Discuss Scratch

ButterPopcorn8
Scratcher
500+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶
NAIL □ luka's swc leader app
̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶

About Me

Hey, hi, hello and what's up! My name's Luka, a black teen living in the best timezone, MST/MDT (with est being the worst). I usually spend my time designing, writing, talking to friends and obsessing over my favorite media. You can usually identify me by the blue headphones that are always on my head, blasting kpop, afrobeats and songs by the amazing Pinkpantheress and Yves(the inspiration of this app!). Additionally, I'm currently in my last year of high school and starting in September, I'll be studying Immunology at university!

I enjoy consuming all sorts of media, but I'm mostly a fan of ani-manga, including video games. My favorite anime currently is Jujutsu Kaisen, my favorite manga is Gokurakugai, and for video games it's Honkai: Star Rail! I always love rambling on and on about my fandoms to people. Well, not in real life, but still! So if you ever wanna geek out over anything, feel free to give me a call.

On the side, I also run a graphic design shop! This is Scratch so unfortunately I won't share links here, but some of you may have seen some of the works I do. I specialize in banners, icons, stream overlays, business cards, logos, posters, pretty much anything! I've also been trying to get back into animating my works too. So far, my commissions have been pretty successful, and right now I'm taking a break from them as things get busier.

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶

Previous Participation

I can't lie, I don't remember how many sessions I'm at and I'm too lazy to calculate it right now, but I do know I've done a lot! I've also led/co-lead quite a few times as well, at least more than six. I've been decently active in SWC since my first session in July 2021 and haven't missed a session since <3

In SWC, I've not only had the opportunity to (co)lead with amazing people in even more amazing leadership teams, but I've also gotten the chance to help in other areas around camp, including judging, play-testing, working on the memory book, being a mercenary, being a panelist, helping with dailies and weeklies on the polar bear activity team, and other little things. Not all of these were leadership roles, but they're still experiences that helped me grow as an SWC-er and allowed me to meet so many great friends.

Outside of SWC, I've been working on warming up to leadership roles. This year especially, I had the privilege of being one of the executives of my school's black student union. Throughout the year we've been planning events, workshops, activities, and hosting fun get-togethers for the community. It's not the first time I've helped lead a club before, but it's the first time I've ever been so outspoken and dedicated to something in a real-life leadership role. I also feel like in terms of being outspoken and putting my voice out there, I've improved considerably.

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶

Cabin Preferences

The GOAT of all leader app questions Anyway, it's been a long while since I've led, so I'm pretty rusty when it comes to coming up with ideas. However, one thing I really want to do this session is combine my interests into a cabin, and this interest is the hit game Honkai Star Rail (yes, we all expected this). More specifically, I wanted to do a cabin themed around one of the planets, Amphoreus! This theme would definitely be a good fit for Mythology, but it could also fit great into Adventure and Fantasy as well. Another idea I had was a Sci-Fi or Thriller cabin themed around being stranded in a program called the Simulated Universe, in which you can only escape by facing celestial beings called Aeons. Each Aeon governs a path(basically the equivalent of a religion), and the more you progress in the Simulated Universe, the more powers you unlock from each path, the more Aeons you meet, but it also leads to more mysteries, more battles, and more dangers…

Stepping away from the HSR-themes for a bit, I also have a few other themes saved from previous applications. These include a wild-west biker gang theme for adventure or thriller, a music producing company for lyric, a distorted cottage-core “utopia”, and a mafia(the GAME, not the actual thing) themed cabin for action.

I have lots of overflowing ideas that can be fleshed out, but these ones are my preferences! Also, I wouldn't like to lead TCTWNW. In my experience it's more like a temptation for me to go completely inactive than a benefit. No shade.

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶

Time Management and Dedication

I expect to be able to dedicate a decent amount of time to SWC, at least one hour per day. The thing that would affect my activity the most would be my summer job starting late June, as I'd be working five times a week from morning to afternoon. I'll still have Saturdays and Sundays available unless I have to cover someone's shift that day, and of course I still have weekday evenings plus my breaks. I also have some time off reserved in the middle of the month.

In June, I have to study for exams, all of them taking place in the first and second week. I'm not too worried about these ones, since it's just English and French. The one I'll be really studying for in the second week would be Chemistry.

Overall, I'll definitely be writing less compared to previous sessions, in order to focus my time on cabin planning and activities. I'll probably manage to get 20k words in.

As for skills I'd use to manage my time, I'm planning to dedicate my evenings and certain times during the weekend to SWC. I don't want to neglect my exams so those will take priority, and as for my job I don't believe this will be detrimental to my time management, since I'll have to work according to my schedule anyway. Finally, I plan on closing my commissions throughout the month of July in order to clear up time and so I don't get overwhelmed. This is also why I'll be writing less this session. Sorry guys, my trackbear streak is over :sobs:

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶

Communication and Accountability

I find that my communication in group settings is good with a few flaws. For starters, I usually communicate things clearly amongst people, and make sure time to achieve tasks is allocated beforehand. Specifically in cabin planning, I usually have a timeline for when certain things need to get done. My style is more aloof and light, I don't really speak in a strict way unless something is really bothering me. After all, it's not like I'm their boss, but their teammate, so I try not to speak like one to keep the mood light. However, I do have a habit of not keeping on top of things, and leaving some conversations open instead of resolving them as soon as possible. This is something I've been working on by doing commissions, since it requires you to stay in contact with your client. If you don't, your reputation and business go down the drain. So, if chosen as (co)leader, I'll do my best to apply those skills.

I believe in the importance of being accountable for one's actions as well. Everyone is responsible for their own load, not only for their sake but for the sake of others. When I think of accountability, I think of it as respecting others. It shows that you understand that failing to meet up to what you set yourself to do will heavily affect your teammates, which is disrespectful to them. Of course, it's different when the situation is out of your control, but you should still be able to take accountability even in those types of situations, even if you don't immediately have a solution. These are values that are essential when it comes to teamwork, in order to get things done efficiently and smoothly. To uphold this, I always encourage myself and the people I work with to only pick up what they can handle. That was, they know that they can actually achieve what they've offered to do.

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶

Scenarios

I'll be answering Scenario D here!

This is something that I've experienced many times as a cabin leader. Obviously, you can't control your cabin's activity, and you can't predict it either— even with your set cabin atmosphere. Therefore, there should always be flexibility. If the cabin seems to be shying away from the storyline, I would try to add in incentives and encouragement, or simply highlight it a bit more. I would also see if the storyline is too complicated/difficult for some campers and adjust accordingly. Perhaps some instructions are unclear and need rephrasing, or some steps need to be simplified, or maybe we need to add some hints to speed things up. If anything, the storyline in question shouldn't feel like a chore to do. If necessary, some parts of the storyline could be cut entirely (non-essential ones). Finally, I wouldn't get all wound up and upset over the lack of engagement. Life always takes priority over SWC and that's okay, and that's not my or my (co)leaders fault either. Instead of losing hope completely and abandoning the storyline, we should work to adapt and adjust, so everyone can still have fun at their own pace.

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶

SWC Impact

Dude, I can't believe there's a word cap for answers. I feel like I could write a whole essay themed around this question alone.

SWC for me is probably the most life-changing experience I would've never expected. I never thought that when I clicked on those campers sign-ups five years ago, that I would find myself growing in ways I never knew possible. As a kid that grew up without a stable sense of belonging, this humble writing camp was the first time I had ever known what it was like to be a part of a community. I can't even begin to explain it. I've met so many wonderful people, laughed, smiled, and had so much fun in SWC. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I get a little sentimental thinking about it, because this is my last summer as a kid doing SWC. I'll be turning eighteen in September, and also stepping into university and a whole new world. This is why I wanted to do a leader application at least one more time, just in case I don't have any time afterwards. I like to think of this as a culmination of all my SWC years.

I sincerely believe with all my heart that everyone should have the opportunity to feel the community spirit that SWC exemplifies. I mean, if I hadn't discovered it all those years ago, whose to say I wouldn't be a completely different person than I am now? That's why I want others to experience this feeling as well, and I want to be part of that experience. If I can make just one person feel welcome, that's enough for me. If I can make a hundred people feel like they belong, then that's more than enough!

I've been working so hard these past sessions to be as welcoming and friendly as possible, and with every cabin I have the privilege to lead, I always hope that it makes an impact in at least one camper. That's why I love (co)leading so much, because people seriously underestimate just how influential a great cabin experience can be. I reminisce on lots of my camping experiences fondly, and I hope to be that source of reminisce for others as well.

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶

Atmosphere

“Easy-going yet exciting, a cabin where you can feel right at home whilst enjoying the company of others through events, competition, and special memories.” (153 characters)

If I get the chance to (co)lead this session, I would really like the cabin to be geared towards the spirit of bonding! This would not only help new and veteran campers to get to know others they may have never talked to, but also help create a memorable experience with fun and positive moments. By planning things such as icebreakers and storyline events that encourage teamwork, I could foster this atmosphere into something spectacular.

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶

Checkboxes

I will be able to add points in the main cabin

I'm willing to share an SWC promotion project

I'm willing to list the campers sign-ups link on my profile

I can complete everything listed in the FAQ!

̶̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶       ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶
CatMeowLove7
Scratcher
500+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

app title herecat’s swc july ‘26 leader application

project link here
2016 words

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

applicant’s note

Hello and welcome to my leader app for July 2026! This is my sixth and possibly last time applying for a while (woah) <3 This community truly means the world to me, and I’d like to thank everyone who’s helped me along my SWC journey! I’ll miss (co)leading <33

My theme is based on my cabin idea for this session (which you will learn more about soon). I had lots of fun making this, and I hope you enjoy my application!

- Cat

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

about me

Hey yall <3 I’m Cat, your local music-obsessed teen (also known as Ari). My pronouns are she/her, and I reside in the lovely timezone of CST.

Ever since I was little, music has been a huge part of my life. I’ve been playing viola for nearly 9 years, and I’ve participated in countless orchestras, chamber music programs, and summer camps. I’m currently enrolled in a renowned youth orchestra and a share-a-stand program with a professional orchestra, which have both taught me invaluable lessons that I will talk about later. I also sing, I’m starting piano lessons, and I love listening to music. Music truly means the world to me, and I’m forever grateful to everyone who has helped me along the way to get where I am today <3

This may come as a shock to you all :gasp:, but I love to write! While music has always been my first language, SWC has helped me fall in love with writing in a way I could have never expected. I’ve found myself getting so much more interested in writing lately, and I’m so happy about that <3 I’m also an avid reader! I typically read romantasy and dystopian novels, but I’m currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo (thank you, Sun, for that recommendation) <3

Finally, I love connecting with people! Although I’m an introvert, I can be quite outgoing, and I genuinely love helping and talking to others—which is why I want to be a therapist when I’m older. On top of that, I’m fascinated by psychology and how our minds work. I try my best to be friendly and approachable, and this community means the world to me! I couldn’t imagine my life without it <33

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

experience

This upcoming July will be my eighth session of SWC. I’ve participated in a total of 29 sessions of scratch camps (7 of them being SWC), and out of those sessions, I have been a camper 14 times, a co-leader 6 times, and a leader 9 times. I have been a (co)host 5 times, and I have also been a member of both the SWC Memory Book Committee and the daily team three times.

Here is a rundown of my SWC history (with a link to my full camp history in my app description):

SWC Nov ‘23 - Fairy Tale Academy (camper)
SWC Jul ‘24 - Script Podcast (camper)
SWC Nov ‘24 - Dystopian Chosen Ones (co-leader with Ris and Niko)
SWC March ‘25 - Illu-fi Spiderverse - (co-leader with Mouse, Ave, and Amber)
SWC July ‘25 - Classics Cat Cafe (tctwnw) (co-leader with Alia and Alana, daily team, MBC)
SWC November ‘25 - Fantasy Persona 5 (leader with Liv and Veni, daily team, MBC)
SWC March ‘26 - Fairy Tales Bakery (co-leader with Chuey and Encryn, daily team, MBC)

In the past, I have founded one writing camp, and I am currently a (co)host of JWC, WUC, and SRC. I am also an honorary host of the (Co)Leader Application Support Community and coordinator of the Unofficial Memory Book Committee.

I’ve done a lot and learned a lot. Each of my experiences has taught me something new, from making compromises to staying organized to managing a team. These lessons have shaped my approach to collaboration. I’ve gotten much better at task delegation and ensuring everybody knows their responsibilities and feels supported, and when facing tight deadlines, I’ve learned how to break down large tasks into smaller, actionable steps. I’m incredibly grateful to have had so many opportunities to learn and grow, and I am fully confident that I could handle the responsibilities of a leader.

Outside of camps, I’m a manager of Scratch Chat, and I host the top OC RP. In real life, I have leadership experience from orchestra. I’ve been a section leader a number of times, and I’m currently the assistant concertmaster of my school’s orchestra (playing the violin part on viola).

My leadership roles outside of Scratch have taught me invaluable leadership lessons that translate to cabin management. I’ve learned a lot about working with all sorts of people who bring different perspectives to the table. My experiences in orchestra have given me the opportunity to collaborate with people around my age, as well as individuals much older than me. Bringing my experiences from orchestra into SWC allows me to work well with any camper and (co)leader.

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

cabin preferences

If I am chosen as a leader, my first choice of cabin would be Action. My idea for this genre is a Splatoon-themed cabin! Splatoon is a popular video game series centered around squid-like characters called Inklings and Octolings. In this cabin, campers would create their own characters and work together to solve the mystery of the missing Great Zapfish. They’ll have to navigate obstacles, complete high-energy missions, and go on a quest to recover the Great Zapfish and save their city.

The cabin would be designed to be inclusive to newcomers and Splatoon fans alike. I think that the vibrant and fast-paced nature of Splatoon makes it a perfect fit for Action, but if needed, I can also adapt this idea to fit either Mystery, Sci-fi, or Adventure while keeping the core themes intact.

My second choice of cabin would be a Fairy Tales enchanted forest, where fairies of all kinds live in harmony with nature and ancient magic. At the heart of their forest flows a river, home to the life-giving magic that keeps their home alive. But now its magic is fading, poisoned by the shadow fairies, and the balance of the fairy world is in grave danger. Campers take on the roles of these magical fairies, each with unique gifts. Together, they embark on quests, investigate their forest, and confront the shadow fairies to restore the river’s magic and save their enchanted home. If needed, I can also adapt this idea to fit Lyric, Fantasy, or Adventure.

If not chosen as a leader, I would be delighted to co-lead any cabin, but my preferred genres would be Magical Realism, Lyric, Steampunk, Action, Paranormal, Thriller, and Mystery. I would prefer to avoid the cabins Hi-fi, Non-fi, and Horror, as I’m inexperienced with those genres and don’t particularly enjoy them. While I have my preferred genres, I’m happy to co-lead any cabin and am open to exploring genres outside my list!

I would prefer not to (co)lead TCTWNW this session. July tends to be one of my most active sessions, and I would love to have a more competitive atmosphere.

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

time management & dedication

a:
Between the months of May and July, I should be able to consistently dedicate at least 1.5 hours a day to SWC, and more if cabin planning requires it.

My summer schedule includes a few camps, online classes, and possibly a part-time job, but my hours are limited, and none of this should heavily interfere with my commitment. Both of my orchestras wrap up in late May, so those will barely affect cabin planning. I also have a few hours of daily viola practice and weekly lessons, but I’ve successfully led a cabin with a similar workload before. Balancing my camp responsibilities with my rigorous music schedule and classes in the past has taught me how to prioritize my time without burning out. I’ll be checking in consistently and will promptly notify my team and the hosts if any unexpected conflicts arise.

b:
During this period, I will manage my time by staying organized and proactive. Organization is one of my biggest skills in time management. I create detailed to-do lists, schedules, and plans for my team to ensure we stay on the same page. I’m also proactive—instead of reacting to tasks as they arrive, I look ahead and anticipate what’s next. This approach keeps my team on track and gives us plenty of room to breathe with extra planning time, allowing us to get a jump on things before they become urgent.

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

communication & accountability

I would describe my communication style as engaged and transparent, with a heavy emphasis on active listening. I make an effort to explain things as clearly as possible, and I’m not afraid to ask clarifying questions to prevent misunderstandings. I try my best to ensure everyone feels their input matters by being a good listener and giving people my full attention. I also try to build personal relationships with my fellow (co)leaders and have fun by bringing lots of energy to the team and talking to my (co)leaders outside of cabin planning :D

I keep myself accountable by creating deadlines for myself and sharing them with others (my leadership team) so they can check in on me. For others, I ask when they would expect to finish a task, then check in a few times to see how they’re progressing and offer help if needed. For instance, if a co-leader is falling behind on something, instead of just demanding the work, I approach them to see if they need to delegate some of it to another co-leader and me. This supportive approach to accountability prevents burnout, keeps our cabin planning on schedule, and reflects my transparent, supportive communication style.

