Summer Leadership Camp

Adventurous 12-day camps crafted for passionate young leaders (16-18 years of age) wanting to discover God’s truth, discern wisely, and live wholeheartedly.

Adventure Into Truth

Embark on a transformative journey in the Blue Ridge Mountains where you'll build lasting friendships in the context of community, embark on thrilling adventures like camping, rock climbing, and white water rafting, and receive expert training and certifications in categories from CPR to Wilderness First Aid. Each aspect of the camp is woven together to help you learn to discover truth, discern wisely and take Godly action in the context of real life situations.

Discover

Discover truth, goodness and beauty as you build lifelong friendships with like-minded believers and embark on exciting adventures in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

01

Discern

Discern how to sift through the noise of the world and to act wisely  through team building activities, challenging adventures, and training in critical thinking.

02

Do

As you engage in the worlds of nature and culture, we'll help you integrate the lessons you've learned into a comprehensive strategy for wise, Godly action.

03

Throughout Your Time, You Will...

Experience Adventure

Our adventure-based approach to education engages campers of all learning styles. Through hands-on experiences like rock climbing, camping, and whitewater rafting, learning is both exciting and practical. Experiences like this bridge the gap between thinking well and living well. Whereas theoretical ideas sound promising, it's only when we put them into action that they can truly transform our lives.

Rock Climbing

Conquer your fears and step beyond your comfort zone. Scale rugged cliffs while being rewarded with breathtaking sunrises and stunning panoramic vistas.  We have a variety of routes for both new and experienced climbers!

White Water Rafting

Put your skills to the test and continue the adventure through an unforgettable trip down the French Broad River! Enjoy the diverse array of rapids (ranging from Class I to Class III) and rich green landscape.

Mountain Hiking

Enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the Linville Gorge - nicknamed “The Grand Canyon of the East.” From basecamp, you will find towering summits, sheer canyon walls, and access to miles of exceptionally beautiful, rugged hiking trails. 

Learn in the Classroom

As Christians, it can be incredibly difficult to navigate our noisy technological age. We are always bombarded with more influences and ideas than we can even consciously recognize – today “Influencer” is considered an occupation. This leaves those without a reliable filter of knowing how to think well, are susceptible to a conflicting culture that constantly demands what we ought to think. In the classroom, we guide campers through fundamental lessons in discernment – shaping a lens of Critical Thinking. From a bedrock of God’s truth we learn to ask better questions, blessing our lifelong journey of learning and discerning.

Critical Thinking

Discover the Critical Thinking skills necessary for you to filter through the noise, discern truth, and act wisely in the world

WFA & CPR Certifications

Up your skill level by earning certifications through immersive hands-on training in both Wilderness First Aid and CPR

College Scholarship

Invest in your future by receiving a $500 scholarship towards Excel College tuition when you go through the camp

College Credit

Receive college credit from Excel College in Critical Thinking by completing the Summer Leadership Camp.

Grow in Community

With a maximum of 20 campers per session, you will find the camp to be a fun and inviting atmosphere conducive to building lifelong friendships. You’ll be surrounded by leaders and peers pursuing God and His Wisdom for their lives. After twelve days, you’ll be equipped to ask great questions, seek wisdom, and become a servant leader who gives your gifts to the world around you.

Testimonials

What the Campers are Saying...

It has a lot to do with leading yourself well and learning how to do that before going and leading others. It’s not just about having all this head knowledge, they teach you to actually have wisdom and live it out and practice being dependent on the Holy Spirit every day - listening, leaning in, and pressing in on him.

Caroline Manwaring

2023 Camper

Discernment has been hard for me, because I’ve been a follower of the crowd and of what other people were doing. But for me, [this camp] has been helping me to be able to critically think through and discern what to say.

Daniel Williams

2023 Camper

I’m not an outdoorsy person at all. I was just going to go and get through the camping part and then I’ll be done, and I’ll survive and it’ll be okay. But I actually really enjoyed it a lot, so that was surprising! I think my favorite part was the rock climbing, which I was a little bit nervous about, but it was actually really fun!

Sage Taylor

2023 Camper

Just seeing other people with the same kind of hunger that I have - being in a community with other like-minded people, having campfire talks and deep conversations - it’s great.

Ben Schneider

2023 Camper
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When?

Summer of 2025

A twelve-day experience, Excel will be hosting five Summer Leadership Camps this summer with limited availability.
May 18th - 30th
June 1st - 13th
June 15th - 27th
June 29th - July 11th
July 20th - August 1st

apply now

Where?

Black Mountain, NC

The camp will be hosted by Excel College, which is located in the small town of Black Mountain, NC. During their time here, students will spend several days exploring the mountains of Western North Carolina, as well as downtown Black Mountain.

Who?

Rising Juniors & Seniors

This camp is for teens ages 16 - 19 years old who are hungry to become the next generation of young leaders that are equipped to discover, discern, and do.

Cost?

Affordable & Worthwhile

Twelve days for $1,499, the cost covers housing, food, and all adventure expenses.

*Travel to and from the camp not included.

Start an Application Today

Camps have limited availability. Fill out an application now to begin the process for 2025.

apply now

What are the age limits for the camp?

Campers must be 16 years old by September 30, 2022, and no older than 18 years old by the camp start dates. If a birthday is close, but not within, these cutoffs — you may still submit an application.

Depending on the circumstance, we may require additional application information to determine if the camp would be a beneficial experience for the applicant at that time.

Where will campers be staying?

There are 2 locations where campers will be housed for the duration of the camp — both are in or near Black Mountain, NC. During the first week, they will join our trained staff as they camp out in the nearby Pisgah National Forest, while they adventure and learn critical thinking through rock climbing, first aid/CPR training, and team-building games. For the second week, campers will reside at Excel’s Campus in Black Mountain.

What gear will campers be required to bring?

Students will all be sent a detailed packing list prior to the camp. Students will be provided with required gear and safety equipment for activities performed or notified of required gear in the packing list after acceptance to the camp.

If students already own equipment for any of the adventure activities we perform they may possibly be able to bring them to the camp, this will be approved on a case-by-case basis after students are accepted to the camp.

Provide a Scholarship for Young Leaders to Adventure into Truth

We provide need-based scholarships for young leaders who are wanting to attend camp but cannot afford the full cost. Will you join us in preparing the leaders of tomorrow?

Need More Information?

We host digital events every Monday night. Join us for a one-hour virtual presentation about our programs.

REGISTER NOW