Shout Out to Erie T.R.A.C.life

Last year at this time, Bob Heath and Bailey Giesbrecht from Erie, Pennsylvania, (along with camp director Jon Frano) attended T.R.A.C.Iife National Leadership Training. A month ago, Erie T.R.A.C.life kicked off their first ever mentoring year with a fun time of bowling. Look at those mentors and mentees sporting those T.R.A.C.Iife  shirts!

With the early deadline fast approaching on February 15, let’s address some common questions. Remember all existing programs must send a team to training by 2025 or launch/partner with a comparable mentoring program. New programs must send a team to T.R.A.C.Iife training 3-5 years after launching camp.

Common Questions:

Q: How many hours can I expect to spend as a T.R.A.C.Iife director/co-director?
A: Roughly 10 hrs/wk following camp for 2 months; 1 hr/wk for the other 10 months.

Q: How many mentor/mentee pairs should I expect to serve the first year?
A: Best practice: no more than 5 pairs. Getting all the kinks worked out the first year is important.

Q: Are T.R.A.C.Iife and T.R.A.C. two different ministries?
A: No, mentoring is an extension of the T.R.A.C. ministry. The two work together with directors communicating regularly. In fact, one of the camp directors must attend T.R.A.C.Iife NLT, so everyone is on the same page.

Q: What is the biggest challenge most T.R.A.C.Iife face?
A: The insurance piece can be a little more challenging, but national coverage helps ensure the gaps are filled.

Q: What is a good estimate for the yearly T.R.A.C.Iife budget?
A: Not including the initial national training, the budget for 5 pairs is roughly $1,650-$2,250 for the year, a fraction of the cost to run camp.

Q: Is T.R.A.C.Iife mandatory?
A: Yes, Teen Reach has a big heavenly audacious goal to have every camp covered by one mentoring program. Call Angela to discuss other options besides T.R.A.C.life.

Q: How many leaders should I send to training?
A: A team of 2-3 individuals, plus one of the camp directors. (NOTE: If a couple trains, one additional leader is required.)

Q: When and where is training this year?
A: Omaha, Nebraska, March 22-24, 2023 (Report by 5 p.m. on 3/22.)

More questions? Email or call Angela or (402) 290-2810.