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

scenarios

scenario a.
If the other members of my leadership team and I had different ideas of the cabin atmosphere, I would reach out and suggest we all talk through our visions for the cabin atmosphere. I would ask each person to share their preferences and ideal time commitment regarding storyline focus, competition, and community involvement. After listening to everyone's input, we would combine those ideas and reason out a specific plan that works for everybody. By defining these factors together, we can make sure the cabin’s atmosphere is something the whole team feels comfortable being a part of.

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

swc impact

Since my very first session, I’ve felt an incredible sense of belonging that is hard to find anywhere else. I’ve had unforgettable experiences and made lifelong friends.

I can undoubtedly say that SWC has made me a much better person. It’s made me more assertive, empathetic, and, of course, a better writer xD But more than that, it has taught me the value of community. I realize I’ve reached a point where I feel truly ingrained in this community—I’m so grateful to be in a community where people recognize me as a friend and a familiar face. Being a part of this positive, fun, and supportive environment is something I never take for granted, and honestly, I would give anything for a camper to walk away feeling the same sense of warmth and belonging that I feel every single day here.

SWC has truly changed my life, and in all my sessions (co)leading, my goal has been to ensure every camper feels just as welcome and seen as I did when I first joined.

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

cabin atmosphere

a:
cabin idea atmosphere:
“Create your Inkling, navigate obstacles, and recover the Great Zapfish in this competitive, high-energy, Splatoon-themed cabin with a thrilling storyline and bonds that’ll last a lifetime!” (188 characters)

overall cabin atmosphere:
“A competitive, community-centered cabin with an engaging storyline, friendly competition, and bonds that’ll last a lifetime <3” (126 characters)

b:
I would foster a competitive, community-centered atmosphere by being energetic and supportive in our cabin studio, making storyline events encouraging teamwork, and offering incentives for completing activities and reaching goals.

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

checkboxes

a.
✓ I will be available consistently throughout camp to help add points.
✓ I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC.
✓ I’m willing to put the camper signups link in my “About Me” or “What I’m Working On” on my Scratch Profile.

b.
I can complete all the leadership responsibilities listed in the FAQ.

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

bonus theme

Hmm, perhaps I would be in the White Rabbit’s house :0

⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅ ᝰ ⋅⋆ ───────── ⋆⋅

credits

- me for the answers
- liv and chocolate for feedback and critiques on my answers <3
- past and present participants of swc making it what it is today
- alana, rockie, ave, ris, and kiara for hosting this session
- full swc credits found here

Last edited by CatMeowLove7 (May 16, 2026 15:34:03)

FireBlood23
Scratcher
1000+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

Critique for Cat's App <33

Feel free to pick and choose what you’d like to take versus ignore, and I’m more than happy to answer any questions if you have some. This was so hard to critique, your apps are always so amazing <33

About me -
My only suggestion here would be perhaps adding another short paragraph? It feels quite short and quick, so adding another paragraph about another hobby could help to give it a little more substance.

Experience -
A little more elaboration on what your off-of-scratch leadership experience has taught you could help to strengthen it just a little bit more, aside from that, this section looks great!!

Cabin Preferences -
(I love your cabin ideas what :00)

A couple of things here!! -It might be worth mentioning alternative cabins for your Fairy Tales idea, to help out the hosties a little bit. And elaborating on why you don’t want to be a part of tctwnw could help give whomever your team might have a better idea of how competitive you want to be. <33

Time Management + Dedication -
The wrong ‘affect/effect’ here (i think) <3
Other than that, this section looks perfect!

Communication + Accountability
A little more on the accountability section would be good, just a little bit more elaboration on how you do that, as well as how it affects the team and maybe link it back to your communication style?

Scenarios -
This is great!!

SWC impact -
Beautiful answer cat <33

I have nothing more to say!! As I said above, this was a very hard app to critique. My general advice would be to add a bit more substance to it, otherwise you’ve done a great job!! Good luck! (although I doubt you’ll need it <33)
fari2
Scratcher
63 posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

MEMcho's room! @fari2's SWC July 2026 (co-)leader app!
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1318103073/
(2760 words)

About me:

Hello everyone! My name is Fari, my pronouns are she/her, and my timezone is BST (UTC+1). It’s really lovely to meet you all today!

A bit about my background: I’m an 18-year-old (19 by July) Muslim Brit who has decided to come back to scratch after a long period of inactivity to join SWC; you could technically consider this as my comeback! This is my first time applying for (co-)leader, however, I have been a camper in 4 sessions in the past, namely: November 2021, July 2022, July 2023, and July 2024 (TCTWNW). Furthermore, I’ve known of SWC since 2019, considering that’s the year my friend Harmony did it, and I found it from her… Haha, I’ve been here for a long time.

Regarding who I am, I’m an aspiring doctor, who is currently doing a gap year. Throughout my gap year, I’ve mainly been spending my time studying (as my main reason for taking a gap year was to improve my grade in one subject), but occasionally- I write and draw. Other hobbies I have include playing piano, playing OMORI-… Hey, OMORI might not be conventional, but it’s a very good game!… and watching Oshi no Ko, as you could probably guess from the ‘MEMcho’s room’ theme . I have read Oshi no Ko as well. Plus, I like reading autobiographies of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and any Islamic trivia; my particular interest at the time I’m writing this is about how Islam handles judgement, but if you were to talk to me about Islam, I’d be willing to listen to everything really!

I also have a part-time job as a Chemistry and Biology tutor, so I’m quite fluent in both subjects. Chemistry, in particular, is the subject I wish to improve my grade in. I got a B last year, and I need an A or A*. If God wills, I’ll do well this year!

Anyway, thank you for having me!!

Previous participation:

I have participated in SWC before! Like I said in my profile, this is my 5th session of SWC, and I have participated 4 times previously: in Contemporary during November 2021, in Script during July 2022 & 2023, and in Thriller (TCTWNW) during July 2024. For all my previous sessions, I was a camper, so I never have (co-)led before.

However, I do have experience in leadership roles. On scratch not as many, as, for example, my biggest leadership role was running a 106-person studio 5 years ago. Then again, I do know the ins and outs of studios, considering I have managed a couple studios in the past that I made for my friend group, as well as managing studios that I use to store my projects. I have managed a forum too, although that forum served as a learning curve for me of the dos and don’ts of using forums, lol. If I have to share the link with a leader or host, I’ll share it. For now, it’s confidential information :’D.

Outside of scratch, I have taken the role as a ‘form prefect’ in the past, where I had to work alongside a peer of mine and deliver educational sessions and bonding activities to a 2 30-pupil classes of year 7s (6th grade), aiding them with transition into secondary school (school for 11-16 year olds in the UK). As a result of this, the pupils were able to become more confident in conversing with one another, helping them make friends, and making sure they’re equipped for any problems that might face them at school, which taught me the importance of empathetic, adaptable communication depending on each pupil’s needs, as well as the importance of proper planning and scheduling while having a leadership role; I had to prepare slides for each session, co-ordinate when it was best to deliver a session with teachers, and hold resources for my pupils at times, so I had to stay organised. Overall, I was able to understand that leadership requires apt communication, teamwork, and organisational skills.

Other than that, I have led a leg during my expedition for a qualification called DofE, where I was essentially in charge of navigating a group of 6 peers for a subsection of a stretch from point A to point B. During this, we had an incident where a team member had disagreed with my judgement on which direction to go, and we were at ends. By taking a step back and analysing the situation, and empathetically addressing my peer without criticising their judgement- acknowledging that I understand their perspective- before offering a solution (which was a compromise between what they wanted and what I wanted, as we took a different route), we were able to resolve the matter, while my peer could retain trust in me. I know now that as a leader of a team, it is important to be flexible and adaptable with your schedule depending on your team members’ ideas, rather than rigidly holding to a post- although it is still important to value your initial decisions, too.

Alright, let’s talk about writing: I have over 200k published online on a fanfic site, and typically, I write fanfic for OMORI and Oshi no Ko… bet you didn’t see that one coming… while sporadically writing about my OCs as well. On top of this, I won the judge’s cut in the SWC writing competition in November 2021, and have written a research project (EPQ) on the behavioural impact Genetics have on Dementia in the past, which was around 20k in total.

…Anyway, I write a lot, and I love to write for fun. Writing has taught me clearer communication and a diverse vocabulary, and I can see myself writing as a hobby for the upcoming future, if God wills.

Cabin preferences:

I’m okay with (co-)leading most cabins! However, I doubt I’d be able to sell any genres relating too deeply into fantasy elements or the supernatural very well, as this is not my particular interest.

Therefore:

I don’t want: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Folklore, Mythology, Paranormal, Gothic, Bangsian, or Magreal.

Furthermore, I am okay with, but wouldn’t prefer: Fan-Fi, Horror, Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Utopian, Apocalyptic, Solarpunk, Steampunk, or Bi-Fi.

I am most happy with any cabins left, without any preference

Also, I’m perfectly happy (co-)leading TCTWNW! I have participated as a camper in TCTWNW in the past, so I’m aware of the expectations that it places on campers, and I believe I would be equipped to convey that to any campers in TCTWNW as well. After all, in TCTWNW, you have a word goal, and can participate in everything in SWC, including cabin wars and word wars, but you won’t get any points for what you do, right?

Time Management & Dedication:

A)

…During July, I can see myself being online for an hour daily, but I can also see myself logging into scratch 30 times daily… I’ve done it before, and I can do it again :’). That’s just how I am when I’m dedicated to something on scratch. I’m not pushing myself, don’t worry xD

Although;
1) I will be completely inactive from June 1st to June 15th. In other words, I will only be able to do SWC related tasks from June 16th onwards.
2) It’s still undecided, but my family might fly in July. If this happens, I can probably still hold up being online for an hour a day, but I might log in 15~ times.
3) Lastly, depending on how many tutoring enquiries I get, my schedule could change. On an overarching scale, I tutor from 4pm to 8pm BST on weekdays, and 10am to 4pm BST on weekends. If I’m busy with tutoring, then I can’t use this time for SWC.

B)

An example of where I have to use effective time management and organisation is when I do private tutoring. On the daily, I’m negotiating with students and students’ parents on arranging sessions, and preparing homework, to list a few examples. This experience further solidified my prior ability to schedule myself while having a leadership role (i.e, my role as a ‘Form Prefect’).

I typically organise myself by using Google Calendar, visual reminders (for example, post-it reminders about deadlines), and occasionally a technique I used during my research project called a Gantt Chart, which I can use to visualise my forecasted progress on a project, and my actual progress on a project, so I can determine what my ability is and make changes to my plan based on my real capabilities.

Communication & Accountability:

In a group setting, I understand that communication is vital. I have previously developed this when I was undergoing my DofE expedition. Even at times where I wasn’t the leader, I was always responsible for regulating regular breaks for my team. Therefore, by paying attention to my teammates moods (for example, if they were irritated, energetic, tired, etc), and listening carefully to their tone of voice (snippy, relaxed, etc), I was able to decipher when the best time to take breaks was, and was able to adapt my communication style depending on their mood, by remaining respectful and empathetic in all cases, without judging their behaviour, and encouraging them to take short breaks. Furthermore, I had taken geography in the past, so I was one of the more competent members with map reading, and hence- by gently pointing out what different markings meant, this allowed my teammates to build trust in me, and allowed them later to ask me different questions, like what different signs meant!

Overall, I now understand that as a communicator in a team, the vital skills one needs is to be an active listener, who takes into consideration all perspectives of the team- and is someone who is willing to be gentle in tone, as to not dissuade one’s peer from asking for help.

Now for the latter question:

I hold myself accountable when working in a team by ensuring firstly that I understand my role, by finding out the reasons why I was assigned to a role, whether that be through asking for feedback or reading the available summary of the role thoroughly.

Once I know what I’m responsible for, to keep on top of my role, I would use- as aforementioned- reminders on Google Calendar, or visual reminders such as post-it notes, to know my deadlines, and keep promises that I’ve made. For others on the other hand, I continually encourage others to ask if they’re struggling on anything, and offer help and advice if they request it, non-judgementally, and empathetically. On scratch, this could be me messaging my team members on a forum, or on their profiles, a few days before each deadline, asking for updates on how much they have done, and reminding them that they can ask me if they need anything, as I’m willing to help.

If a team member’s work is falling short, what would matter to me the most is understanding why the team member is affected, before working on a solution. An example of where I had to tackle this was when I was working on a presentation in an 8-person team for our head girl application, where we were pitching a fake app to a few of my teachers. In this, some of our team members were also in a band, so they were unable to commit to as much as the others. First, I asked them gently what was up, which is why I know they were troubled by their band requirement, and then offered to do extra slides if needed, as I had more availability than them at the time. Hence, I ended up doing 3 subsections rather than the 2 we discussed initially, and also ended up sending the email of our PowerPoint to the teachers.

Hence, what I learned is that the best way of action to allow the project to be completed in the end is staying flexible and adaptive when giving out support, while ensuring that my team members aren’t pushed beyond their capabilities.

Scenarios:
I chose Scenario A: You and the other members of the leadership team have different ideas of the cabin atmosphere. How would you address this?

In the position of a leader, I believe encouraging open communication and mutual respect is vital for any decision making. Therefore, when differences arise in a cabin, the first thing I would consider is why the difference in ideas has come about. Hence, to come to a decision, I would be asking my team members to calmly explain the benefits and drawbacks of their ideas, so we can evaluate them collectively and fairly.

When all the perspectives of everyone have been fully considered, I would ask my team members to vote, now that they know the pros and cons comprehensively, on their favourite theme from the pool of ideas, to ensure that the final choice reflects the team’s shared interests. Then, we can move forward with the winning idea.

If, for example, a team member is holding onto a religious reason, which is why they refuse to change their view: I would acknowledge this and not force any decision on the team that a member is unable to commit to.

Lastly, if a team member has a critical view and is unable to change their stance- I would still promote a compromise. For example, if one member wants a Harry Potter theme, and only one person, then I could advise that we compromise by having the Harry Potter theme be the decoration of our studio, while there is no requirement for our members to speak in spells to our campers. In this way, everyone would feel represented.

Ultimately, my goal would be to ensure that all my team members feel valued and listened to by everyone else. In this way, we can continue to move forward while still retaining trust in our team.

SWC Impact:

SWC has made a huge impact on me! While I was unfortunately exam-pilled in my first session, after that, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed engaging in dailies, such as in my 2022 session where I (almost) completed all of them, and weeklies, which I completed at least 3 for in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, when I was in TCTWNW, I still wrote just under 15k, and it was still very fun! Also, I’ve thickened a lot of friendships through SWC! I still got along with the leaders of my Nov 21 session for about a good year after, and was able to help (@xc-egg) with their leader app at some point! In 2024, I also strengthened my friendship with 4 other people (@Wavecolor, @inuko-, @Verasor, and @perhapslucy). I cherish that! My absolute favourite thing about SWC would have to be the main cabin, though. I love that the main cabin is active every 5 minutes… I can ask for help and help others so easily, which is my favourite thing to do without a doubt

Anyway, I intend to create a positive impact on others within SWC by being a cheerleader, regardless if I’m a camper or (co-)leader. This can be through encouraging people with praise on their work, or encouraging people to work towards deadlines; cheering for people is like second nature to me due to my job as a tutor, after all- and even before I took on that job, people who know me in real life used to tell me I had a knack for it. After all, in real life, I have a habit of telling people they did a good job while giving them headpats…

Furthermore, another way I wish to promote a positive environment is by being someone who is able to summarise things, and make things easier to understand. In this way, that would allow campers to feel more confident in knowing they’re doing the right thing. It’s something that already helps me, so I have no qualms in sharing that with others!

Cabin Atmosphere:

A)

A relaxed, welcoming cabin where campers feel comfortable reaching out. Interactive with QOTDs, icon creation, and a focus on achieving personal writing goals.

