Ocean View High boys gain confidence and skills at youth leadership camp

A youth leadership camp in Ocean View is equipping young boys with the tools to overcome challenges and discover their potential.

Roots to Resilience, hosted by the Global Centre for Change Foundation, offered participants a weekend of workshops, mentorship and team-building activities aimed at building confidence, leadership and essential life skills.

The camp took place from Friday, January 9, to Sunday, January 11 and involved a group of learners from Ocean View High School.

Brent Proctor, lead facilitator for the camp, said many of the boys arrived shy and uncertain, with some attending a programme away from home for the first time.

“These young men arrived carrying the weight of their circumstances, but they left knowing that their past does not define their future,” Mr Proctor said.

He explained that structured workshops, teamwork challenges, mentorship sessions, and open discussions encouraged the boys to reflect on their personal stories, their roots, and the resilience they already possessed.

The camp taught participants practical life skills, including accountability, respect, goal-setting and emotional intelligence.

Cole Jacobs, who took part in the camp, said the experience helped participants feel more confident in their ability to improve their lives and become agents of change.

The camp made us feel like we belonged,” he said.

Mr Proctor said moments like this highlight the importance of consistent guidance.

“When you give young people belief, structure and consistent support, they begin to see themselves differently.”

The Global Centre for Change Foundation, founded in November 2024, runs a range of youth development, leadership, mentorship and skills-based programmes.

According to Mr Proctor, the organisation focuses on supporting young people from under-resourced or high-risk environments. It helps them break cycles of disadvantage and become active contributors within their communities.

Founder and chief executive officer Tarryn Hallaby said the foundation’s programs are designed to create long-term impact rather than short-term interventions.

“Over the next few years, our work will shift from intervention to trajectory, with a deliberate focus on depth before scale,” Ms Hallaby said.

“Programmes like Roots to Resilience and Girls on Fire will evolve into long-term mentorship pathways that keep our youth anchored in school, supported through their critical decision-making years, and guided towards real, achievable employment options.”

She said lasting impact comes from consistency, adding that by walking alongside young people as they navigate identity, opportunity and work readiness, the foundation is helping them build futures that are chosen rather than defaulted into.

All participants from the boys’ camp will now join a fully sponsored 12-month mentorship programme to continue the guidance and support initiated during the weekend.

Mr Proctor said the success of the camp highlights the importance of sustained mentorship and leadership training.

Plans are already underway to host a similar programme for girls, titled Girls On Fire, which is scheduled for March 2026.

A year-long mentorship will follow both camps to ensure the skills and confidence gained are reinforced over time.