Capstone Summer Camp for Libyan Youth

As part of the Skills for Tomorrow (SFT) program in Libya, 76 boys and girls from seven cities across Libya (Tawergha camp in Tripoli, Gharyan, Albaydah, Sebha, Jalu, Yefren, and Misrata) traveled to Tunisia to participate in a capstone summer camp that took place last September at the Rimmel Camp in Bizerte.

The camp was an enriching experience for the students. Through workshops and other activities, they improved their English proficiency and focused on leadership development, team building, and community service. They had a blast strengthening their SFT community by working together to complete a series of games and fun activities!

Describing his experience, Oussama declared, “As an SFT student, I learned how to be a good citizen. It was great to connect and develop project ideas related to common causes and interests, as well as getting to know other students from other cities during the camp. I hope this program continues benefiting youth and equipping them with the essential skills needed to make Libya a better place.”

The camp additionally introduced them to U.S. university admission requirements and the Competitive College Club (CCC) program offered by EducationUSA. They also learned about opportunities such as the U.S. Department of State-sponsored Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program and Rise, a joint initiative of Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust that seeks to find brilliant young people and support them for life as they work to serve others.

During the camp, Annie Stetler, our country director for Tunisia and Libya, visited the camp and enjoyed a productive talk with students about their experience with the SFT program. The students displayed a great deal of enthusiasm for the program and their strong desire to give back, share what they have learned, and develop the community service projects they planned at camp when they return home.