B)

As I had said, I want to create a relaxed cabin, and a supportive atmosphere where campers can ask for feedback freely from each other, where I’d encourage collaboration: potentially through an interactive cabin storyline. I’ll post QOTDs to get my campers thinking and having conversations, and would continually cheer for campers when tallying word counts. I would also like to make an icon creator, as I consider myself fluent enough in both coding and SVE to make one for the session. All in all, this could help bridge friendship bonds and keep the space lively enough for me.

Checkboxes:

A)

I will be willing to help add points in the Main Cabin consistently throughout camp.
I'm willing to share a promotional project for SWC. ✔️
I'm willing to put the camper signups link in my ‘About Me’ or ‘What I’m Working On' on my Scratch Profile. ✔️

B)

Are there any leadership responsibilities listed in the FAQ that you cannot complete? If any, please elaborate.
None.

Bonus:

This is written from the perspective of Ai Hoshino from Oshi no Ko. Anything italicised describes what is seen in the project, which doesn't add to the word count.

Ai: Oh? A question?

Ai: “If trapped in wonderland for eternity, where would you reside?”

Ai: Eh…? For me…?

(An image of Ai, Aqua, and Ruby, appears on the screen).

(The image disappears).

Ai: Or, not!

Ai: Teeheehee! It's a secret!

Last edited by fari2 (Yesterday 09:43:11)

theawesomemarbler
Scratcher
100+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

marbles' swc co-leader app july 2026

click me for project link

About Me

Hello there! The name is Marbles, but I also go by Mark. I'm a 18 year old college student who has troubles with managing his assignments. My pronouns are he/him and I live in the timezone MYT! College is still a big problem for me because there is a lot to keep up for, so I really like to wind down with a couple of hobbies, which are usually gaming and singing! I used to code and animate a lot, and even took my college courses around programming. But recently I haven't really had the time to invest in those much, even though I'd love to return to those hobbies one day :c

Games I often play are Touhou Project (yes I still play touhou lol), Limbus Company, Library of Ruina and Lobotomy Corporation. I cannot express just how much I genuinely love Project Moon's lore as a whole throughout the franchise. The gameplay aspect is really fun and the stories are just one of the most well written I have ever enjoyed. Personally, it's my favorite piece of media alongside “The Amazing Digital Circus” (it's the only indie show I watch now because I feel like the other shows aren't suited to my tastes anymore…). Library of Ruina is my favorite game of the three, I can talk hours about why I love this game but I already wrote a long steam review for it which I can't even link… (thanks Scratch) Project Moon also gave me Heathcliff, who is by far my favorite fictional character ever and I can't explain just how much I adore him! As for Touhou, I still feel a bit burned out from it time to time, but I still return to try out new and different challenges. (I wish I can add examples but the jargon could be confusing for those outside of the Touhou shmup gaming circle)

Another hobby I love is singing. I'm a worship leader in my church so naturally I enjoyed singing in my downtime. I also like to cover songs from Project Moon's OST, but recently I've been trying out to cover MILGRAM songs (yes, the theme for this app!). However, as it's in the J-Pop genre, I struggle to find a footing in their songs, but I'm slowly getting used to it! Speaking of MILGRAM, I am in love with the way every character is represented in here! I could talk about how much I love the concept of MILGRAM as a whole, the idea of letting us viewers give judgement which can affect the story is very exhilarating and I can't wait for Amane's third trial which is actually coming out this month!

Some extra things about myself is that I'm a INFP so I'm really introverted irl, but I do warm up to people in my church and can be really crazy if I feel comfortable enough! My other interests are also playing sports like swimming and badminton. In my free time I also write some short stories, though not as much as before. I mainly eat sandwiches while I'm busy with work. It tastes fire and lowkey helps me concentrate. It's only the case with sandwiches for some reason if I eat chips then I'll be fully locked out IDK HOW THIS EVEN HAPPENS LOL???

Experiences

I lost count or forgot the number of sessions I've been in ;-;

All I can say is, I've co-led twice, one in Fantasy during July 2025 and one in Sci-Fi (TCTWNW) during November 2025. I started joining SWC in July 2021, but due to some irl matters, I wasn't able to participate in SWC consecutively (i love college).

In SWC, my writing experiences didn't win me any prizes from all the writing competitions I participated… But in high school, my friends enjoyed the stories I had written, and I had once won a writing competition that year too. Even now, despite not writing as much as before, I still wrote a couple of fanfics of Project Moon and my friends too liked it! However, after being exposed to Project Moon's writing, I realized I do pale in comparison, same with my friends who commented on my stories, some of them had equally good or even better works than I have. So I am striving to improve my writing skills! But to be honest, I thought I was washed in writing, but one of my friends just said it was my standards has just become higher, which was honestly one of the factors that got me to return to SWC! (I mean Project Moon did set a really high bar for me, which is actually good because I really want to be better!)

As for leadership experiences, I'm supposed to be leading the team as I am a worship leader. Compared to what I was a year back, the people I've worked with said I had improved a lot from when I started out as an amateur worship leader! Back then, I was prepping things to the last minute and only thinking about things half-heartedly. But now, I dedicate myself to actually understanding the task that was given to me and execute it well. I still fumble here and there, but I'm working to improve as a leader so my team and I can cooperate! (But the biggest credit had to be given to God for helping me grow in this manner too!) In SWC, I also had the privilege to meet Mabel, who let me had the chance to co-lead with her exactly a year ago. I'll elaborate more in a later section, but it's basically just me acknowledging my leadership skills. I've only co-led twice, but they were still really fun experiences! Sure there are times where I got burnt out from the work and also schoolwork from irl, but it was worth the trouble and I'd love to do it all again! (That's why I'm applying after all! )

Cabin Choices

For this session, I'd like to be able to lead in Thriller, Mystery and Gothic! But I'm alright with leading any type of genres! As for TCTWNW, I'm willing to try it out once more. Previously when I led TCTWNW, it was easier to focus on my studies and I can dedicate my free time to writing and less towards cabin planning and all, which really reduced my workload. However, I also do enjoy some competition so I'm also open to lead outside of TCTWNW! I'll also have a semester break during July so that can help me focus on SWC more this time!

Time Management & Dedication

A.
With the work I have to deal from college, I'm willing to dedicate an hour or two to SWC daily, but the times will change depending on my availability. I'd also be having exams on the first two weeks of July, so my activity will be hampered, but not as much. And on the 15-17 July, I'll be away for a church camp so I will be fully inactive during this period. Thus, these are the times which I will be less active than normal. However, after that I'll be entirely free for the rest of the session. Regarding my availability in May and June, I'll be travelling to Japan at the last week of May, but will be bringing my laptop so I am still able to help out in cabin planning. As for June, I'll be studying for exams so I'd have lesser time on my hands for SWC. It's even worse on weekends as I'm serving in my church so I'm pretty much booked on those days. I'll still try to sort out time during this period regardless!

B.
I used to have a habit of giving myself timeframes on what to do, I still do them now, but instead I delegate it into a daily to-do list. If something needs to be done in 4 days, I split my workload to be able to complete this efficiently within the 4 days. However, I have a problem of procrastinating things so I may not be able to get the work done on the day itself, but I always get it done before the due date. (at the expense of my cortisol spike at the final minute ;-; )

Communication & Accountability

A.
In a group setting, I'd say I'm more of the one who gives suggestions. I'm someone who has lots of creative ideas and I'm not scared to speak out about my opinions and plans for the group. Despite not being active as much, the times when I'm active will be highly participative, so it's quite easy to get a response out of me and I'll try my best to be available throughout the planning! My problem, however, is the fact I do get less motivated if I'm with people I'm not familiar with (however this is an online space, so I'm probably gonna be not too different). I'm also pretty selfish, so I tend to want things to go my way and prefer my ideas to be accepted. However, this has been less extreme than last time, but I'd still want the team to take note of this!

B.
When it comes to accountability, I understand that I'm not alone in working on this, and my delay would cause delay for everyone else. Thus, as mentioned before, I set daily to-do lists so I understand what type of tasks are needed to be done by the day. I also arrange them in order of priority so I'll understand which is more important to get the job done. If any of the leaders working in the team isn't responsive or haven't got their job done, I'll ask them in private regarding updates and seeing if anything is wrong so I can take up their role instead. Same for myself. If I do happen to come across a problem I can't resolve on my own, I will not hesitate to contact the rest of the leadership team to help me out. As a team, everyone should be responsible for their own work and the mistakes will be shared amongst ourselves. So I hope to make the best out of our efficiency to the best of our abilities!

Scenarios

Scenario chosen: D

The last time I led, it was hard to bring up activity in my cabin (but we were TCTWNW so it was pretty chill anyway) but I didn't really put my full focus into why that was the case. Upon reflecting, I came to realize that my lack of inclusion was the problem. Since this session I'll be opening up to other cabins aside from TCTWNW, if there were to be a special event happening during the session (cabin activity updates, cabin wars and general SWC updates), I'll contact the campers on their profiles regarding what they have to catch up on. This is not applicable in the long run, but if I cooperate with the leadership team, I'm sure to find a solution that can work out for all of us! If the problem ends up to be something they don't understand, I propose an idea to add an enquiry project so campers can ask questions and state problems if they happen to be stuck on the cabin storyline, so the leaders and myself are able to be aware of this situation as well. However, if the problem turns out to be something irl, it's entirely okay as Life > SWC!

SWC Impact

In my first session, I had a lot of fun just getting to know new people and experiencing the fun activities in my own cabin and also the main cabin. It was the first time I actually interacted with an online community and I feel very safe to be chaotic in a place where there are people who are way more chaotic than I am! Besides, SWC had birthed an important hobby of mine, writing! Without it, I wouldn't have the confidence to be able to take one of my favorite subjects in high school (literature being a favorite subject might be a first but I absolutely adore writing stories!) and being the best method for me to express my feelings. It's an important aspect in my life and I'm glad SWC gave me the passion for writing. However, the most important part in my time in SWC had to be my first time being asked to co-lead a cabin. It was exactly a year ago, where I was actually feeling quite dejected since it was my, uhh I think it was 5th time applying for leader, and I still didn't received any offers. But before June hit, I saw one of the best messages I've received in all my Scratch days. Seeing Mabel offering me a position to co-lead changed my whole perspective on SWC as a whole. And because of this, I was able to grow into the SWC community more and met a lot of cool people! It was this experience that even made me want to continue leading, as it was really an eye-opening experience. I even remember one of my thank you notes from one of my co-leaders, stating I was an amazing leader. And it was that which inspired me to be an excellent leader in my church and school!

I'd like others to experience the same thing. They might even inspire a passion for writing like I did! People are usually awkward when they are first introduced into a community they are unfamiliar with, but I want to make them feel more comfortable. One way I can do is to interact with them personally, asking how's the session going for them and just getting to know them, so it's easier for them to open up. Another way is to encourage the person on what they want to do. They want to write a novel despite no prior writing experiences? Go for it! Having writer's block? Hand them some motivation mangos! (I hope it's still a thing else I'll look very dated :sob: ) Through this, hopefully I can help break the ice and help them interact with the SWC community freely! After the session, I'd also like to encourage them to apply for leader if they really enjoyed the session. I'd like the SWC community to grow and also get to know more new people during the times I was inactive!

Cabin Atmosphere

A.
A place where campers can participate in the cabin storyline, improve their writing skills, and also with the addition of some friendly competition! But above all, have fun! (28 words 173 characters)

B.
To enforce this, I plan to suggest to my potential team about cabin activities we can do every week. These activities could range from puzzles, writing challenges or interrogation-style questions. To keep campers engaged, we can propose a QoTD in the cabin, and also just updating campers regarding announcements and events going on and also catching up with them too!

Checkboxes

A.
✓ I will be available consistently throughout camp to help add points.
☐ I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC.
✓ I’m willing to put the camper signups link in my “About Me” or “What I’m Working On” on my Scratch Profile.

B.
None, I am (hopefully) able to complete all responsibilities listed!

Bonus

Hmm, this is a pretty tough question. Because I'm gonna be honest, I rather not stay in Wonderland, but the Mad Hatter's party can seem quite fun to join in! It's also how I can gather some sort of intel from the residents so I can adapt to the living conditions too.

Last edited by theawesomemarbler (Yesterday 14:03:11)

FireBlood23
Scratcher
1000+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026


Jusant - Liv's Leader App
2784 words
app link



────────────────



About Me


Hi there! I’m Liv, (she/her) a teen kiwi living in the wonderful timezone of NZST. I absolutely adore the outdoors, and if I’m not writing or reading, you can likely find me somewhere in the bush, hiking and camping.

As mentioned above, I love hiking and camping! Both are something I have spent many years doing, and it’s great to take the time to detox from screens, forget any responsibilities for a while, and spend time with the people I love. I’m lucky to live in such a beautiful country where the nearest trail is only minutes down the road, and I take advantage of that, travelling all around the islands as much as I can. I would truly not give it up for anything.

Alongside my passion for camping, I also love to read, with my absolute favourite novel being ‘The Secret History,’ with ‘I Fell In Love With Hope’ not far behind. Reading is something I’ve done from a young age, and something that has undoubtedly shaped me into the person I am today.
But reading isn’t my only indoor hobby. Among other things, I like to crosstich, cook, watch TV and play video games. All of these things definitely take up large portions of my time, as I’m quite introverted, but it doesn’t mean I don’t socialise.

If anything, I socialise too much, spending time going thrifting, watching movies, playing DnD and going on long walks with my friends. I especially love playing DnD with them, as it typically ends with us in peals of laughter and pizza toppings all over our character sheets. My friends are my entire world, and I wouldn’t trade the time I spend with them for the world.

If how I feel about DnD is any indication, I love storytelling. From things like DMing and writing itself, to being engrossed in other’s stories, like musicals, movies and books. Storytelling is something I am so honoured to have the ability to do, and is something I hope to pursue further in my life, whether as just a hobby or as a career.

And this brings me right back around to SWC. This community has shaped me into who I am today, and I am endlessly grateful to have it be a part of my life. I have made many memories here, and I hope to make many more as the sessions progress.


────────────────



Experience


This will be my ninth session of SWC. With three sessions of camping, three sessions of co-leading and two sessions of leading, I have been a part of this community for a while, and have done my best to give back just as much as it’s given me.

July ‘23 | Hi-Fi | Camper
Nov ‘23 | Dystopian | Camper
July ‘24 | Mystery | Camper
Nov ‘24 | Sci-Fi | Co-leader
March ‘25 | Thriller | Co-leader | Polar Bear Cub, Memory Book Committee
July ‘25 | Utopian | Leader | Polar Bear, Memory Book Committee
Nov ‘25 | Fantasy | Co-leader | Polar Bear Cub, Memory Book Committee
March ‘26 | Paranormal | Leader | Memory Book Crow, Panelist

In my past session of leading in SWC, I have learnt a lot about collaboration, communication and accountability. I have learnt new things from each session, from things like how SWC works behind the scenes, to my personal leadership style, to how to adjust to your place in a group.

In real life, I try to seek out opportunities that will teach me about leadership, even if not actively in a leadership position. I have organised evenings for my Ranger unit, as well as multiple day long camps. Of which I actually led one quite recently. I organised all of the food, activities, accommodation and costs for the camp, as well as the safety procedures, and I was in charge of running it for the weekend.

As well as this, I am running the Student Volunteer Army at my school, attempting to start up a Model United Nations group at my school, DMing a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with my friends, and I have been to leadership building events, such as National Young Leaders Day. These have all taught me so much, from things like planning and the importance of working hard to communication and compassion. All of which I do my best to apply to SWC.

As for writing, I have been focusing on improving my dedication to pieces and cohesive storytelling. I have been honourable mention twice in the SWC writing competition, as well as being a panelist in the past session. I have attended a writers festival, both last year and this year, and have entered a few writing competitions over the years. This past year however, I have been more focused on improvement than competition, and I am so happy to see the progress I have made.


────────────────



Cabin Preferences


I would be honoured to be a part of any cabin this session, however I have a few ideas that I’d love to bring to life, mainly revolving around Realistic Fiction or Nautical Fiction.

Realistic Fiction (or Illu-Fi) -
My first idea is one themed around the video game ‘Stardew Valley.’ Stardew Valley is a cosy game centred around a farmer living in a little place called Stardew Valley, where they spend their days farming, fishing, mining, getting to know the villagers and uncovering the slightly supernatural elements hidden throughout. The goal of the game is to become a part of the Valley, and it's completely up to you how you choose to live your life.

