Community and School Programs at miniwanca
Michigan Middle School Leadership initative
October 22 to 25, 2025
The Michigan Middle School Leadership Initiative is a youth empowerment program at Miniwanca. In four days, middle school students build community and learn how to create positive change at home, all through play, fun, and reflection in the outdoors.
At MMLI, students in grades 6, 7, and 8:
- develop their natural leadership abilities by developing concrete tools.
- increase awareness of civic action opportunities for middle school-aged students.
- create an active network of middle school-aged leaders in Michigan.
funding
MMLI is funded through a combination of generous donations from local community partners like the Oceana County Community Foundation, individual school funding, and the American Youth Foundation.
Contact Director of Conference, Community and School Programs Michael Harter for more information about your school's investment in MMLI.
What schools say
Aaron Boyd, Whitehall Middle school teacher
"It’s a great opportunity for schools to get outside of their walls and explain how to go about student leadership. ...The favorite moments are definitely watching the kids laugh and engage in their positive communities."
Kelly Sisung, pentwater school teacher
"The confidence my students gained in themselves has stayed with them and the staff, and I see it in their daily interactions with the rest of their peers. They are more willing to listen to others before they speak, and when they do speak, they do it in a way that reflects that they heard what the other person said.”