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What stood out most to me was how supportive the students were of each other. Watching them cheer one another on made me realize that the biggest barrier to building confidence isn't the audience-it's the fear we place on ourselves.

If I could offer one piece of advice to future participants, it would be this: bring fun energy into the room. Kids feed off the energy you bring, so showing up with enthusiasm and a positive attitude makes all the difference.

While my role was to guide and support participants, I found myself developing just as much, particularly in areas such as communication, leadership, and adaptability.

Many students were initially nervous or reluctant to participate, especially those who didn't enjoy public speaking or felt unsure of themselves. It was incredibly fulfilling to see those same students slowly build confidence and start contributing. By the end of the program, they were more expressive, enthusiastic, and willing to step outside their comfort zone.

One of my favourite memories was when a class surprised us with their own cheer: “I say toast, you say masters—TOAST! MASTERS!” It was the sweetest moment and such a heartwarming send-off!

Several students who were initially shy or hesitant to participate gradually began to open up. With each activity, their confidence visibly grew—many of them went from being quiet observers to confidently presenting their creative ideas in front of the class.

I originally signed up to gain more experience working with kids before summer camp started and found myself having a lot of fun leading and guiding the students through our activities. It made me happy to see our students learning how to express themselves and become more confident speaking in front of their peers within our 90 minute sessions. In turn, this made me feel more confident in being able to lead a class of children and really helped me prepare.