I would integrate this into an SWC cabin by having a very chill, laid back approach to the storyline, where campers can choose what they want to get involved in and the activities they want to partake in. Campers can choose to grow crops, raise animals, fish for the legendaries, complete the community centre, do quests set out by the villagers and take part in the festivals as they arise. I will take extra care to make sure that people who have never played before get the same level of enjoyment from it as those who have played, and keep true to the atmosphere and environment of the game.

Nautical Fiction (or Adventure) -
This is an idea that I have had for a few sessions now, -although it has changed a lot- and it would be heavily focused on the storyline, of which is themed around the exploration of the sea. Very loosely based around the games ‘Subnautica,’ and ‘Jusant,’ the campers would discover fantastical ocean creatures, find mysterious ruins and search for the logs of past ocean explorers, attempting to uncover the mystery of the planet and what really happened there.

As stated above, this cabin would be quite storyline focused, meaning that my Co’s and I would need to discuss thoroughly how to get our campers engaged, but I think that it has many aspects in it which would be incredibly interesting to plan and execute, and could have a great focus on puzzles and team building. I’m very interested in seeing how this would develop over discussions.

If I'm not chosen as leader, I’d be open to co-leading any genre! Whilst I’d prefer to lead a cabin I’ve never led before, the genre will not have a sway over my decision as much as the people and the storyline will. It’d be amazing to work alongside any of the amazing people in SWC, regardless of what position that ends up being in. <33

As for TCTWNW, it is my preferred cabin this session. I would absolutely love the opportunity to focus more on personal writing growth rather than competition, and I think that both of my cabin ideas suit the atmosphere of TCTWNW well. That being said, I will not put any less of myself into a competitive cabin if that is what I get, I’d be honoured either way. <33


────────────────



Time Management + Dedication

A -
Over the next few months, I believe that I should be able to dedicate about 1-2 hours to SWC a day.
The main commitments I will have over these months will be school, homework, my Ranger meetings and events, as well as my Netball practices and games. Additionally, my camps are typically something that takes up a lot of my time as well, however due to it being Winter, it is unlikely that I will have any camps throughout the later months. If any do arise however, I will let the appropriate people know.
It is also worth noting that I will have my holidays from 4-19 of July, so I will be available a lot more and able to commit more time. -It is my holidays though, so I will likely end up having the occasional event or plan throughout them. And again, I will let the appropriate people know if that happens.

B -
I have an arrangement of skills I will be using throughout this session. For one, I am someone who likes to take advantage of any physical reminders, so I will use an assortment of alarms, to-do lists, and sticky notes to ensure that I remain on time. I am also someone who values the ability to be flexible, so I will be utilizing it throughout the planning stages and the session to ensure that regardless of whatever event or issue comes up, it is overcome. As well as this, I am dedicated to deadlines, and won’t take any opportunity to postpone one, so if I say I’m going to have something done by a certain day, I will do everything in my power to have it done by that day. This is especially helpful when it comes to when I have commitments, as the combination of all of these skills allow me to take up multiple things at once, while still working on them to the best of my ability.


────────────────



Communication + Accountability


My communication style is rather straightforward, but not blunt. I value communication greatly, and consider it one of the most important parts of working in a group. When it comes to sharing things, I am kind and encouraging, doing what I can to lift burdens off of others shoulders without taking it all on myself. I take advantage of things like lists and schedules, as well as checking in with my team every week or so. I think that communication is best when you trust the people you are working with, and so I do my best to foster that trust by being straightforward, honest, kind and above all, listening and acknowledging what others have to say.

As for accountability, I do my best to hold myself accountable by setting and committing to deadlines, and creating to-do lists or even schedules for my days. I find that organising things into small, manageable chunks rather than long, unreachable goals keeps me from being overwhelmed by my work and helps me hold myself to a high standard. I also hold myself accountable for things like sleeping and eating, because I believe the first step in holding yourself accountable to your work is holding yourself accountable to your health.

When it comes to others, I do a similar thing to hold them accountable, encouraging self-care over taking on additional workloads, and creating team to-do lists and reminders to see how they’re doing. If there is a specific reason why they cannot complete their workload, or if they are unable to hold themselves accountable, I would discuss with them how I can help, whether that be through extra reminders, or taking some responsibility off of them. By checking in with them, I am holding them accountable, and myself accountable also.


────────────────



Scenarios


D - You notice campers aren’t participating in the cabins storyline. How do you either encourage engagement or simplify your plans to match their activity?

This is something that happened last session, and whilst we only picked up on it later in the session, we did what we could to try to encourage camper activity, hence why I have chosen this scenario to discuss. Because it’s something that's happened to me before, I’d like to show what I’ve learnt from the past session and what I’d do differently.

First of all, I’d talk to my team and see if they’ve noticed something similar, if they have, then I would reach out to the campers themselves and ask what their thoughts are. That way we can understand if there’s a particular reason they aren’t engaged, and work straight to the issue, rather than the whole storyline.

Once we had identified the issue, we'd discuss the steps we wanted to take. Different scenarios call for different responses, and so we’d need to do what we could with the information provided. Things we’d need to discuss to iron out the issue include our expected activity levels, that way we would know how much time we can dedicate, and what parts of the storyline the campers aren’t getting involved in.

We could then take the time to either sort out additional, perhaps more straightforward activities for them that advance the storyline, give them additional hints, or provide rewards for the progress in the storyline they make.

If we needed to simplify it due to camper inactivity rather than low engagement, we could cut out the complex parts and provide simpler clues or prompts, and give out information with much lower stakes than was originally planned.

As I said above, the situation would be individual and likely have different circumstances than this, but this is the general outline of the actions I would take.


────────────────



SWC Impact


SWC has had an incredible effect on me throughout the years I’ve been a part of it. I started when I was eleven, and have been a part of SWC for almost four years. SWC has taught me to take up opportunities that I’m presented with, and to do the work to get to where I want to be. Without SWC, I wouldn’t have done MUN, I wouldn’t be writing as much, and I wouldn’t have half of the memories and experiences that I have today. I am eternally grateful to this community for being the support system I needed, and for encouraging me to try new things.

Sometimes I think about what my life would be like if I never joined SWC, and it is without a doubt I would be a completely different person, which is why I’d like to share the joy SWC has brought me with others. I want to be kind, supportive, and encouraging to everyone in SWC, in hopes that I can make as much of an impression on them as SWC has made on me.

I will be creating a positive impact in SWC by trying to connect with new and old campers, trying to make them feel seen and heard. I’ll be checking in and asking for feedback to see what they want out of this session, and how I can make that possible. As well as this, I will respond to all of the fun little comments, and be sure to be approachable and down to earth, which I think is perhaps one of the most important traits a leader can possess. Above all, I will be firm in my zero tolerance for harassment or bullying, emphasizing the necessity of a positive environment.


────────────────



Cabin Atmosphere


A - A cabin built on an in-depth, descriptive storyline, while remaining focused on building strong relationships with writing and the community -as well as encouraging growth and personal development.
(198 characters)

B - I will create and maintain this atmosphere by working with my leadership team and campers to understand how much they’d like to dedicate to the cabin storyline, and how much to writing, building a healthy balance between the two. Additional activities like QOTD and weekly discussions are also something I hope to utilize to encourage interaction between campers and leaders, creating the community centered atmosphere I am aiming for. Alongside this, I will make sure to check in with both my team and my campers as often as I can to see how they’re doing and how they're progressing with their goals.


────────────────



Checkboxes


A
I will be able to add points consistently throughout camp
I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC
I’m willing to put the camper signups link in my “about me’ or ‘what I’m working on’ on my scratch profile

B -
There are none I cannot complete


────────────────



Bonus Question


I’d like to hang out with the caterpillar in the woods, he seems chill. (assuming it's from the og book <3) -If not from the book, I’m not sure, I think I’d like to wander the whole place? Exploration is always fun, and wonderland probably has some great views <3


────────────────



Seagulling
Scratcher
100+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

Seagull’s July 2026 Leader App!

(Forum version < 3)


1. About me

Hello! I am Seagull. I am fine with any pronouns and I reside in the timezone of BST.

I always find it hard to begin writing about myself. Here’s some things I think are closest to my heart and important to know about me as a person…

Firstly, I LOVE animals, and I always have done. I keep fish, as I have based my app theme around! I have the exact community tank I show in this project, with each type of fish living in there, but I also have a tank with a Betta, and a tank soon to have an axolotl. As well as aquatic critters I keep pet mice, and a pet cat!

I’m obviously a writer, but I also dabble in really any other craft you can think of. I love playing guitar, creating music, art, sculptures, clothes, toys, miniatures, doing photography, editing, and genuinely any other sort of creative endeavor the mind can dream up.

I *adore* science, and I am especially interested in - obviously biology/zoology, but also - astronomy and space science :}

I am mentally and chronically ill and disabled, and I always feel a little icky saying that because I don’t want it to seem like a part of my identity - but whether I like it or not, it actually is lol and i want to try and form a more positive attitude on that and maybe spread some education!

I am secretly a badger dozing in my underground cozy moss bed.



2. Previous participation

Well. I first ever camped in 2020! I genuinely don’t know how many I did between starting swc and coming back upon starting this account last year, although it wasn’t all of them like some Swc-ers :’) I have co-led twice in total. On this account I’ve been part of swc the whole time: I camped in july 25, camped in nov 25, co-led march 26, and am obviously applying for july 26 <3 In the most recent session I: was a MBC member, was a Polar bear team member, wrote the Scifi worldbuilding workshop, was a regular point adder in the main cabin, and co-led cyberpunk / the epic cyberrats :} of course, these aren’t all leadership roles - but i now have some experience and familiarity within each of these different behinds the scenes parts of swc.

Writing experience! I’m no professional and I still have so so far to go, but I’m recently feeling a lot more confident in my own writing - while I do hope the quality has truly improved at least a little lol, I think mostly I’m just learning to be a little kinder to myself. In SWC, my entry placed for best conflict in the Nov 26 writing comp and I have also been working on my analysis and critiquing skills when consuming others' works :} In regards to off-scratch writing experience: I have been writing since I was little and I truly don’t think that I would ever be able to stop even if I tried. My head is so full of stories and words! I recently won gold in a writing competition (open to teenagers in the whole of the uk) in 2 separate sub-categories, along with winning the overall competition 1st place and that is something I am so so so proud of myself for!!

As for irl leadership experience, I previously was a young leader for kids in my guides group (british girl scouts).
I’ve also organised and led a lot of groups on different units I’ve been living at, usually helping people through how to do different crafts and activities.



3. Cabin preferences


In regards to genres…
I have a new proposition of my own: I would love to found a Xenofiction (or xeno-fi) cabin! Please please it would be so cool hear out my pleas. . .
(And fortunately for everyone I promise it has nothing to do with cyber rat infestations c

Xenofiction is, for those who don’t know: “a niche genre of speculative fiction centered on stories told from the viewpoint of non-human characters, particularly animal, often focusing heavily on the effects of the characters' species on their lives, and how their lives differ from those of humans” (courtesy of wikipedia)

My idea for this session is a story with an atmosphere akin to Watership Down, or The Plague Dogs!
The campers will be animals who must flee from their woodland home from the threat of a mysterious sickness, and try to find a new place to settle. They are faced with other threats like wildfire, floods, human interference etc.
I think this would be such an exciting new genre for a cabin. I think it’s so underappreciated, yet so many absolutely ICONIC stories are xeno-fiction.
(Ask for a giant list of xenofi and you shall receive!)

As for TCTWNW: overall I think if I'm chosen to lead I would prefer not to be picked for TCTWNW as from experience I do better keeping a little bit of competition / “pressure” on myself lol ;}



4. Time management and dedication

What amount of time do I expect to be able to dedicate? Plans?

20 May - 14 June: I have exams which I will prioritise studying for, but can still dedicate a good chunk of time towards getting plans and concepts in place, and setting everything up. I predict I will probably be quite stressed about my exams, but also I know that I’ll end up invested in a creative project either way in order to decompress and focus on something in a different way. So I’d love for that thing I pour myself into to be SWC aha!

15 - 30 June: Wahoo! End of exams! I will have essentially absolutely nothing else to do after this and will likely be able to dedicate most of my time to things I enjoy such as SWC! I feel that I can get everything finished/prepared in the necessary detail during this time :}

Throughout the actual session / July: I also have no known plans or commitments at all in July as of now.

A note I thought I’d mention:
I know this is the reverse for many people, but I will likely be LESS active on the weekends than in the week.
This might change, it’s not too predictable - but I currently live a very long way from home and have done so for almost 2 years because of unfortunate circumstances, and have home leave on the weekends! So I will be trying to spend time IRL during those periods <3
(Though it also does include a loot of travelling hours during which I may be swc-ing lol.)

Skills used to manage time during this period

I consider myself to be good at organisation, and I plan to set up an ongoing updated to-do list of what needs to be done, and a timetable/schedule for doing those things! I try to make schedules that consider the importance of the tasks, the scale of them, and the timespan.
I also think I am pretty good at suggesting and delegating different tasks to different people based on what they want and are able to do. I really prioritise trying to make sure everyone in a group is happy.



5. Communication in group settings, and holding myself and others accountable in a team

In real life, my living situation for the past 2 years has been a group with 10-20 other people from 9-18 years old, and of course, we are always all so different. Through this, I’ve realised I am very very much a peacekeeper and a “diplomat”.
At times this is a flaw, if I end up not standing up for what I believe in, so I am actively working on that aspect of myself to maintain my own values. But on the whole, it’s been a huge asset to me. I am definitely the person in the group who keeps everyone on good terms with one another, I am kind to anyone no matter what and I always manage to see from everyone’s point of view. This makes me very good at resolving misunderstandings and arguments.
I’m also a big “talking-things-through” person, and I never like to leave things unresolved and simmering away. Again of course this has its flaws because, sometimes, things truly cannot be fixed like that and you do need to be able to evaluate when to just move on - but I do believe all issues still need to be at least acknowledged rather than pushed aside

I’d say my communication style is very silly and lighthearted much of the time and especially in an online setting, but I can also be formal when it feels natural and appropriate. It’s not intentional or really in my control lol, but I would say I’m being atypically formal in this app from how I usually am, for example!

As of late I truly think I’ve become a really reliable person - for example, last SWC session, I experienced several personal and genuinely quite traumatic events/situations through the course of the month. Despite this, I was able to carry on with everything here quite reliably - I completed everything that I had said I was going to! (I even completed every daily and weekly which was a personal goal of mine, entered the writing competition and managed to get to my personal word goal!)
Before I co-led in March I don’t think I would have been confident to say this at all - I’ve previously been very prone to letting tasks slip away from me and procrastinating - but I am really proud of it, because I find it very important that I don’t let people down.

To hold myself and others accountable, mostly I will be emphasising not taking on more than you can handle - In my eyes, it’s much more respectful and respectable to decline doing something (even though I know it can be so tempting to try and go above and beyond taking on so many things to try and be the best) than to commit to doing something and end up not delivering.
I’ll emphasise that you can always create so much fun and joy with what you CAN do!

As a leader I’ll also do my best to hold everyone in the cabin accountable for maintaining life > swc.
I did this to some degree last session as a co. For example, during the end of cabin wars most of our cabin wanted to put down the shield one more time for another war, but i realised that was not a responsible thing to do. Everyone was VERY tired/overworked and in very late timezones, and while ofc we can say that its optional i knew it WOULD in fact just encourage everyone to stay up even later so ultimately i ended up saying no, and encouraged us all to take a break and be proud of what we’d written!
sorry divas </3



6. Scenario

Scenario B - you notice a new camper has trouble navigating studios, what do you do?

In this scenario, I would try my very best to firstly understand what they are having trouble with, and then lay out as clearly as i could how everything works :} I would probably leave a comment on their profile for them to easily refer to each time they needed help locating a studio.

