EQUIP Camp 2023
EQUIP Camp 2023
On 15 July 2023, a contingent of our student leaders gathered together seeking to develop their leadership skills and obtain valuable knowledge – and SDEV’s EQUIP Camp was the perfect opportunity for that! For the uninitiated, EQUIP is an annual camp run by SIM’s very own Student Development department to provide student leaders the opportunity to hone their leadership and management skills. Typically conducted off campus, Student Development’s staff conceptualise and conduct a mix of hands on and theory-rich activities to fill out the camp’s schedule. This provides more than just rote learning of various leadership and communication styles: it provides opportunities to put these theories into practice.
This year, EQUIP started on campus in the MPH with icebreakers and team-building activities to set the tone for the camp. Participants got to introduce themselves and get familiar with each other through physically and mentally stimulating group activities. We also had a light introduction to a few communication theories; providing our participants with some food for thought before they rested for the night. The next day started early as the students got up early to board the bus to the Tanjong Puteri Gold Resort in Johor Bahru, Malaysia where the rest of the camp would be conducted. This year’s venue was chosen so we would have plenty of space and a variety of locations for us to do plenty of different and challenging activities to keep everyone engaged as well as stellar villas for them to retire to after a long day.
Our first day in Tanjong Puteri saw our students start on building team rapport with an inter-villa competition to get the blood pumping and limbs moving after spending the morning in their buses. The competition was then followed by a lecture and discussion to stretch their mental muscles and prepare them for the final activity for the day: The Night Walk. It was a mix of a test of courage and a time to reflect as students moved off into the dark in pairs.
The second day was a fair bit more action packed. While the student leaders were introduced to more systems thinking theories, communication strategies and dynamics and more nuanced approaches to leadership, these lessons were further cemented as the students were challenged by an Amazing Race. Students were sent all over the resort to attempt various challenges that tested their physical coordination, endurance, and most of all their mental acquity.
On the third and final day in the resort, our student leaders were given the final challenge to bash together makeshift rafts meant to traverse the length of a swimming pool. Unfortunately, the staff and students were stymied by the lightning alert that left us all beached with some very studiously made rafts.
To round out the day, we organised a campfire night and challenged the students’ teams to put together a skit and a pitch presentation to advertise a product; specifically a toothpick for sharks. On top of giving our leaders a chance to manage themselves and their teams to take on the challenge, we also got to see everyone show off their creative skills and humour, testing another skill a leader often needs; charisma.
All in all, EQUIP was an action-packed experience. Beyond the skills and knowledge, networking and building bonds between clubs through our student leaders and club advisors is important to fostering SIM’s student life culture. If you have any interest in joining us for EQUIP in 2024, we recommend keeping an eye out for the next time we send out invites to our respective clubs.
