Leadership & Development Camp

• 7-day intensive leadership programme in Ifrane, Middle Atlas (1,650 m)
• Ages 14 to 18 -- designed specifically for older teenagers
• Communication workshops, public speaking, and debate exercises
• Wilderness navigation and overnight expedition in the Atlas Mountains
• Conflict resolution simulations and team strategy challenges
• Community service project benefiting a local school or village
• Mentoring sessions with visiting business professionals
• Project management fundamentals with a real deliverable
• Maximum 1:8 mentor-to-participant ratio
• Price from 4,200 MAD per participant, all-inclusive

Ifrane provides the perfect environment for a leadership camp: remote enough to feel like a genuine wilderness experience, yet close enough to civilisation for safety and logistics. The Middle Atlas cedar forests surrounding the town create a cathedral-like setting that naturally inspires reflection, focus, and personal challenge. At 1,650 metres altitude, the air is crisp and the temperatures remain comfortable even in July and August.

The camp uses a dedicated lodge complex on the outskirts of Ifrane, surrounded by forested trails that serve as the terrain for navigation exercises, overnight bivouacs, and endurance hikes. The nearby Ifrane National Park offers protected wilderness zones where participants encounter Barbary macaques, Atlas cedars, and diverse birdlife -- providing context for environmental leadership discussions.

The town of Ifrane itself is orderly, safe, and home to Al Akhawayn University, whose campus occasionally hosts workshop sessions for our leadership campers, adding an aspirational academic dimension to the experience.

Leadership camp participants are housed in mountain lodges with shared rooms accommodating four to six people. Rooms are intentionally simple to foster a sense of communal living and shared responsibility -- participants take turns maintaining common areas, a deliberate element of the leadership curriculum. Each room has bunk beds, individual storage, and reading lights.

One night during the programme is spent in an overnight bivouac in the forest, sleeping in tents pitched by the participants themselves as part of the wilderness expedition module. This experience builds self-reliance and teamwork under conditions that are carefully supervised but genuinely challenging.

The lodge complex includes a workshop room equipped with a projector, whiteboard, and seating for up to 30 participants, used for morning briefings, presentation practice, and mentor-led sessions. Outdoor gathering spaces with log seating provide an informal setting for reflection circles and group discussions.

The seven-day programme is structured around four pillars: Communication, Strategy, Resilience, and Service. Days one and two focus on communication: participants practice public speaking in front of progressively larger audiences, learn active listening techniques, and engage in structured debates on current affairs. Each participant delivers a three-minute personal speech by the end of day two.

Days three and four shift to strategy and resilience. Teams are given complex logistical challenges -- such as planning a supply route through mountainous terrain with limited resources -- that require critical thinking, delegation, and time management. The overnight wilderness expedition takes place on the evening of day three, with teams navigating to checkpoints using map and compass before setting up camp in the forest.

Day five introduces the community service project. Working in small groups, participants identify a need in a nearby village -- such as painting a school classroom, organising a children's sports day, or setting up a small library -- and spend the day executing the project from planning to completion. This module teaches project management fundamentals in a real-world context with genuine social impact.

Days six and seven are dedicated to mentoring and reflection. Visiting business professionals from European companies share their career journeys, answer questions, and provide one-on-one coaching. The camp concludes with a formal closing ceremony where each participant presents their personal leadership statement and receives a certificate of completion.

Meals are served in the lodge dining pavilion and are designed to sustain the high energy demands of the leadership programme. Breakfasts include eggs, fresh bread, Moroccan pancakes, cheese, fruit, and hot beverages. Lunches feature traditional tagines, grilled meats, salads, and rice or couscous. Dinners offer hearty soups, roasted chicken or lamb, pasta, vegetables, and dessert. Afternoon snacks of dried fruits, nuts, and pastries are provided between sessions.

During the overnight expedition, participants cook a simple meal over a camp stove using pre-portioned ingredients -- another leadership exercise in planning, cooperation, and resourcefulness. All food is halal. Vegetarian and allergen-free options are available with advance notice. The kitchen team follows strict hygiene standards and holds food-safety certification.

The leadership camp team is specially selected for their ability to work with older teenagers. Lead facilitators hold advanced qualifications in youth education, coaching, or psychology. Wilderness expedition leaders carry mountain-guide certifications and extensive experience in Atlas trekking. Visiting mentors are vetted professionals from European companies who have been briefed on Nawrass safeguarding policies. The participant-to-staff ratio is maintained at 1:8 for all activities.

A camp psychologist is available throughout the week for confidential one-on-one conversations, ensuring that the emotionally demanding aspects of the programme -- such as public speaking, peer feedback, and the overnight expedition -- are processed healthily. Medical support is provided by an on-site first-aider, with the Ifrane provincial hospital ten minutes away. All staff hold current first-aid and safeguarding certifications.

Ifrane is approximately 70 kilometres from Fez-Saiss International Airport, a journey of about one hour by road. Nawrass provides group transfers from Fez airport on the designated arrival day, included in the camp fee for groups of ten or more participants. Individual airport pickups can be arranged at an additional cost of 400 MAD per person.

From Rabat-Sale Airport, the drive is approximately three and a half hours. From Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca, allow four and a half hours. Direct flights to Fez are available from major European cities including Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels, Amsterdam, and London, particularly during the summer season when the leadership camp operates.

A comprehensive travel pack with directions, GPS coordinates, meeting-point photos, and emergency contacts is sent to all registered families and company HR coordinators two weeks before the programme begins.

The Nawrass insurance package (450 MAD per participant) covers the full duration of the camp including the overnight wilderness expedition. The policy includes civil liability, personal accident coverage with medical expenses up to 150,000 MAD, emergency repatriation, and luggage protection. It specifically covers hiking, camping, and outdoor navigation activities conducted under qualified supervision.

Families may opt to use their own travel or health insurance if it provides equivalent coverage, confirmed in writing at least ten days before the start date. A valid European Health Insurance Card or private insurance certificate must be presented upon arrival. Our administrative team assists families and company HR departments with all insurance-related questions during the registration process.

Invest in the next generation of leaders. Complete the form below to request availability and a customised proposal for your company's employees' teenagers.