I had a quick attempt at writing out what I might say to help someone out in this situation:

Hello! Don’t worry at all if you’re finding the studios confusing - it’s super tricky if you’re not used to it lol. I assure you that literally everyone in the swc community is lovely and always willing to help, so please don’t be afraid to ask around if you’re ever still stuck. Buut here’s a little quick guide for you to refer to! :} The main cabin - (link) this is the “center of swc”. Here’s where all the different cabins hang out together and where you can find the dailies and weeklies, announcements, and where you should comment to add points to the leaderboard from the daily/weeklies. Your cabin - (link) this is your own individual “team” which will have its own storyline, theme or activities to do among you and the rest of your cabin. Your cabin word count studio - (link) this is sort of attached to your cabin, and you can just think of it like the cabin storage for all the words you and your other cabin members write. This is where you should comment to add the words you’ve written towards your word goal! {etc etc depending on what needs explaining} Please don’t hesitate to ask about anything else if you’re still confused, that’s totally on me and I'm always here to explain anything you need! But I do hope this is at least a little helpful to you !! <3



7. Swc impact. How has it made an impact on me and how do i intend to create a positive impact going forward for others?

This is such a hard question to even begin answering, because SWC genuinely has had such a PROFOUND impact on me in so many ways. First and foremost, it’s given me a community that I honestly don’t know what I would do without now. I love the people that make up swc so much, it’s such a random collection of people who happened to be on this kids’ coding site and also love writing stories, who would have thought it could be something so special and brilliant? It’s given me a lot! Something to look forward, to motivate me, to make me laugh. Not only has my writing improved, but also my confidence and social skills due to this silly little place on the interweb.
I really, REALLY want to be involved in this community in a big way, even moreso than I ever have been yet.

I would love every single person who signs up for swc to get the same joy out of it that I have done. I will try my utmost to make that happen for as many people as possible, whether it be through ridiculous chaos, creative and fun activities, or sincere encouragement and conversations :]



8. Cabin atmosphere.

A- atmosphere I’d create
“A silly and friendly little family vibe. Active and engaging, but trying to focus on the quality of our writing rather than competition :}”

B- how I would foster that atmosphere
Most importantly I want my cabin to feel super welcoming from the get go to every single camper! I plan to arrange activities and events that involve forming connections, like icebreakers, co-operation tasks, and exchanging/gifting things with one another, and additionally some which focus on writing skill, analysis, critique and techniques <3



9. Checkboxes
A) Yes - I will be able to add points in the main cabin consistently.
Yes - I’m willing to share a promotional project for swc.
Yes - I’m willing to link camper signups on my profile.
B) Nope, I don’t think there are any leadership responsibilities that I can’t complete.



Bonus!
Trapped in Wonderland for eternity, I will reside betwixt the trees with the chesire cat ;}

yumetopia
Scratcher
1000+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

daydream ୨୧ yume's SWC co-leader app ⬫ jul ‘26
forum text ver.

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

q.1 About Yume - 415 words

Hii! I’m Yume (she/her), a current grade 11 student, resident of the EST/EDT timezone and an extreme graphic design nerd who spends way more time doomscrolling fonts and elements on canva than videos and reels, and half the reels I watch are graphic design related… cough cough anyways. I promise canva and illustrator aren’t the only parts of my personality ;w;

In my free time, I enjoy singing, dancing (but am very bad at it, 0 coordination 0 balance 0 flexibility and somehow never improved even after so many years of dancing casually… ironically enough I was a competitive dancer for three years but that didn’t change anything either.), graphic design (shocker..), drawing (also not the best at it! but i definitely think i improved throughout the past few years), playing games with my half an hour of phone screen time… sometimes my parents let me have more but not every day.

As mentioned slightly above, I really enjoy graphic design and pretty much anything in the media and communications tech department and would love to go into the field when I grow up, but unfortunately the likelihood of that is near 0 since there's so less jobs and my parents insist it won't be stable and pay well (to which I agree…). Still, it's something that I’m happy and definitely looking to pursue as a side interest.

Lastly, I don't think this part would be complete without rambling about some of my favourite things… I am basically in love with food (voracity is the best path. eat eat eat) (…okay maybe second to remembrance), especially bread, yakisoba, udon, tangerine jelly, mooncake, liangmian, fenglisu, and a ton more that I can't name right now because no kidding it’d probably take up the entire 3k word limit.

As for music taste, I mostly listen to asian idol pop… also known as AKB48 and all their sister/rival groups, some other J-pop (to which I’ll recommend TAKANE NO NADESHIKO, their songs are produced by HoneyWorks my goat they are so underrated please listen to them okay.), C-pop, and K-pop. …K-pop being like- mostly and largely tripleS, if you only count the ones still active. Their discography is seriously one of the best and I have so many recommendations, so if you want those come ask on my profile instead ahaha (but if you're impatient or lazy like me, i HIGHLY recommend SecretHimitsuBimil… it's their japanese subunit release and it's my all time favourite EP now <33).

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

q.2 Experience - 317 words

This July will mark my twelfth session of SWC! (…i am old swcer…) I’ve camped three times, led three times, and co-led five times up till now, and each time has brought valuable lessons in leadership, time management, etc as well as great memories to keep, and I’m really grateful that I got to do so <3

I’m also one of the current hosts of the SDC revival, mostly in charge of activities! Hosting a camp has seriously taught me that can’t host something as big a camp alone, and also so much on collaborating with others and working together to create something for campers to enjoy… as well as feeding my cravings to design stuff on a regular basis.

A few years back I was more active in the Scratch-pop community as an idol, but recently I’ve been working more in the management aspect due to recording time constraints (and also my love for text art…). I co-manage a company named Magic Secret New Zone with another SWC-er (woa) and we’re workin on debuting our main group’s first generation! Hosting a company requires a lot of patience and good communication, and I think doing this for three(?) years now really helped with that.

Last year, I was one of the participants in a Cantonese youth leadership program’s test run where we learnt about and built skills on different topics such as compassion, finding one’s strengths, working with others, and paying attention to the world around us. I think the program really helped with my self confidence, as I got to meet and talk to people who came from surprisingly similar backgrounds as me, as well as engage in different discussions and just play board games with them and our councillor. Although none of us kept in contact after, the experience was truly meaningful, and that week remains definitely one of the most memorable ones for me.


⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

q.3 Cabin Preferences - 136 words

This is a co-leader only app, so I don’t have any specific preferences for which cabins to co in. I would say that there are genres I’m less interested in because I’m just not a fan of those genres and don’t have much experience with them (examples being action, horror, thriller, paranormal, and related genres… i think you get the gist ^^”) but I’m open to pretty much anything! As for cabins I’ve (co)led before, I wouldn’t mind co-ing them again as long as I like your theme and atmosphere.

As I’m not going to be too active for most of the session, I’m more than open to co-leading TCTWNW! I honestly loved the concept of TCTWNW since day 1 but have never been a part of it, but I definitely hope to change that someday.

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

q.4 Time Management & Dedication - 445 words

a. If I am chosen as a co-leader, I will dedicate anywhere from 2-3 hours a day to SWC on most planning days. I usually check Scratch in between classes and my first login is around 9 a.m. EST since I have period 1 and 2 as online learning and lunch. Exams for me are in June, so I’ll have a week where I’ll be significantly less active due to studying but depending on when my exam is (I think I should only have one this semester for chemistry) I might have a day or two of free time after ahaha.

I will be significantly less active during mid to end of July and the first bit of August since I will be on a month-long trip to Hong Kong. I’ll still have access to wifi for a few hours of the day and at least my phone in terms of devices so I’ll be able to update words and check in (my timezone will be GMT+8 instead though), but probably not that much activity in general so I’d definitely prefer a cabin that's more laidback <3

b. During this time, I’ll be using a planner to record my tasks for the days ahead. I am… a very forgetful person, unfortunately, so having a list of to-dos really helps with being able to keep track of my progress and also chose which tasks to prioritise easily since I can see them all at once.

I’m being serious when I say that procrastination is probably my biggest weakness… I often find myself doing things close to the deadline since that’s when I actually start panicking and worrying I won’t get it done in time, even if I was given a lot more time to do it.

The main reasons why are either I know what the work is and just don’t want to look at it since “it’s scary… it looks hard and i know it’s hard and annoying sdjhfskf”, or that I just have something else I want to do more like record a cover or draw something. Unfortunately, there's no way I’ve found that fixes this, so the only way out is to force myself to do it, focus on the task at hand for a given period of time before taking a short break, or using food as motivation and telling myself i can have the food once i’m done with work… The second one is a lot more effective, but clearly can't be done every single time :pensive: Still, I’ve found this method to work pretty well for my needs and I’m usually able to get everything I need done.

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

q.5 Communication & Accountability - 154 words

In real life, I’m mostly soft-spoken (okay, “mostly” is an understatement…) in terms of being in groups, and I’m usually really hesitant to approach people. Still, I give my best in the work assigned to me and participate in discussions as much as I can to avoid confusion between the group, although I might be less inclined to share ideas unless that’s what everyone’s doing at that time.

I’d say I’m a pretty compassionate person and I’ll understand and support any of our team members for example if they want to take a break or just can’t contribute as much as they promised due to other commitments that they can’t control. When someone in the group needs help, I’ll ask and see if there’s anything that I can maybe help with. I make sure that I finish everything that I’m in charge of, and try to ask in advance if I need more time.

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

q.6 Situation - 99 words

b. “You notice a new camper has had trouble navigating the different studios. What would you do?”

First of all, I would try to comfort them and reassure them that it’s natural. Everyone’s been a new camper before, and I definitely know how it feels to not know what’s going on when I first started. Then, I would explain the purpose of each studio and give them links to each one by one so it isn’t too overwhelming. I’ll also tell them where to look for other useful information (the camper rules on the megathread, the FAQ etc) and that they can always come to me or another (co)leader if they still have more questions.

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

q.7 SWC Impact - 346 words

I first joined SWC in 2021, and I was completely clueless as to what was going on. Everything looked duper daunting, mostly since it felt like everyone already knew each other and you had to somehow squeeze in. But as I’ve realised, that doesn’t actually matter. As long as you get engaged with your campmates, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been in 0 sessions or 12. SWC is seriously the most welcoming community I’ve ever seen here on Scratch, and I’m really happy to have this place to come back to every once in a while.

SWC helped a lot with my writing as well. The activities introduced me to new genres, styles, and themes I’ve either never heard of or just never tried writing. Writing over 5k words a day with actual quality was something that seemed “too crazy” for me (despite it not actually being that high by SWC standard… you guys please give your fingers and brains a break sobbing) for the longest time, but with the right amount of motivation plus a goal to write letters it actually happened once last session. Also, I’ve been able to read more of my stories a while after writing without cringing, which I think is pretty good growth…

How I want to create a positive impact on others with this camp is firstly to talk with them and answer any questions when needed, so new campers won’t get lost and are more likely to talk with other people in the camp as well. What made me enjoy the camp so much was the sense of community and bonding, so I’ll try to foster that within the cabin as much as I can. I’ll also make sure to fulfill my other SWC duties, whether as a co, camper, polar bear etc to help keep the camp running smoothly and so the campers have activities to motivate them. Lastly, I’ll keep making promo projects so more new people might want to try out SWC if they see it, and answer any questions they have about the camp.

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

q.8 Cabin Atmosphere - 112 words

a. A relaxing but motivating cabin that focuses on personal goals and improvement as well as forming bonds and making memories.

b. First of all, I’d talk with my leader and fellow cos during planning about activities to promote cabin bonding and maybe a project or studio to set and track goals in, since seeing your progress definitely helps as a source of motivation. During the session, I’d reply to our campers’ comments in the cabin and try to initiate conversation with them as well as motivate them to work on their projects. Making memories is something you can’t really force, so that would just come from general cabin activity and conversations.

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

q.9 Checkboxes

a. Check all that apply:
( ) I will be able to help add points in the Main Cabin consistently throughout camp.
( ♡ ) I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC.
( ♡ ) I’m willing to put the camper signups link in my “About Me” or “What I’m Working On” on my Scratch Profile.

b. Are there any leadership responsibilities listed in the FAQ that you cannot complete? If any, please elaborate.
No, I confirm I can complete all of the responsibilities listed.

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

q.10 Bonus

“If trapped in wonderland for eternity, where would you reside?”

nowhere. also known as everywhere. because i will get lost and be late for everything :,>

⬫ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒦︶︶꒷꒦ ⬫

Last edited by yumetopia (May 20, 2026 00:24:28)

129waterfall
Scratcher
1000+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

Note: These answers slightly tie into my app theme concept, like when I reference the train and it's inhabitants (eg the cook). So if you see the occasional weird phrase, especially before the answer, it's probably just the mysterious train lore lol. Also, I totally get that answers are easier to read here, and you may just want to read answers, but if you have the time I'd love if you could look at my app project, because I'm super proud of it haha - https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1322180918/

*answer* length (excludes bonus): 2826 words


₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

About me (145 words)
Please include your nickname and pronouns

Hi! I'm Waterfall (she/her). I take this train often, traveling to different events, or just to read. My favorite genres to read are fantasy and dystopian novels. I can often be found traveling with my violin or viola, and singing various songs in a private room. Some of my favorite artists are Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Lauren Spencer-Smith. Sometimes I even record voice acting projects here! I also love to figure out what I can make in the kitchen, despite the cook's annoyance. I love to bake, and am currently working on perfecting my macarons! And I'm always whipping up a new flavor of ice cream to go with my baked goods, as well. If there's anything else you'd like to know about me, you can always ask me on the train! I'm almost always taking the midnight line to my next adventure.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Previous participation (420 words)
Have you participated in swc before? If so, in what roles? In either case, what experience do you have with writing and/or leadership positions on and off scratch?

I suppose I should write down my experiences so I remember them all later…

I started camping in July 2020. I believe I have camped six times: My first two sessions, and four other sessions, scattered throughout. I like to camp when I know I can't dedicate enough time to (co)lead, but still want to have all the fun and writing involved in swc. <3 I've also been an honorary before for that same reason! Those + (co)leading I believe will make this my… 12th session??

SWC Co-Leading:
- Co-Lead Fantasy March ‘21 with Pitau and cs3508696
- Co-Lead Sci-Fi March ’22 with Rey_Venclaw, -limeade, and
starrial
- Co-Lead Non-Fi March ‘23 with -NightGlow- and essayist
- Co-Lead Fantasy March ‘26 with cinammcnx and dreamysolitude

Other (Co) Leading and Hosting in other scratch camps
- Camp Tropiland Leader for 3 sessions
- Became a Camp Tropiland Host for the last 2 sessions
- Leader of Re cabin in Scratch Music Camp
- Leader of Wordsmiths at SIC
Filmatory Director and Public Relations Helper, a team member of INFI

I’ve also participated in other scratch camps such as SRC, Let's Study Hard, and SVAC, as well as hosted many different events on scratch. One example of a scratch event I host is Vocal Vanguards, my singing competition! With four rounds and over a hundred entries during Season 1, I managed a lot there including judges and guest judges, while also giving advice to all who asked and making sure everything was fair. I came up with original round concepts and regulated our scoring systems, making sure everyone met different deadlines while also accommodating to people's ever changing personal situations. It proved successful because I am now currently hosting a season 2! <3

As for leadership experience in real life:
- Student Council Representative
- Orchestra Leadership Council Representative
- Model UN
- Student directed multiple musicals
- Started a charity benefit concert
- Leading in music, such as being section leader in orchestra
- Founded an acapella club
- Music directing

I'd also like to note that I have a lot of experience with teaching kids, having student directed productions including school musicals, music directing and section leading for students my age, tutored children, and helped out at irl camps, which I always love, and I plan to be a camp counselor this coming summer as well! I also volunteer at places like the food pantry and our town's history museum/archive.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

These aren't normal magazines… they're filled with visions of fantastical themes!

Cabin preferences (484 words)
+ tctwnw leading

Here are my main cabin preferences and ideas for them! Yes, my biggest cabin ideas predictably are within all of my favorite genres.

Dystopian
Typical Dystopian stories are told from the perspective of a hero, breaking down the corrupt structure of the dystopia they live in. But what if you were on the opposite side? (Yes, we're evil.) Here, campers are working as part of a tightly organized government to suppress any revolution and make sure the people are in total conformity for the sake of organization in the face of previous chaos. In a futuristic setting, with lots of technology and surveillance, this government believes it needs to tightly control the people after the all out brawl of a civil war that previously occurred in a power vacuum. Activity ideas include: Analyzing population “data” to choose the best path to control civilians, working together to create the most effective pieces of government propaganda, finding spies and controlling opposing leaders.

Fantasy and Fairy Tales - if there's one theme between all of my leader apps, it's that I love these cabins xD
A Fantasy/Fairy Tales Postal Service! Campers travel all throughout different magical kingdoms every week, helping to deliver the mail of all sorts of fairy tale creatures! Problems arise along the way as they rush to help the land's inhabitants, big and small. Activity ideas include: An older creature had her letter scrambled around by some mischievous goblins, and needs their help to unscramble it! A talking dormouse can't quite reach their mailbox - luckily, they live next to dictionary mountain - campers can work line by line to create a poem staircase so the dormouse can reach! An anxious fairy needs help with her letter in a critique focused activity. A scavenger hunt for messages blown away by the intense winds, etc!

