“Let's go! We are going to be late!” shouted Glen gleefully as he tightened his schoolbag on his back. Three other faces broke into a smile upon hearing his words. They could not wait to soak their feet in the water and perhaps catch a small fish or two, just for kicks. They were clearly not heading towards where they should be — school. The cold imposing white building became smaller and smaller. Their little hearts grew braver by the minute. They knew exactly where to go. The canal was huge but that morning, there was only a small lazy stream of dirty water in it. With great gusto, Glen, the leader of the pack, hoisted himself over the railings and climbed down the huge monsoon drain. In the process, he got himself very dirty, but the excitement of truancy was too great to be bothered by some loose buttons and tears in his shirt. In a fraction of seconds, the other boys joined him. Soon, screams and laughter of delight reverberated into the air but no one else could hear them for they had chosen a canal that was far from anyone. Glen spied many tiny fish darting to and fro in the murky water. They had no economical value and were practically worthless but nevertheless, the thrill of catching them bare-handed was priceless. Glen raced after an extra fat one. He plunged his hands to grab it only to have it slip between the cracks of his fingers.

Reach Out! is an organization that runs week-long summer camps, designed to give young people the skills to be the leaders of the future. The camps help to create confident young people who wish to improve not only themselves, but the world around them. Varying in age from 12 to 17, young people come to attend the camps in Canada and the USA from across the world. They spend their time learning leadership skills, considering and discussing important issues such as pollution and health, and helping in the local community. They also meet many other people who have the same interests and beliefs and frequently make friendships that will last a lifetime. There is no average day at the camp and changes are made to the timetable, which is handed out daily, to allow room for exciting events as they come up. However, camp members generally get up at 7:00 a.m. and, once they've eaten breakfast, start their day with outdoor games to get them warmed up for the busy day ahead. There are workshops in the morning on skills such as public speaking, and then there's an hour for lunch at noon. For one hour in the afternoon, camp members have the opportunity to select from various activities that include dancing, yoga, basketball and song writing. During the time at camp, there is a day known as Action Day. This is when small groups go out with an adult group leader to work with organisations in the neighbourhood.... Reach Out! This can involve organisations dealing with housing, journalism, healthcare or the environment, to name just a few. Evenings are spent watching documentary films or listening to guest speakers. The aim is to encourage the young people to go out and make the world a better place.