 A framework for ethical decisions Learn, 15 min

You met decision tools in lesson ct-07. The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University adds a clear process and six ethical lenses for choices that affect other people.

1. Step 1, identify the ethical issue: could this harm someone or benefit some people unfairly?
2. Step 2, get the facts: what is known and unknown, who has a stake, and have the right people been consulted?
3. Step 3, evaluate options through six lenses: Rights (respects everyone's dignity), Justice (treats people fairly), Utilitarian (most good, least harm), Common Good (serves the whole community), Virtue (fits the person I want to be), Care Ethics (attends to relationships and feelings).
4. Step 4, choose and test: would I be comfortable explaining this choice to someone I respect, or in public?
5. Step 5, act and reflect: how did it turn out, and what did I learn?
6. Your own faith and values sit alongside these lenses. Many traditions ask the same questions about honesty, fairness and care.

Related lessons: Making Good Decisions (lifereadysociety.com/critical-thinking/making-good-decisions/); Making ethical decisions (lifereadysociety.com/values-character/making-ethical-decisions/)

09:25 Survival on the Moon Challenge, 40 min

A classic consensus exercise, used in schools and workplaces, in which you compare your ranking with an expert ranking attributed to NASA. It tests whether a team can decide better than its individuals.

1. Scenario: your crew was meant to meet the mother ship on the sunlit side of the moon, but mechanical problems forced a landing about 200 miles away. You must choose what to take on the 200-mile journey.
2. Items: box of matches; food concentrate; 50 feet of nylon rope; parachute silk; portable heating unit; two .45 calibre pistols; one case of dehydrated milk; two 100 lb tanks of oxygen; stellar map; self-inflating life raft; magnetic compass; 20 litres of water; signal flares; first aid kit with injection needle; solar-powered FM receiver-transmitter.
3. Individual round (8 minutes): rank the items from 1 (most important) to 15 (least), in silence.
4. Team round (20 minutes): agree one ranking by consensus. No voting or averaging: discuss until everyone can accept each position. Use paraphrasing and inquiry from Day 2.
5. Expert key (attributed to NASA): 1 oxygen, 2 water, 3 stellar map, 4 food concentrate, 5 FM receiver-transmitter, 6 nylon rope, 7 first aid kit, 8 parachute silk, 9 life raft, 10 signal flares, 11 pistols (possible self-propulsion), 12 dehydrated milk, 13 heating unit (only needed on the dark side), 14 compass (useless, as the moon's magnetic field is not polarised), 15 matches (no oxygen to burn).
6. Scoring (a common convention): for each item, find the difference between your rank and the expert rank, ignoring minus signs, and add them up. Lower is better. Score yourself and your team.
7. Debrief (10 minutes): did the team score beat the average individual score? The best individual? Who changed the group's mind, and how? Was anyone with a correct idea ignored?

Solo: Rank on your own first. Then ask two family members to rank separately, and hold a 15-minute consensus discussion with them. Score all four rankings and compare.

Group: Teams of four to six. The facilitator keeps the expert key hidden until the team round ends. Encourage quieter members to explain their reasoning first.

Related lessons: Making Good Decisions (lifereadysociety.com/critical-thinking/making-good-decisions/); Disagreeing Well and Changing Your Mind (lifereadysociety.com/critical-thinking/disagreeing-well-and-changing-your-mind/)

10:05 Break Break, 15 min

Breathe out. Hard thinking uses energy, so eat and drink something.

1. Step outside or by a window.
2. Do a minute of slow breathing.

10:20 Case carousel: four dilemmas Case study, 45 min

Four short cases from four settings. For each, use the Markkula five steps and at least three of the six lenses, and write your decision and the words you would use.

1. School (10 minutes): you are a prefect in Abu Dhabi. The night before a mock exam, someone posts what looks like the paper in a class group chat. Your best friend has already looked. What do you do, and what do you say to your friend?
2. Club (10 minutes): you captain a school football club with a budget for eight players to travel to a tournament in Muscat. Twelve want to go. Two of the strongest players have skipped training; one quieter player has never missed a session but rarely starts. How do you decide, and how do you tell people?
3. Gulf business (10 minutes): on a summer internship at a family-owned trading company in Jebel Ali, your manager asks you to change the delivery date on a customer report so a late order 'looks on time'. A supplier also sends you a generous gift box. How do you respond to each, respectfully and honestly?
4. Charity (10 minutes): you lead a Ramadan food-pack drive with a registered charity. A volunteer wants to post photos of families receiving packs to boost donations, and you have more fresh food than you can deliver before it spoils. What do you decide about each?
5. Wrap-up (5 minutes): which lens did you use most? Which case had no perfect answer, and how did you still decide?

Solo: Rotate through the four cases with a timer. For one case, write a 60-second script of the conversation you would have, and practise it out loud.

Group: Set up four tables, one case each. Teams rotate every ten minutes, adding their decision on sticky notes under the previous teams' ideas. In the wrap-up, each table reads out the range of answers.