This last idea can also work well with real-fi, but instead of helping fantastical fairy tale creatures, they're helping regular people. Not as whimsical, but still fun haha. Other random but not as fleshed out ideas include: Tragedy but everything is accidentally going right, Mystery about the midnight line along with my app theme, lyric survival show as the team behind a candidate. I am open to (co)leading any genre, despite the fact that most of the ones mentioned are my personal favorites, cabin genre obviously doesn't dictate writing during the session, and I love cabin storylines in all of the genres. <3

As for TCTWNW: I'd prefer to not lead tctwnw, as the competitive aspect is a huge motivating factor for me, encouraging me to write more which forces me into productivity and improvement! I think tctwnw is really great for when I'm busier and just want to chill, do what I need, and hang out with other swc'ers without the pressure of points, but this session I really want to lock in and have fun with the competitive aspect.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Estimated Time of Arrival at Destination: 1:35 AM

Time management and dedication (455 words)

a) What amount of time do you expect to dedicate to swc? Keep in mind any plans you have that could affect your activity
During June I expect to have lots of time to dedicate to cabin planning, at least 7 hours a week - this is especially true during the last three weeks of June, where I expect to have even more time. While my school does have finals like most others, mine are actually quite light, because AP's are already over, I have some easier classes now, and our school has a great schedule of half days during finals. In addition, all of my extracurriculars are winding down, so I expect to have more and more time. One important thing I considered when deciding to apply is the fact that I will be at a camp the first week of July. I can't quite tell what this camp will be like, as they are ever so vague on their website, so during the first week I can only really guarantee activity around midnight UTC, not so much other times of the day like I usually have. However, I will check in everyday and I expect to still be active enough to fulfill leader duties like sharing pre-planned cabin activity projects, adding words and points, which I love doing, and participating in some writing, even if it means sacrificing the first weekly or the occasional daily. Because I have less planned this summer than previous years, I expect to have lots of time in June and the rest of July!

b) What skills would you use to manage your time during this period?
I'm thinking about my main obstacles and how I can ensure a healthy time balance between all of my commitments. I've created/are almost done creating study plans for my 2-3 finals I would like to work for, to make sure I'm not cramming as much last minute and can dedicate my time to a mix of academics and fun/social projects like swc! I'll make sure to set deadlines, as those are the remedy to any sort of procrastination, and chunk out cabin duties just like I do with my studying. I will make sure that I've done lots of cabin planning in advance and have any applicable projects prepared to share, specifically, this means finishing projects that need to be shared during the first week of camp before camp starts, to ensure I'm not backed up on work at a camp where I can't tell what the workload is going to be like. Another oldie but goody strategy is to reward myself with something fun after completing lots of hard work - for example, I might go play a round of a game after finishing these answers, or get up, take a lap, and find a snack after staring at a computer creating my app art for a while!

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Communication and accountability (292 words)
how would you describe your communication style in group settings? how do you hold yourself and others accountable when working in a team?

In group settings, I intend for my communication to be clear, collaborative, and flexible. I like to make sure that everyone understands the goals and overall timeline as well as specific deadlines. I divide up tasks and set (flexible) deadlines meant to keep us on track, and aim to provide very clear, detailed instructions. I will also always let you know of any concerns I might have, careful not to do so in a pessimistic or mean tone, but in a genuine and considerate way. I don't like to go into something unless I have a very clear, thought out plan first! Something else that is also very important to me is varying perspectives. I want us to collaborate, not just force everyone to go along with my ideas - in my experience, it usually works out better that way! The people pleaser in me wants everyone to be happy, plus, why would I close off opportunities for great ideas from those that I'm coleading with? It's super important for project quality and group dynamic that everyone is heard and included. This goes hand in hand with being flexible - leaving room for interesting ideas to pop up, even if it wasn't part of the original loose blueprint. In addition, life happens, things come up, and being flexible when those issues arise will help us succeed no matter what random situations may be thrown our way. (aka my Scenario C answer! /silly) When working with others I will always listen first, ask clarifying questions, and adjust my approach (to projects and communication) based on the audience. My self-regulation through deadlines, dedication to listening to others, and willingness to adapt helps me keep myself accountable for my workload, as well as promotes healthy team communication.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Scenario C: One of your fellow co-leaders is struggling with motivation and accountability. How do you intend to support them while still ensuring everything necessary gets completed? (309 words)

This scenario immediately stood out to me as the one with the least clear-cut answer. I understand that this situation is difficult to navigate and could be caused by many different reasons. So, I'd be tackling this in a couple steps:
1) Communication - I'd start by having a supportive conversation with them about what is restricting their activities. Some people might be confused about expectations, slammed with exams, going through a tough situation irl, or a myriad of other things.
2) Adjustment - I'd adjust the workload and schedule for them depending on what I've learned from our conversation. This could mean setting a schedule to ensure everything gets done, but maybe pushing it back three days because of a major test they have. It could be redistributing assignments so they're working on projects they'll enjoy, things that maybe don't drain them as much as others might during a difficult time. I'd reassign certain things to myself or the other (co)leader based on how much work we recognize each of us individually is able to handle. I'll make sure to break everything down into smaller, manageable tasks with clear deadlines (albeit flexible ones that leave room for external circumstances) and in-depth instructions to avoid confusion.
3) Check-ins - I think this is something to implement even before any problems arise to make sure everyone's staying on track, but in a specific circumstance like this, I'd make sure that they are doing okay above all else, and ask for any other changes that might need to be made. I don't expect any revisions to be perfect the first time, and situations change! I'd be checking in to make sure everyone is on track and see that everyone is comfortable with their workload.
The goal is to balance empathy with accountability based on how much everyone can handle in their current circumstances!

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

SWC impact (382 words)
How has swc had an impact on you? How do you intend to create a positive impact on others within swc?

I discovered SWC around covid. (aaa buzzword i know-) Little did I know just how much it would impact me. In a time of virtual everything, lack of social connection, and, let's be honest, lack of education, SWC provided a lot for me. I learned how to communicate with others, and had crucial human interaction that I wouldn't have had otherwise, because the time I interacted with people aside from my family were short interactions in break out conferences on zoom classes. Through working together as a cabin and being chosen to co-lead, I learned lots of essential teamwork skills that filled a lack of group projects. Being on the MBC and organizing cabins while also adding points and being helpful to new members taught me how to work with other people in a slightly more professional environment. We honestly didn't do any work during covid, so SWC was something that not only made me write, but made me excited to write! I developed a lot of skills from reading other people's writing, following prompts, and reading workshops that helped me improve. Most importantly, it gave me a sense of community, which is the very thing that continues to draw me back to SWC six years later.

That, obviously, is a bit of a more niche experience that I couldn't exactly replicate for campers now, and certainly would not wish upon campers now! (Hantavirus don't you dare-) That being said, I can still intend to give people the same benefits of SWC that I had! That's why my cabin atmosphere and ideas are very team oriented and improvement oriented through the activities, and encourage friendly competition to stimulate interaction and motivate people for writing. On another note, I also know something that has come up in the community recently is accessibility to new campers! While I didn't choose to answer scenario B I think being there to explain things to new campers in a way that is less overwhelming can be very helpful and improve their view of SWC, and is something I always look forward to helping with. Overall, just be kind. I know that interacting with others and having a friendly community is what truly makes this the best experience, and I will always attempt to do my part. <3

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Cabin atmosphere (284 words)

a) Cabin Atmosphere under 200 chars - I'm writing an overall cabin atmosphere, I would make it cabin-specific for camper apps after creating cabin activities and discussing with other (co)leaders!
A bustling cabin focusing on teamwork and writing improvement, encouraging both main cabin and cabin storyline participation, with a competitive (but still friendly!) vibe! (172 characters)

b) elaborate on how you will foster that environment
I've noticed that a lot of my activity ideas tend to focus around quantity of writing, writing with different prompts, etc. And while I believe practice in all sorts of styles is very important for writing growth, I see that as an area that main cabin activities fulfill very well! Cabin activities would encourage working together in puzzles, which also encourages more camper activity, because the cabin activities aren't super volume focused, and lead to social interaction, making the cabin more enjoyable as well as united. While I love rewarding those who participate in main cabin activities, especially for the competitive aspect, I aim not to overwhelm the campers with the quantity of writing, and instead grow a cabin that works together well. Other activities could include revising a daily they've written, or mini critiques, like critiquitaire but in lesser amounts. Other collaborative cabin ideas include everyone contributing one or two lines to a poem, logic puzzles requiring multiple campers, etc. All this being said, I understand you cannot force an active cabin, and despite the fact that I will do my best to encourage activity, I will also adjust to the campers and make sure most activities are do-able without lots of people. I think lighter cabin storyline work can also be helpful to encourage people to work more on their personal writing, or take a more competitive focus with main cabin activities!

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Checkboxes (65 words)
I will be able to help add points in the Main Cabin consistently throughout camp ☑︎
Yes, and I get quite invested in it too haha
I'm willing to share a promotional project for swc ☑︎
Yes, and I have before! My favorite is my non-fi cabin trailer :>
I'm willing to put the camper signups link in my about me or what i'm working on on my scratch profile ☑︎
Yes, and I have before! I might not always have bio/wiwo room for a whole link but I believe I should, because I was able to last session.
Are there any that you cannot complete? if so, please elaborate.
Nope! I live for being helpful lol I can do all of those <3

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Bonus: if trapped in wonderland for eternity, where would you reside? (86 words)

I could probably be found in a mix of the mushroom forest and garden of live flowers. (assuming the mean flowers have been kicked out-) To me, it's the most magical and whimsical place in all of wonderland. Giant glowing mushrooms, a mysterious but calming mist, and a dreamy atmosphere, coupled with an enchanted fairy grove and warm sunlight? Count me in! It's a soft, hidden magical kingdom, and is literally THE fantasy forest! I would live in a cottage baking treats and learning magic <3

Last edited by 129waterfall (Yesterday 22:50:12)

surfdudewave
Scratcher
100+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

dive ⚓︎ surf's leader app ⚓︎ july '26
⚓︎ Word count: 1876 words
⚓︎ Project link: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1318833489/
1. About Me

Hi! I’m Surf, I use they/she pronouns, and I’m from the EST timezone! I’m a high school student you’ll most likely find reading, writing, creating art, playing tennis, or hiking outdoors.

I love to spend time outside, from going hiking at local parks to tending to the many different garden beds in my backyard. I usually just stick with weeding in the garden but I do have my own shade garden where I grow milkweed, ferns, lamb’s ears, hostas, and sedum! It also serves as a monarch waystation and I plan on planting some pollinator-friendly plants there this weekend.

I like art! I make both traditional art, like with pencils, paint, and physical collages, as well as digital art. I haven’t been able to do so as often since schoolwork and APs have been very time-consuming, but I’m hoping to make some new pieces this summer!

Another one of my hobbies is learning about science; specifically, learning about biology, chemistry, botany, and (my favorite!) geology. I really like learning about the chemistry behind rocks and about petrology, and I’m hoping to be able to study geoscience when I apply for college in the fall.

Lastly, I love reading! My favorite authors include Brandon Sanderon and Andy Weir. Some of the most recent books I’ve read this month are the Song of Achilles, Hament, Platform Decay, and the Man Who Died Twice, which I all really enjoyed. I also finally finished reading the Lost Hero in Spanish–it took half a year but it was worth it to finish! I’m super excited for a lot of books to come out this year too, like the release of the Six of Crows novella and the fifth Naturals book. I’ll read almost every book, from dystopian to nonfiction, though my favorite genres to write in are sci-fi and fantasy since I love worldbuilding. This summer, I’m hoping to work on writing and revising essays as well as drafting a few longer (maybe novel-length?) story ideas.
2. Previous Participation
This July will be my 9th session of SWC!
⚓︎ Sci-Fi Camper November ‘23
⚓︎ Sci-Fi Camper March ‘24
⚓︎ Solarpunk Camper July ‘24
⚓︎ Mystery Co-leader November ‘24
⚓︎ Adventure Co-leader March ‘25*
⚓︎ Sci-Fi Leader July ‘25*
⚓︎ Real-Fi Co-leader Nov ‘25*
⚓︎ Illu-Fi Co-leader Mar ‘26*
* = Polar Bear Cub

Four sessions as a co-leader have taught me about how to collaborate and successfully run a cabin. Leading Sci-Fi last July allowed me to improve my leadership skills as I delegated responsibilities and managed deadlines.

On Scratch, I hosted Scratch Journaling Camp in April-May ‘25, led Writing Universe Camp in April ‘24, and am a current host of Let’s Study Hard. These have taught me how to manage responsibility and be better organized.

Off Scratch, my writing experience includes being published in my school’s artistic magazine for three years. I’ve also received awards after submitting writing to a few competitions, something which I never would have considered doing before joining SWC.

In school, I’m the president of a club and am on the executive board of two other clubs, and these roles have helped me to learn how to work with others when contributing to club events. Through these roles, I’ve learned the importance of flexibility, which is something I’ve applied to leadership in SWC. I’ve also improved my communication and collaboration skills through teaching tennis, being part of a local environmental committee, and volunteering for organizations in my town.
3. Cabin Preferences

I have a few different plans for cabin storylines, though I’m open to any suggestions or ideas that a (co-)leader might have.

Inspired by my own experience sailing, I’d love to lead a cabin set on a research vessel with a mission to explore the ocean. As they sail across the sea, the crew of the ship would encounter obstacles, from ghostly shipwrecks to uncharted islands, and uncover mysteries below the waves. This could be for the genres of nautical fiction or adventure.

I’d also love to lead a botanical garden-themed cabin where campers could help to grow the greenhouse and unlock new plants from the catalogue! This could fall under either the genres of eco-fiction or nonfiction.

I’d also love to lead a cabin based on the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. This would be a sci-fi themed cabin where campers on a research expedition would collaborate to escape from a hostile planet in the Corporation Rim with some not-so-friendly flora and fauna.

Another less fleshed-out idea is a cabin based on a hidden world of magic and mythical creatures existing right under everyone’s noses in the city of SWC. It would be filled with quests and magic items, and this could be for fantasy or urban fantasy.

