STEPS Program

Supporting our campers through leadership development.

A logo with a staircase design, large black L-shaped element, green stylized letter M, and green letter I.

What is the STEPS Program?

Our campers arrive at camp as 9 year old girls, often away from their home communities for the first time. They enter our STEPS Program on the first level, as recipients of the kind, loving, intentional community we create. Over the course of their years at Main Idea, following our curriculum of self-reflection and appropriate challenges, our girls take on increasing responsibilities in leading our community. They spend two years as campers in our leadership bunks before becoming junior staff, and then staff members.

Skills Taught

  • Leadership

  • Responsibility

  • Compassion

  • Communication

Did you know…

Some members of our Senior Staff and Board of Directors were Main Idea campers who completed the STEPS Program? We’ve given them special badges with the STEPS logo to help you find them.

Logo of the Main Idea STEPS Program Graduate. It includes A logo with a staircase design, large black L-shaped element, green stylized letter M, and green letter I, and the text "Steps Program Graduate".

Leadership Retreats

Group of people in winter clothing standing outside in the snow on a bright, partly cloudy day with trees in the background.

Each winter, we invite our oldest campers to a leadership retreat. At the leadership retreat, we bring the girls together to play team building games, talk about personal development, and have fun!

Group of children sitting on the floor in a cozy room, some reading and some drawing on paper, with a wooden wall and a colorful skateboard hanging on the wall.
Two women playing with purple balloons in a room with wooden walls, large windows, and a laptop on a chair in the background.
Group of five diverse people standing in front of whiteboards, writing and discussing questions about leadership and self-awareness.
A woman is holding a marshmallow on a stick over a small camping stove, preparing to toast it, in a large indoor space.