Related lessons: Integrity and honesty, including at school (lifereadysociety.com/values-character/integrity-and-honesty-including-at-school/); Courage and standing up for what is right (lifereadysociety.com/values-character/courage-and-standing-up-for-what-is-right/); Making ethical decisions (lifereadysociety.com/values-character/making-ethical-decisions/); Volunteering and service in the UAE (lifereadysociety.com/purpose-service/volunteering-and-service-in-the-uae/)

11:05 Egg drop under pressure Challenge, 35 min

Inspired by a NASA Commercial Crew Program activity in which students design a parachute and capsule to land an egg safely. Here, the facilitator adds surprise problems to test how your team leads under pressure.

1. Each team gets one hard-boiled egg (or a plastic egg), two plastic bags, string, four paper cups, sticky tape, scissors and a few rubber bands.
2. Goal: design a parachute and capsule that land the egg without cracking when dropped from about 2 metres. A supervising adult does every drop, standing on the floor with arm raised. No chairs, balconies or stairwells.
3. Use the engineering cycle: ask, imagine, plan, create, test, improve.
4. Build for 15 minutes. Two practice drops are allowed.
5. Surprise problems: at minute 5 the facilitator takes away the scissors (tear instead); at minute 10 your team leader must swap teams; at minute 12 the facilitator announces the landing zone is now a marked sheet of A3 paper.
6. Final drop, then debrief (8 minutes): how did your team react to each surprise? Who stepped up when the leader left? What would you do differently?

Solo: Build alone and ask someone at home to deliver the three surprise problems from sealed notes at the right times. Write down how you felt and what you did after each one.

Group: Teams of four. Use hard-boiled or plastic eggs only (plastic if anyone has an egg allergy), lay a cloth or newspaper under the drop point and wash hands afterwards. Students stay seated or standing at their tables while the adult drops.

Related lessons: Building resilience (lifereadysociety.com/stress-resilience/building-resilience/); Failure, learning and keeping going (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/failure-learning-and-keeping-going/)

11:40 Under pressure, I ... Reflect, 10 min

Pressure shows your default habits. Name yours so you can choose better ones.

1. What did you do today when time ran out or plans changed?
2. Which of your top five values helped you in the dilemmas?
3. Add a manifesto line: 'When the right thing is hard, I will ...'.

Solo: Write your answers in your journal.

Group: Silent writing, then pairs share one line each.

11:50 Day 4 quiz Quiz, 10 min

Five questions on decisions and ethics.

1. Answer on your own.
2. Read every explanation.

09:00 Four days in four words Warm-up, 10 min

Warm up by gathering what you have learned so far.

1. Write one word for each of Days 1 to 4 that captures what you learned.
2. Choose the one word that matters most to you and say why in one sentence.

Solo: Write your four words and your sentence at the top of today's page.

Group: Quick round: each person says their most important word. The facilitator writes them up as a word cloud.

09:10 Design thinking for real projects Learn, 15 min

Design thinking, a human-centred approach popularised by Stanford's d.school, helps you solve the right problem for real people rather than the problem you assume exists.

1. Empathise: understand people's experience by observing and talking with them.
2. Define: turn what you learned into a clear point of view: who needs what, and why.
3. Ideate: generate many ideas, including ones beyond the obvious.
4. Prototype: make a quick, cheap version people can try.
5. Test: try it, gather feedback and improve.
6. Start small: a four-week trial that works is better than a grand plan that never starts. Remember the marshmallow: test early.

Related lessons: Thinking like an entrepreneur: spotting problems worth solving (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/thinking-like-an-entrepreneur-spotting-problems-worth-solving/); Testing an idea cheaply: customer conversations and simple experiments (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/testing-an-idea-cheaply-customer-conversations-and-simple-experiments/); Giving back and building community (lifereadysociety.com/purpose-service/giving-back-and-building-community/)

09:25 Capstone part 1: empathise and define Capstone, 30 min

Choose a real problem and hear from the people who live with it.

1. List three problems you have noticed at school, in your club or in your community (for example: new students feel lonely, food is wasted at lunch, younger students need maths help).
2. Choose one that you care about and could realistically improve in eight weeks.
3. Talk to at least two people affected (a classmate, a younger student, a teacher, a neighbour). Ask: What is hard about this? What have you tried? What would make the biggest difference?
4. Write a problem statement: '[Group of people] need a way to [need] because [insight from your conversations].'
5. List who must give permission (head of year, parents, charity coordinator, building management).

Solo: Make two short calls or messages to people affected, with a parent's knowledge if they are outside your family or school. Write down their words.

Group: Teams of three to five choose one problem. Interview members of other teams and the supervising adults as stand-in users, then write the problem statement together.

