Mt. Sky

Native American High School Leadership

Mt. Sky 2025 Flyer

Discovering Native Leaders!

Mt. Sky Leadership Camp exists for Native American High School students to connect, culturally and intellectually, for the benefit of themselves, their community, and THEIR generation. Students will have the opportunity to practice skills such as team building, communication, and critical thinking, through a lens of cultural expression and tribal focus, addressing TODAY’S Native issues.

OUR STORY began as a vision to offer a more practical resource, honing broader tenets of Student Leadership to the experience of Washington’s diverse Indigenous student leaders. There are continuous and growing concerns specific to their future. We envision them learning the skills they already possess and can give them a voice in those conversations. Moreover, we see our student leaders of today as our Tribal leaders of tomorrow. We see those conversations starting today in the voices of our students, together, creating stronger ties and collective focus across all Tribes. If we can bring those voices together now, then we can bring them together to tell a story that truly is Ours.

Mt. Sky challenges students to grow their potential, offering strategies to join today’s conversation, express their thoughts, and be heard without being overlooked. They have a unique opportunity to step out of their routine to work with peers from home and from around the state. We focus on the growth of the individual in an active group setting. This dynamic allows students to practice in a small group, preparing them to apply their skills to their larger community.

Our mission is to show how their proven resilience will benefit their own future and of all who surround them.

Our purpose is to ensure the future generations we want to lead, will be leading our People.

What we focus on today, for this generation, will protect the path for the next seven generations.

The benefits of attending Mt. Sky:

High School students leave camp feeling empowered and confident in their abilities to succeed in all areas of life.
In fact, many students experience an increase in their self-esteem, honesty, expectations of their future and ability to say “No” in negative situations.
Mt. Sky is for all Native American youth! No prior leadership experience is necessary.

Health and Safety:

We know it may be difficult to trust outside organizations to care for your child. Our number one goal is to create a safe space for students to experience personal and social growth. As a staff, we place high importance on student safety and supervision, which is why we have a number of measures in place to ensure students are well-cared for. A medic will be available at all times. Teachers, facilitators and counselors from around the state will supervise the students. Students will be separated by gender in the dorms. Our schedule is intentional and full.

The Cispus Learning Center and Mt. Sky operate under the umbrella of the Association of Washington School Principals, an organization that has been dedicated to providing leadership camps to high school students for well over 60 years.

Five reasons to attend Mt. Sky Leadership Camp

Learn leadership and life skills from elders
Discover and apply your voice
Embrace your pride and uniqueness
Connect with Nature
Bridge the gap between tribes

Directors

Learn more about the curriculum and camp by contacting the camp directors

Ben Charles, Crazy Faith Ministries
Theresa James, La Conner HS/Swinomish Tribe
Contact the Mt. Sky Directors

Location

Cispus Learning Center, Randle, WA

Dates

March 21 - 24, 2025

Mt. Sky information:

Registration includes all materials, meals, and supplies.
The first meal is DINNER on Friday evening. Please be sure students eat lunch before arrival at Cispus.
Each school delegation must have an attending adviser. Advisers will be housed in a separate dorm and will not be responsible for dorm supervision.
Plan to arrive between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. on Friday for registration. The retreat begins at 2:00 p.m. on Friday and concludes at 11:30 a.m. on Monday.
Cancellations received after March 7th, will result in full charges. We encourage schools to find substitutions for students who cancel after the deadline.
Mt. Sky is for High School students.