FAQ's

The Teen Leadership Challenge is a unique, American-style overnight programme for young people ages 14 - 17, based in Scotland. It is an epic adventure, full of fun & friendship and the perfect way for young people to develop their leadership skills. 

The Teen Leadership Challenge is for young people aged 14 - 17 from the UK and around the world. It is perfect for young people who ar looking to build leadership skills, have fun and make friends. It is also a great way to develop English language skills for non-native English speakers.

There's nothing else out there like The Teen Leadership Challenge - young people getting the chance to take on challenges in a team to build life skills that will help them in their future. We want to help shape the future leaders of the world and give young people the confidence to achieve anything they put their minds to. 

We have tried to create a really special environment. We have created a place where young people feel safe - emotionally and physically safe. We have created a place where young people can create memories that will last a lifetime, friendships that span the globe and learn values that will make them more independent, confident and ultimately happier young adults. 

We create an atmosphere full of positivity, encouragement and fun. Without the normal pressures of how they look on social media or how well they are doing at school, young people can enjoy themselves and have an adventure without the usual pressures of normal life.

In bonnie Scotland! The Teen Leadership Challenge is based at the picturesque Stirling University which is approximately 45 minutes from Edinburgh.

Young people attend from around 35 nationalities each summer. We limit the amount from any nationality to 20% to ensure there is a good international mix and that English is the main language spoken. The most popular nationalities that attend are campers from the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands and Germany.

A maximum of 80 young people attend The Teen Leadership Challenge

Yes! We offer an airport pickup and drop-off service to and from Edinburgh Airport. Flights should arrive between 10am and 5pm and depart between 11am and 4pm. The cost of an airport pickup is £65 and the cost of an airport drop-off is £65.

Flights outside of these times may incur an additional charge.

Of course - young people on The Teen Leadership Challenge will be fully supervised, looked after & supported by our caring & experienced staff. Our staff will be around the young people, running activities and guiding them throughout their stay. 

There will be two 'siesta periods' in the afternoon (that are around one hour each) where young people will be given the independence to go grab a coffee at the on-site cafe, have a game of footy, grab a snack from the on-site shop or hang out with friends. As it is a campus university, everything is in close walking distance and young people can only go to pre-arranged places. We will always make sure young people are safe, looked after and supported and for the vast majority of their time, they will be around our staff. 

We run two-week sessions:

Session 1: Sunday July 6 - Friday July 18, 2025

Session 2: Sunday July 20 - Friday August 1, 2025

Teams are one of the key reasons why The Teen Leadership Challenge is special. Young People are split into teams of 10 young people who are roughly the same age and a mix of nationalities. They take part in the Team Challenge in the afternoon together as well as some of the evening Event Challenges.  

The teams are essentially where the strongest friendships are made. Each team is led by one of two counsellors who facilitate the group to ensure friendships are created, they are well supported and have a great experience. Being in a team gives every young person a group they are always part of - we feel every young person should never feel lonely or isolated and a team gives them a group they can always identify with. 

Yes - young people can request to be in a team or flat with a friend. Please note, that because the flats are single-sexed, young people can only request flats with young people the same gender as themselves. 

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that there will be no other young people from your young person's nationality in their team / flat.

After you register, there are a few more things to do before your young person packs their bags for The Teen Leadership Challenge!

You will be given access to an online account. This has all your pre-summer paperwork and you will need to fill in/do the following:

• Elective Activity Form - choose your young person's activities
• Transport Form - fill in the arrival and departure details
• Young Person Information Form - fill in background information on your young person
• Read Parent Guide
• Get travel insurance (for international young people) - recommended

On The Teen Leadership Challenge, young people will have access to their phones during the day. A few things to note:

• Phones are not allowed to be used during activities 
• There will be a 3-strike rule on phone use during activities - staff members will give young people 3 warnings of phone use during activities and above this, phones will be confiscated for a day 
• Phones are to be handed in at night for safety and the well-being of all young people 

There are no extra programme costs. However, we do recommend sending your young person with a bank card for the following spending costs:

• Cafe spending money - if young people want to grab a coffee or snack during the siesta period, they may will have the opportunity to do so
• Small supermarket spending - we will give each flat a budget for snacks but young people may wish to buy some extra snacks/food
• Laundry - we will show young people how to use the communal washing machines and driers
• Trip spending money - young people may want to buy a souvenir or lunch on the trip (we send the young people with a packed lunch)

The Teen Leadership Challenge is an English immersion programme. Young people can choose English as one of their elective activity challenges. English is the main language spoken on the programme and young people will be able to practice their English skills in activities and in social situations.