Kaleo 2020
Live. Learn. Lead.
What is
kaleo?
Students spend the summer living with a group of peers, usually from their own campus. Students build deep and lasting friendships as they live, work, study the Bible, and pray together! They not only grow spiritually, but also have multiple opportunities to grow in leadership.
Each group of students will be assigned a D-Group Leader, who will meet personally with the students in their group on a 1-to-1 basis every week to teach them, and encourage them. The whole D-Group comes together one night a week to do a Bible Study, pray together, and discuss what they've been learning and experiencing at Kaleo.
Why Florida?
A centerpiece of Kaleo is ensuring that each student works a full-time job. This is so each student can make money, but also so that each student can grow in his/her leadership development and apply what they are learning in a real-life environment. There are only a few places in the United States where we can be guaranteed that 200+ people per Kaleo project will be employed just for the summer.
Where will they work?
Because we have had our Kaleo project in Destin the past 10 years, we have formed partnerships with several different businesses in the area. During the first week of Kaleo, students will have the opportunity to visit these job sites and apply. Student's typically work between 35-40 hours a week.
Also, many students in the past have been able to combine an internship with a summer at Kaleo. As long as the internship hours fit into the Kaleo schedule, students are free to work at an internship related to their major while at Kaleo. In the past, Kaleo students have worked at internships in the engineering, medical, education, and business fields.
My son/daughter needs to take a summer class to graduate on time...
Perfect! Students at the project are allowed to take classes online. We encourage the student to take off 5-8 hours of work a week to have adequate time to succeed in any classes they take! On average approximately 30% of the students at Kaleo take summer classes.
Why nine weeks?
We feel nine weeks is the perfect length of time for a summer project. It gives the student around 4+ weeks at home while also giving him/her ample time to develop in his leadership, and to grow spiritually. Often times at a week-long church camp, a person may return home on an emotional high. We do not seek for students to make emotionally driven decisions, nor to come back home merely riding an emotional high. Rather, we want to see students make gains in character growth, initiative-taking, leadership skills, social aptitude, and in owning responsibilities. We believe that nine weeks is enough time for a student to truly take substantial steps in these areas.
Why does my son/daughter have to go to Kaleo to grow spiritually and develop in leadership?
In our experience, a student can grow outside of a summer project like Kaleo, but it can be difficult. Kaleo allows a student to get away for nine weeks to a place where he/she is in an environment that is a greenhouse for growth. Each student will have accountability through a small group and his small group leader. He will
be hearing challenging messages each week from StuMo staff and other leaders. He will learn practical skills such as how to study the Bible, developing work ethic, how to treat a woman (for the guys), what qualities to look for in a spouse, how to help others find a relationship with God, how to handle money, and making wise decisions.
Is Kaleo a way for my son/daughter to just relax on the beach all summer?
No way. Kaleo is not designed for the student who wants to take it easy. There will be plenty of opportunities for the student to have fun, go to social events like dances, take a road trip, go on group dates, make memories, etc... But Kaleo is so much more than this. At Kaleo, our goal is to develop young leaders. The schedule is designed to ensure the students develop in the areas mentioned above. Thus, the schedule is very full with work, small group interaction, listening to speakers, giving presentations, etc...
I really want my son/daughter to get an internship while in college... In many ways, we believe Kaleo has as much value as an internship. At many internships, students are at the bottom of the totem pole and are not learning any significant leadership or people skills, which are absolutely essential in any career field. While internships may look good on a resume, many internships do not necessarily translate into true life skills development, leadership awareness, or spiritual growth. We wholeheartedly believe Kaleo is invaluable for building these areas into young leaders.
Can I visit my son/daughter while they are at Kaleo?
Yes! We would love for you to visit! Stay tuned for more information about our Family Weekend.