Turning CITs into leaders by Week 3

I’ve been mentoring junior counselors for 18 summers, and the trainings that stick are the 20-minute, on-shift huddles right after rest hour where we debrief a real cabin hiccup and give one skill to try before dinner. I’m revising our 4-session micro-series for June to better turn a quiet CIT into a steady cabin lead by Week 3 — what topics or formats have moved the needle for you? I’m especially interested in simple practices you’ve used to pass the torch without overwhelming them.

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Quick example: we give CITs a daily “lead one transition” rep (water break or line-up) using a 3-step micro-script — “reset, reframe, redirect” — and debrief in two minutes before dinner. By Day 10 the quiet ones have 8–9 reps and a steadier voice; if the cabin’s fried, we swap the huddle for a 3-minute role-play so they still get a win — leadership push-ups by Week 3.

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