If not chosen as a leader, I’m open to co-leading any cabin though I would prefer not to lead Horror. This session, I would prefer not to (co-)lead The Cabin That Will Not Win as I have the most activity during the summer and would like to be involved in the competitive aspect of SWC.
4. Time Management & Dedication

This July, I’ll be able to dedicate a minimum of one and a half to two hours a day to SWC responsibilities and will be able to devote a significant amount of time to writing. From June 21st to July 9th, I’ll be participating in a summer program that will likely take up most of the late morning/afternoon, and I believe I will be traveling the weekend of July 25th. I’ll have access to the internet throughout these events and will still have time to manage SWC responsibilities during the early morning and evening. Besides this, my other time commitments during the summer are volunteering and studying for my classes in the fall, which will not affect my activity. During June, I should be able to dedicate at least an hour a day to planning for SWC, though I’ll be active more regularly once my school ends about halfway through the month.
To keep cabin planning and management on track, I use a planner to make sure I’m staying on top of my commitments. I don’t procrastinate on assignments, but whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed and I have a lot of assignments or deadlines to meet, I set myself timers as a way to pace myself. By breaking up large assignments into smaller pieces, I save time by having a solid plan when I begin to work. Having co-led cabins during busier school months and during my tennis season, I can confidently say that I’m able to manage SWC responsibilities.
5. Communication & Accountability

I’d describe my communication style as being empathetic and direct. As a leader, I always try to communicate clearly, so that all members of the team feel valued and listened to. I think collaboration occurs best in a space where people’s opinions are welcome and any feedback is constructive. I try to be honest, understanding, and ultimately prioritize transparency and preventing misunderstandings whenever I communicate.
I always hold myself responsible for any commitments I’ve made, managing my time so that I’m able to fulfill any obligations. As a leader, I strive to be reliable and trustworthy. I help make sure planning is on track by checking in on how tasks are progressing, and I’m receptive to if the timeline needs adjusting or if a task would be better if completed by multiple people. Accountability isn’t about guilting yourself or others, but about being supportive even if things may not go as planned and learning from mistakes.
6. Scenarios
D. You notice campers aren’t participating in the cabin’s storyline. How do you either encourage engagement, or simplify your plans to match their activity?
Throughout my sessions of SWC, I’ve been in more and less active cabins. From my experience, the most successful cabins encourage participation in the storyline and maintaining a SWC/life balance, and have activities that are adjustable to the activity level of the cabin.
During cabin planning, I’d keep in mind different ways the storyline can be either simplified or elaborated on during the session, while still having a solid framework in place. I’ve found that having more options for storyline activities can encourage activity, which is something we’d incorporated into cabin planning last session in TCTWNW. I’d help to streamline the storyline to account for lowered participation, by lowering the number of activities that need to be completed or changing the activity altogether to favor simplicity. I’d also check in with the campers throughout the session, and encourage smaller activities that aren’t exclusively about writing, but also focus on self-care and creating community in the cabin.
7. SWC Impact

My first dream job was to be an author. While I’m currently planning on pursuing geoscience, writing is something I know I’ll continue throughout my entire life. When I joined SWC, I’d written lots of stories before but my first session reawakened my passion for writing. It introduced me to a welcoming community where not only did I make friends and feel encouraged to write, but I was free to experiment and go beyond my comfort zone. It’s even helped me beyond the creative writing I do in my free time. Now, whenever I take an in-class essay or an LEQ, I feel able to work under pressure and put cohesive thoughts to paper because of the mindset I’ve developed. I’ve grown in my confidence as a writer by being supported by those around me, and through writing, I’ve discovered more about what I love and who I am as a person. It inspired me to take a creative writing class at school and share my writing with people in my life, which are steps that I don’t think I would have taken without the support of the SWC community.
I hope to give others the same experience I had when I first joined SWC, through encouraging campers to reach their own goals for the session and helping to create a supportive community. Whether SWC is inspiring a new passion in writing or leading an experienced writer to begin a new project, I want to continue to create the same space that I was welcomed into.
8. Cabin Atmosphere
A competitive and welcoming cabin where campers can be creative, collaborate, and grow in their skills as a writer. It’ll encourage personal growth and community, as well as friendly competition! (195 characters)
I’ll help foster this atmosphere by creating opportunities for campers to get to interact and collaborate as part of the storyline. I’ll encourage campers to reach their goals by checking in with them throughout the session and having a range of opportunities for campers of all activity levels to be involved in the cabin. Through having regular updates and activities, I’ll help create a supportive and competitive atmosphere that ultimately prioritizes well-being and growth.
9. Checkboxes

A.
✔ I will be able to help add points in the Main Cabin consistently throughout camp
✔ I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC
✔ I’m willing to put the camper signups link as part of my Scratch Profile
B.
I am able to complete all leadership responsibilities listed in the FAQ.
10. Bonus

I’d wander the forest

Last edited by surfdudewave (May 20, 2026 22:20:12)

Milkysplash
Scratcher
1000+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

Skylar's Post Exam Wishlist
Skylar's SWC Leader Application | 3065 words

⋆ ⊹ ┈┈┈┈┈「 ☆ 」┈┈┈┈┈ ⊹ ⋆

About Me

Hiya! I’m Skylar (she/her), a 17-year-old Christian girl from the absolute B(e)ST timezone - British Summer Time! I’m a suffering sixth form student currently going through the mess known as ✨ A Level Exams ✨ because doing four subjects and the ensuing twelve papers I have to sit this summer was my fault in the first place. I’m currently studying Biology, Chemistry, Maths, and Physics and in September I’ll be heading off to university to do an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering, which will be exciting! I’ve really enjoyed studying all my subjects over the past year and a half of my A Level courses, and if you couldn’t tell, I am a massive STEM kid (I ditched English for a reason, guys) and science and engineering have been huge parts of my life, so I’m super excited to study it further at uni <3

In addition to my interest in the sciences, I also absolutely love music. Music has been such a big part of my life for the past thirteen years, having started with piano when I was four or five and then later violin when I was seven, singing weekly in worship at church, along with singing on and off in choirs throughout my time at school. I absolutely love choir as it’s so nice hearing all the different vocal parts come together, and also singing the second soprano part! I’ve really enjoyed performing Wicked and Faure’s Requiem as a part of choir activities, and I’m hoping to continue to pursue music as an extracurricular hobby in university as a member of the music societies there.

In addition to all my academic and musical activities, a little-known fact about me is that I absolutely love doing nail art! I have a terrible habit of biting my nails to stubs, so doing nail art is one way I can make my nails fancy while also stopping me from chewing on them. I love coming up with whimsy designs and using pretty colours… and spending far too much of my Chinese New Year money on nail polish - though it’s all worth it in the end!

━━━

Previous Participation

This will be my thirteenth session of SWC, which is a bit crazy to think about! I’ve been participating in SWC on and off since March 2021, and I’ve loved every session I’ve been in (even if I couldn’t manage to be that active). Over the course of these sessions, I’ve campered eight times, co-led twice, and led twice. Leading SWC has been some of the best experiences I’ve had so far since I’ve had so much fun with my leadership teams and planning a cabin and making it come to life has been incredibly fun. Leading SWC has helped me with my collaboration and leadership skills in real life, helping me become a better communicator and teaching me how to deal with unexpected situations.

On Scratch, I’ve also hosted multiple Scratch camps, and I’m currently one of the hosts for Let’s Study Hard - an artfight/scratch camp style event where we encourage people to be productive and revise for exams with fun competition. I am also one of the hosts of Writefight ‘26, an Artfight inspired event and I mainly do the admin work of setting up the spreadsheet and keeping things updated. These experiences have taught me quite a lot about event organisation and planning, which I’ve been able to apply both to my real life in keeping myself (somewhat) organised and also to group situations and collaborative settings.

In real life, I’ve been on my school’s MUN Secretariat, taking part in event planning and various tasks such as printing, folding, cutting, and all the hard manual work as well as teaching and guiding newer delegates and chairs and ensuring they get the relevant experience by running club sessions. I’ve also led the Christian Union at my school, putting myself in charge of leading the sessions and somewhat guiding the discussion. Outside of school, I’ve led a small group at my church’s holiday bible club this year, which was an incredibly fun experience where I got to work with kids and it taught me quite a bit about working with children and with other leaders.

In terms of my writing experience, I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember - even wanting to be an author at one point! I’ve always loved telling stories and bringing worlds to life, whether that be through scripts, comics, bad animations, or prose, it’s always been one of my favourite pastimes and hobbies. While I’ve never placed in the writing competition or really had any outstanding writing achievements in the past, I don’t really mind because I do it as a way to have fun, wind down, and relax and escape into a world of my own creation after a hard day of revision.

━━━

Cabin Preferences

This session, I’d love to lead a Cities Skylines inspired Realistic Fiction cabin, a Renegades inspired Dystopian or Action cabin, or a Zootopia inspired Mystery cabin. I’d most prefer to lead realistic fiction, since that’s the cabin I have the most ideas for, but I would be happy to lead a cabin with any of these ideas!

Cities Skylines Real Fi Cabin
This session, I’d love to lead a realistic fiction cabin inspired by one of my wishlist games, Cities Skylines. This cabin would feature the campers as part of a city planning and city building team, and the storyline would focus on expanding the city and making sure that there’s homes, transport, and so on. Campers would also get to create characters who inhabit the city and tell their stories and there would be lots of writing prompts for campers to have fun with their writing!

Renegades Dystopian (or Action) Cabin
I’d love to lead a cabin inspired by the Renegades trilogy by Marissa Meyer, taking a dive into the world of Galton City and the blurred lines between heroes and villains that the book series presents.

Zootopia Mystery Cabin
Another cabin I’d love to lead would be a cabin inspired by the Zootopia franchise! Campers would be detectives at the ZPD, investigating various criminal incidents and perhaps uncovering a deeper conspiracy along the way.

I’m also open to (co) leading all other cabins except for Romance and Horror as I don’t believe my writing strengths lie within those genres and I won’t be able to do my best with them.

TCTWNW
Unfortunately, I am not open to leading TCTWNW, as it is simply not the right environment for me. I’m someone who has always enjoyed the more competitive aspect of SWC, and I simply do not think that I’m the right person to lead TCTWNW in any capacity, whether as a leader or a co-leader.

━━━

Time Management and Dedication

As mentioned before, I am currently in my summer exams season, which runs from May 5th through to June 18th. While I’ll only have exams starting on May 20th, much of my priority during this time will be revising for my A Level exams and so SWC and cabin planning will not be my top priority since I am absolutely terrified of missing my grades for my firm choice university.

On most days, I should be able to dedicate an hour to checking Scratch throughout the day and responding to cabin planning messages in the mornings, and in the evenings when I’m crashing out from revision along with some work on graphics then and other things. However, I would like to strongly emphasise that SWC will absolutely not be my priority in any situation until I finish my exams. I especially don’t expect to be able to dedicate much time during the first two weeks of June, as that’s when most of my exams are and they take priority over SWC. I’ve found it’s really hard for me to estimate how active I’ll be during exams season since A Level revision does take a lot out of me as I’m generally dedicating 5-6 hours a day to studying for them, so while I’ll do my best to contribute an hour a day, it’ll be unlikely that I’ll be able to maintain it during this time period.

After June 18th (aka Exam Liberation Day), I will be on my extended summer break, and so I should have quite a bit of time to dedicate to SWC daily. However, much of my summer plans haven’t been finalised so I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to be online every single day. I may or may not be going back to China, but if that happens I will have full access to devices and everything, and so should still be able to participate and lead SWC and I’ll inform my leadership team and hosts if this is the case. In addition, I also plan on getting a job this summer to save for student living costs at university, however this would be within my local area and I would be able to jump on scratch as I normally would during a school day, at the beginning and end of work.

During this time, I’ll use to-do lists to manage my time. As someone who suffers greatly from time blindness, I’ve found that using to-do lists is one of the only ways I can ensure that I know what I need to do and what I need to get done gets (mostly) done by the end of the day (or whatever deadline there is). They’re really helpful for me as I can see what I need to do that day and it helps me plan out my day in a way that ensures I get things done, as well as break down a big task I have to do (like revision or a project) into smaller steps, and whenever I finish something I can tick it off and it makes me feel like I’ve been productive… so I’m more likely to finish the other stuff! In addition, a to-do list allows me to be flexible with how I spend my time during the day, allowing me to shift things around if something comes up or if I spend longer than expected on a task, which is something I find incredibly helpful since I don’t have to constantly discipline myself into following a timetable that just doesn’t work for me anymore and fell apart approximately one hour into use due to things I didn’t see (such as struggling a lot more on a certain topic and spending more time revising one subject than another).

━━━

Communication and Accountability

I try to be quite direct when I’m talking to people, but I do find myself easily getting overexcited and going to endless yaps with ideas. As someone with ADHD, talking too much and going on an excitable rant is something that I definitely find myself doing a lot of the time. When talking to people in group settings, I’m aware that I can easily ignore their opinions so I aim to give space for everyone to talk and take in their opinions, so I’ll encourage people who are not active in the discussion to weigh in on their thoughts or ask people to wait while we get approval from other members of the group. I also make sure that deadlines and tasks are regularly posted and people are reminded of things, but I’m also happy to make adjustments and be flexible when people need it.

I find the best way to keep myself accountable is to set deadlines and make to-do lists. This session, I plan to set deadlines and have a cabin to-do list, delegating tasks out to people in the leadership team. That way, we can all see what needs to be done when and the people who the task is assigned to can plan that task around their own time. When working in a team, I check in on people who I’ve assigned a task to see where they are and if they need any help or if the deadline needs extending due to things they’re dealing with such as schoolwork or exams.

When I can’t rely on other people to keep me accountable, I set myself deadlines and make a to-do list for the things I need to finish that day, or week, or month. I’ll also do my best to make sure I won’t bite off more than I can chew, which has been a persistent issue for me in the past leading to missed deadlines and losing my accountability since it feels like a heavy mountain of work that I need to do and I ultimately lose motivation. By keeping things realistic, I’ll be able to keep myself motivated since it feels like I’m getting lots of stuff done and the pile of work in front of me just seems to grow smaller.

━━━

Scenarios

Scenario C.
If I noticed that one of my fellow co-leaders is struggling with motivation and accountability, I’d first message them to check up on them and see if anything’s happening in their real life such as school being unexpectedly more work-heavy than expected or other personal reasons, or if it’s just due to burnout. I would then discuss with them to see how best we can accommodate them - for example, giving them easier tasks to complete if they struggle with motivation or extending the deadline for task completion to give them a break.

If they were still struggling with motivation for tasks, I would discuss with my whole team and think about simplifying or cutting out bits of the cabin plan to be less complicated or require less work, such as forgoing matching profile pictures and banners or simplifying down the storyline. I would let them know that their life always comes first and that it’s okay to take a break from SWC and cabin planning to take care of themselves first and to let me and the leadership team know when they feel like they can come back to planning/running the cabin.

If this happened during the session, I would also make sure that their word count group is transferred to either myself or the other leader in our team, depending on who has more time to spare. I would also see what we can do about their storyline projects, such as shuffling things around and changing timelines to accommodate them.

━━━

SWC Impact

SWC has had such a huge impact on me as a person - I wouldn’t be halfway as active on Scratch as I am now if it wasn’t for SWC. The community has been so welcoming and friendly, and I’ve met so many amazing people through this camp: Livy, Sage, Fini, Mouse, Ivory… the list goes on. This community has been the source of so many happy memories and good times over the years - from starting bandwagons to leading some absolutely amazing cabins and the absolute chaos of cabin wars, the SWC community has become such a huge part of my life on the internet.

Without SWC, I also don’t think I would have started pursuing writing as much as a hobby. When I first joined, I was more into art but I still enjoyed writing. It took several sessions (and a good break) before I came back to creative writing, and since November 2024, I’ve been writing in and out of SWC, telling my own stories and weaving worlds I’m proud of. Though I was easily embarrassed by my own writing, being part of this community has helped me improve so much and has helped me become a better writer and given me some much needed sanity in some very stressful years.

This session, I intend to make a positive impact in SWC by making new campers feel welcomed into the community - from actively reaching out to them to helping them navigate the SWC community. I want to make them feel like SWC is a community they can openly participate in and that everyone is here to give feedback on their writing and help them improve - from the budding novelists to the writers writing for fun. I definitely felt a struggle to integrate into the community and meet people when I started, so I hope to make people feel welcomed and already integrated into the community by taking the initiative to talk to them and answering any questions they may have.

━━━

Cabin Atmosphere

“A warm and welcoming cabin with a strong focus on cabin bonding activities and the storyline, with only a casual eye on the leaderboard.” (136 characters)

I aim to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere by greeting everyone as they come and say hi in the main cabin studio and by encouraging my co-leaders to do the same. I’d try to reach out to newer campers and ask if they need any help with understanding anything, and encourage them to join the community. At the start of the session, I’d aim to focus any in-cabin activities on getting to know each other better, such as fun scavenger hunts or questionnaires. In addition, I don’t intend to make my cabin competitive: while I would still encourage daily and weekly completion for my campers, I wouldn’t do it in the context of points - instead, I’d encourage campers to complete dailies/weeklies as writing exercises/prompts to help develop characters or just have fun writing for the sake of it.

Throughout camp, I intend to reach out and check in on newer campers and ask how they’re doing, and see if they need any explanations of anything, or if they just want to talk. I’d also encourage existing SWCers to help reach out to newer campers, check in on them, say hi, and help them with anything (since leaders can be a bit scary!) and foster an atmosphere of openness within the cabin, creating a safe space for people to talk about their writing and other topics.

━━━

Checkboxes

(X) I will be able to help add points in the main cabin

( ) I will be willing to share a promotional project for SWC.

(X) I am willing to put the camper signups link in my “About Me” or “What I’m Working On” on my Scratch profile.

There are no responsibilities I won’t be able to complete! If anything changes, I’ll let the hosts and my leadership team know.

Last edited by Milkysplash (Yesterday 19:40:17)

euphoriafall
Scratcher
500+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

hope's swc leader application
july 2026 | 2017 words




1: About Me

Hi, I’m Hope (they/he), a resident in the B(e)ST timezone. That’s probably the only joke I’ll be able to make in this entire application because of my abysmal sense of humour, so I hope you enjoyed it. You can usually find me immersed in yet another niche hobby, playing video games, or listening to one of the many varied genres I enjoy.

A few random facts about me: lately, I’ve been reading a lot of Lord of the Mysteries, a steampunk/fantasy light novel; listening to a mix of Vocaloid EDM and the Radiohead album A Moon Shaped Pool; playing too much Project Sekai; and contemplating all the things I’ll be able to do after exams are over. Although, by the time this project is shared, the majority of my exams will be finished, so that’s pretty good timing, right?