Related lessons: Thinking like an entrepreneur: spotting problems worth solving (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/thinking-like-an-entrepreneur-spotting-problems-worth-solving/); Asking for help and favours (lifereadysociety.com/getting-things-done/asking-for-help-and-favours/)

09:55 Capstone part 2: the action plan Capstone, 30 min

Turn your idea into a one-page plan a decision-maker could say yes to.

1. Goal: what will be different in eight weeks, and how will you measure it (number of students helped, kilograms of food saved, sessions run)?
2. Roles: who does what, using your Belbin map. Name a supervising adult.
3. Timeline: weekly milestones, with a first action this week.
4. Budget: list every cost, even small ones, and where the money or donations will come from. Keep it honest and simple.
5. Risks: three things that could go wrong, and what you will do about each. Include safety, privacy (no photos of people without consent) and fairness.
6. Ethics check: run the plan through two Markkula lenses. Who might be left out?
7. Where relevant, check official routes, for example registered charities and recognised volunteering platforms in the UAE.

Solo: Fill in a one-page plan on A3 paper or a document. Ask a parent to read it as if they were the decision-maker and give you one question.

Group: Each team writes its plan on A3. Every member must own at least one line of the plan.

Related lessons: The numbers on one page: price, costs, margin and break-even (lifereadysociety.com/entrepreneurship/the-numbers-on-one-page-price-costs-margin-and-break-even/); Volunteering and service in the UAE (lifereadysociety.com/purpose-service/volunteering-and-service-in-the-uae/); Time management, reliability and managing your manager (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/time-management-reliability-and-managing-your-manager/)

10:25 Break Break, 15 min

Rest before the pitch. Drink water and walk around.

1. Step away from the plan for a few minutes.
2. Have a snack.

10:40 Capstone part 3: prepare the pitch Capstone, 25 min

Use 'Inspire a Shared Vision' from Day 1: help your audience see a better future and want to be part of it.

1. Hook (20 seconds): one real story or quote from your interviews.
2. Problem (30 seconds): your problem statement and why it matters.
3. Solution (60 seconds): what you will do, who is involved and how it will run.
4. Proof and plan (40 seconds): timeline, budget, risks handled, how you will measure success.
5. Ask (30 seconds): exactly what you need from the listener, such as a room, a signature or a date.
6. Rehearse twice with a timer. Cut anything that does not help.

Solo: Rehearse in front of a mirror, then record a final version on your phone.

Group: Every team member speaks at least once. Rehearse twice in a quiet corner, with one member timing.

Related lessons: Public speaking and presentations (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/public-speaking-and-presentations/)

11:05 Capstone part 4: pitch and feedback Capstone, 25 min

Present to a real audience and listen to feedback like a leader.

1. Deliver your three-minute pitch.
2. Listeners score it against the capstone rubric (each criterion: not yet, getting there, strong).
3. Each listener gives one SBI comment on something that worked and one on something to improve.
4. The presenting team paraphrases the feedback and asks one question. No defending.
5. Write down the one change you will make before pitching to the real decision-maker.

Solo: Pitch to at least one adult, live or by sending your recording, and ask them to score you with the rubric. Then score your own recording honestly against it.

Group: Each team pitches to a panel of the supervising adult and one student from every other team. Keep strict time: three minutes to pitch, three for feedback. Invite a real decision-maker if possible.

Related lessons: Feedback: giving and receiving it well (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/feedback-giving-and-receiving-it-well/); Public speaking and presentations (lifereadysociety.com/workplace-skills/public-speaking-and-presentations/)

11:30 My leadership manifesto Activity, 15 min

Bring together your values, strengths, and the lines you drafted each day into one page you can keep and live by.

1. Title it: 'How I Lead'.
2. Write your top five values and one sentence on what each looks like in action.
3. Add your top strengths and how you will use them for others.
4. Add the lines you drafted on Days 1 to 4, edited so they sound like you.
5. Finish with one commitment for the next 30 days and the date you will review it.
6. Keep it to one page. Sign and date it.

Solo: Write it neatly or type it up, and put it somewhere you will see it. Share it with one person you trust.

Group: Write individually. Volunteers read one line aloud. Students keep their manifestos; nothing is collected or marked.

Related lessons: Meaningful goals and a personal mission statement (lifereadysociety.com/purpose-service/meaningful-goals-and-a-personal-mission-statement/); What values are and finding your own (lifereadysociety.com/values-character/what-values-are-and-finding-your-own/)

11:45 Closing circle Reflect, 10 min

Teams need a proper ending: MIT HR suggests acknowledging the transition, sharing lessons learned and celebrating contributions.

1. Name one thing you are proud of from this camp.
2. Thank one person for something specific they did, using SBI praise.
3. Say your first capstone action and its date out loud.

Solo: Write a short thank-you message to someone who helped you during the camp, and send it.

Group: Stand or sit in a circle. Everyone speaks once. The facilitator closes by recognising each team's contribution.

11:55 Day 5 quiz Quiz, 5 min

Five final questions.

1. Answer on your own.
2. Read every explanation, then celebrate finishing the camp.