2: Previous Participation

This July session will be my 13th session!
July 2021 - inactive camper
November 2021 - inactive camper
March 2022 - camper
July 2022 - camper
November 2022 - inactive camper
July 2023 - camper
July 2024 - camper
November 2024 - camper
March 2025 - camper
July 2025 - Mystery leader with Luka & Mildred, Polar Bear cub, MBC, point adder
November 2025 - Thriller co-leader with Leopard & Pepper, Polar Bear cub, MBC, point adder
March 2025 - camper, Polar Bear cub

Although I’ve only (co-)led cabins twice in SWC, I think the experience has given me a good idea of what to expect in a leading role. I’ve learnt what to realistically plan and get done in the planning stage and how to communicate well with fellow leaders to ensure everything is finished without stress or confusion. I’m also more prepared to keep everyone accountable and ensure we all survive what can be a hectic SWC session!

Apart from SWC, I also host Let’s Study Hard with Skylar, a camp focused on studying, and will be hosting the upcoming Writefight round in June, alongside Sandy and Skylar. I’ve also led in many other camps such as SAC and SRC, and I hosted former iterations of Scratch Design Camp a few years ago.



3: Cabin Preferences

Here are some of my cabin ideas:

Surrealism
A cabin based on the video game Superliminal, which is a puzzle game revolving around escaping your dreams through perspective gimmicks. In this cabin, campers would find themselves in their dreamscape, having to solve different puzzles such as crosswords and scavenger hunts to find a way out.

Short Story/(Choose Your Own) Adventure
A Choose Your Own Adventure-style cabin where the choices made by the campers, through activity projects and puzzles, end up forming a cabin short story that would be written by either the leaders or the entire cabin as a collaborative project. I have lots of ideas for the exact storyline – one I thought of was having the campers on a mission, where they travel through locations that look suspiciously like the past SWC session themes… With this idea, I think the pacing of the activities and the overarching story could be adjusted to fit the general activity levels of the cabin.

In terms of co-leading, I would be happy to lead any cabin, apart from TCTWNW. I’d rather not (co-)lead TCTWNW, since the cabin ideas I have would require a moderate amount of activity from the campers. I also have virtually no everyday commitments, like school, during this period, so I would be able to dedicate much more time to creating and running a cabin than usual.



4: Time Dedication

A.
Throughout May, June, and July, I should be able to contribute multiple hours a day to SWC if required, since school has already ended for me.

My current dates of inactivity are:
25th-27th June, for university open days
11-12th July, for full-day orchestra rehearsals
26-31st July, for a maths summer camp

In all of these scenarios, I will have access to Scratch to communicate with my leadership team at least once a day — I just might not be able to work on tasks that require specific software like designing thumbnails or creating matching cabin graphics. To work around this I would try to have most of my cabin preparation responsibilities completed before the 25th June, ready for the session to begin. I would also make sure to inform all members of the team if any other plans affect my activity.

B.

This session I plan on using a variety of techniques to ensure I manage my time and responsibilities well. I would definitely make use of lists and sticky notes because I’ve found, through experience, that I can usually get things done if I have a reminder to do it.

Also, I would try dedicating a set amount of time each day towards SWC and preparation to ensure I would be able to complete all of my responsibilities. This would also stop me from putting off tasks and help me meet deadlines.

On the topic of deadlines, I would try to set personal deadlines for particular stages of my responsibilities to ensure I don’t end up rushing the final outcome.



5: Communication & Accountability

I would describe my communication style as concise and straightfoward. I’m able to stay focused on the discussion and not get sidetracked but I also recognise that a part of SWC is getting to know the leaders who you’ll be working with for over two months, and I also enjoy getting to know my fellow leaders. I’d like to say that I’m quite patient with others, whilst also able to hold them accountable to their responsibilities. However, I’m always happy to help out others if needed, whilst still ensuring that I’ve carried out all of my responsibilities.

To hold myself and others accountable, I would make sure to distribute responsibilities clearly, so that everyone is clear on what they’re expected to complete, and by when. This is to reduce any confusion which could lead to tasks not being finished on time. I would also check in with other leaders every once in a while to check that they’re still okay with their tasks, and to offer help if required. Although I think it’s important to keep others and myself accountable, I would completely understand if someone wasn’t able to finish their tasks and I would either do it myself or delegate it between me and the other leader(s). I also think that making to-do lists are an effective way to keep everyone accountable since it puts into perspective what tasks are most urgent and how many are remaining.



6: Scenario

D.
I would first try to find out why campers aren’t taking part in the storyline — perhaps the activities are confusing, they aren’t aware of the storyline, or campers are just generally too busy.

Then, I would discuss with fellow leaders on how to tackle the issue. For example, we could try to strip back on the number of currently ongoing activities to make it clearer to campers which to focus on, or send messages to campers partway through camp to check up on them and remind them of the storyline. If the activities were too difficult, we could introduce hints to the campers, and perhaps tie those hints into the storyline to keep the immersive experience.

There is also the possibility of creating requirements for matching cabin graphics that incentivise campers to take part in activities to claim things like profile pictures and banners, although I usually prefer to offer them to all campers (in the event I am creating the graphics — I know other people have different preferences).



7 - SWC Impact

Firstly, SWC has helped me improve my writing skills so much. Although I wouldn’t call myself a consistent writer at all, participating in SWC reminds me of this hobby and encourages me to refresh my writing skills. I believe the dailies and weeklies have also helped me become a better writer, and they’ve been great for pushing me to maintain my writing habit, even if it’s just for a month. Adding on to how my skills have benefitted from SWC, I’ve also become more confident with my writing — a couple of years ago, I would have never imagined even just entering into the writing competition, and now I’ve had 1st and 2nd place placements for my entries (please tell me to stop bragging thanks). I’ve never had any ‘natural talent’ with writing, or really any humanities subject, so I’m very grateful to SWC for providing these opportunities for improvement.

I’ve also got to meet a lot of my friends through SWC and I really enjoy the community here — it’s definitely a big reason why I keep coming back to this camp every session. I think one thing I regret is not being as sociable or active in the community, especially earlier on, so I’d really love to get to know a few more people this session, and perhaps actually start conversations with others (which is definitely not in my comfort zone, but I guess SWC teaches you more than just writing…).

I intend to create a positive impact on others in a few ways. Firstly, I would like to help those who are new to the camp and community, perhaps by helping them navigate the studios and projects, explaining the mechanics of the camp, and making them feel welcomed and included in anything that happens during SWC. I’d also love to have some fun conversations with some people who I don’t usually talk to, and I will make an effort to get to know a few more people this session.

Finally, if I were chosen as a (co-)leader, one of my focuses this session would be point adding and the memory book committee. In my past (co-)leading experiences, I found these were the duties I neglected or forgot about (apologies for this!), and so this session I would attempt to stay on top of these more. I would do this by frequently checking the main cabin to ensure there is no backlog of unadded points, and I would remind myself with sticky notes and to do lists of the memory book pages I could work on. I hope this would be able to create a positive impact by reducing the extra responsibilities some people end up having to take on at the end of a session.



8: Cabin Atmosphere

A.
Friendly and welcoming, this cabin is the perfect place to hone your writing skills, meet new people, and engage in motivational competition!

B.
In terms of encouraging the campers to meet new people, I would include social tasks in cabin activities, as well as the usual writing tasks or crosswords. I would also consider beginning the session with icebreaker social activities to help campers learn more about each other and become more comfortable in the cabin, which I think would create a welcoming and warm atmosphere.

I would also include written prompt activities in the cabin — perhaps a cabin ‘prompt of the day/week’, as well as written components for activities. Campers would also be encouraged (but absolutely not expected) to attempt dailies and weeklies to keep up a writing habit and try out new ways of writing.



9: Checkboxes

A.
☑ I will be able to help add points in the Main Cabin consistently throughout camp.
☑ I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC.
☑ I’m willing to put the camper signups link in my “about me” or “what I'm working on” on my Scratch profile

B.
☑ I can complete all leadership responsibilities listed in the FAQ.



10: Bonus!

I have realised that I’ve forgotten everything from Alice in Wonderland, which is quite tragic but also not surprising, seeing as I last read it years ago, and I already have a pretty terrible memory. I do remember a chess game with one of the queens, though? Maybe? And also a lot of pies, which I would very much like to try except I vaguely remember someone being punished for stealing the queen’s pies, so on second thoughts, I think I’ll pass.
I think the caterpillar was pretty chill??? (I have no idea), so maybe I’ll just hang out with them.

Last edited by euphoriafall (May 21, 2026 14:33:37)

taylorsversion--
Scratcher
100+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

jars ✶ elly’s swc (co-)leader app
1782 words

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

about me

hi! i’m elly, a chaotic (but still somewhat sensible!) teenager living in the british summer timezone, otherwise known as BST or UTC+1. i use she/her pronouns!

as well as pretending that it’s the summer (it’s really not), some things that i like to do are listening to music, painting, playing the piano, reading, writing, and being outside with my friends. i’m a firm believer in waffles over pancakes supremacy, and my favourite things to watch are sitcoms, movies and musicals!

to go into a bit more depth… my favourite music artists right now are taylor swift, gracie abrams, audrey hobert and lorde, and my favourite bands are the last dinner party, arctic monkeys, green day and my chemical romance. i always find listening to new music fun, though, and will gladly go and try out any music recommendations!

as for books, my favourites are six of crows, the cruel prince and the outsiders! i’m currently reading a book called the supreme lie, having finished the song of achilles. (i’m still not over how good it was)

my favourite musicals are hamilton, heathers and hadestown (ooh, they all start with an ‘h’), and i also really like mean girls, legally blonde, six, wicked, beetlejuice, ride the cyclone, dear evan hansen and many others. alongside my love for musicals is that fact that i really enjoy theatre & the arts: whether it’s acting, making props or playing in the orchestra, i love to get involved.

and, finally, this year will be my 6th year on scratch! i’m super happy to be spending it participating in SWC, and i’m really looking forward to july, no matter what my role will be <3

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

previous participation

i’ve participated in four sessions of SWC so far, and i can’t wait for july to be my fifth! it’s unreal that i’m saying that already - i still get nostalgia from my first ever session in march 2025, and from all the memories i’ve gotten from then on <3

here’s a quick list of my previous sessions:

dystopian march 2025 | camper (led by zy, yume & sarah)
script july 2025 | camper (led by recca, kit & rey)
gothic november 2025 | co-leader (with kiara & chocolate), point adder, MBC
paranormal march 2026 | co-leader (with liv & toko), point adder

aside from SWC, i’ve been a co-leader once (SSC, now let’s study hard) and a leader twice (WUC & camp gwdfi)! i’m also one of the hosts for the unofficial memory book committee - the UMBC, and i’ve learnt a lot about scratch camps and cabin organisation from these experiences.

in real life, i regularly participate in productions, which has helped me get the hang of how to prepare effectively and take on advice. i also used to do MUN, which has taught me teamwork. finally, from being an assistant sports coach, i’ve learnt a lot about leadership in real life, working with others, being supportive, and showing up even when it’s hard.

when it comes to writing, i’ve been writing on and off ever since i was young, but this has become a lot more regular recently because of SWC. i write nearly every day now, and while it’s usually just been a hobby that i do for fun, i’m hoping to start making more progress on bigger writing projects this year!

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

cabin preferences

here are some of my cabin ideas/preferences, ordered from most thought-out to least!

fairy tales | a cabin set in a tea room that thrives off of fairy tales. in order to keep the magic going, campers complete simple activities to unlock/discover different elements of a fairy tale (clues, games, writing prompts), and when all of the elements have been found, the campers come together to write the story! this is sort of inspired from the memorieswc weekly last year, and script’s storyline in july 2025

folklore | the campers are taking a voyage in the forest when they stumble upon the mythical creatures from french folklore. in order to get past them, they need to do different (writing) activities! this storyline would be a little more laid-back.

illu-fi/classics | this will be set in the hundred acre wood, and campers can join winnie the pooh & co on small adventures where they journey for ‘hunny’, play poohsticks and have a party.

i’d be happy to co-lead any cabin, apart from TCTWNW (although it is amazing) <3

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

time management & dedication

a)
i have exams for the rest of may and the start of june, so my time dedication will likely be limited during this time. i’ll still be able to dedicate at least 45 minutes a day to cabin planning, though, and after exams it’ll be around 1-2 hours, maybe more on the weekends! i may also be going on a short holiday in july, but i’ve participated in camps from abroad before and this probably won’t impact my activity levels - i’ll make sure to let the other leaders know if i think it will <3

b)
during this period, i’ll try to make sure that i get the harder things done first so that my motivation doesn’t run out. cabin planning and SWC is something i enjoy, so hopefully procrastination won’t be much of a problem! i’ll also try to create to-do lists, as i find those really helpful to organise myself and make myself feel more productive :zany: finally, i’ll make sure to prioritise my well-being and health so that i don’t burn out! life > SWC after all

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

communication & accountability

in group settings, i always try to make sure that everyone feels like their ideas or opinions are heard and considered, and i find it important to always approach things in a kind manner, since it’s quite tricky to discern tone online, especially if i’m directly addressing something/someone. when i co-lead, i feel like i’m a little hesitant about sharing my own ideas at first (since i tend to overthink things), but as i get to know the other leaders better i start to feel more comfortable doing that. i’m always open to any constructive criticism or advice, and make sure to be as flexible and approachable as i can.

when it comes to accountability, i always make sure to ask if i’m unsure over something, or to clarify if someone else is, so no-one’s confused or feels like they haven’t fully understood a topic. if someone is struggling, i’ll make sure to offer help, and if i feel like productivity or activity hasn’t been so good lately, i’d try to do a gentle check-in or reminder to see how others are doing. as for myself, if i feel like there may be some issues with some things that i have to do, i would make sure to double-check with the others and let them know when i’ve completed something so we can have a good grasp of our progress.

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

scenarios

scenario d:

while it hopefully won’t come to this, if my cabin’s storyline had low engagement, i’d make sure that all progress on the storyline is up to date, and then send a reminder in the cabin’s studio and WCG(s) about the storyline.

i’d ask the campers if there’s anything about the storyline that they’re finding tricky to engage with, and after some discussion, i’d try to simplify/shorten any activities to make the outcome easier to achieve, and i might even allow campers from sibling/other cabins to join in (if that’s alright with their leaders).

additionally, if the cabin had a cabin currency, i would also try to incorporate that as some sort of incentive! i’d also make sure that campers are aware that the storyline is completely optional and it’s fine if they don’t take part in it - although that would be preferred - so they don’t feel forced into situations <3

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

SWC impact

SWC has become such an amazing part of my life, and i’m so, so glad to have discovered the camp and the community. i’ve gained so many fond memories and moments throughout the past year or so, something that just makes me look more forward to what’s to come. i can’t stress enough how happy i am that i found SWC, and i can’t imagine how things would be like without this every few months. certainly not as interesting.

without SWC, i would have scrapped or not continued so many of my previous works of writing, and i’m not sure if i would have even continued the hobby if i hadn’t had this reason to. as well as that, i’ve learnt a lot from all the weeklies and dailies, as well as learning how to have fun with it! i’ve also enhanced or gained so many other skills from SWC, especially from my time spent as a co-leader. as well as that, there’s the people. i’ve met so many amazing writers who have introduced me to so many cool interests, amongst other things.

SWC is something that i know i can always come back to: somewhere where i feel like i can belong, and i want to try my best for everyone to have the sort of session that makes them feel like this in july. i hope that i’m able to give back to the community! whether that’s by being friendly in the main cabin, making sure that storyline updates are done in time, being an Actual Threat on the trackbear leaderboard (unlikely), or just simply being as inclusive and engaged as possible, i hope that i can make a positive impact <3

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

cabin atmosphere

a)
“a friendly and warm cabin, with an involved community and a relaxed (yet engaging) storyline, making sure to focus on writing improvement while maintaining some light competitiveness.”

182 characters

b)
i will uphold this by making sure to check in with people in the cabin (and others!) regularly, especially new campers. i’d try my best to keep QOTDs up to date, as those are usually what keep the cabin comments active, as well as replying to as many comments as i can to keep the atmosphere friendly. i might post comments about the leaderboard for some motivation and ✨hype✨ and will try to include completing dailies/weeklies/etc as storyline elements to keep the cabin involved: when it comes to the storyline, i’ll try to make it as simple and straightforward as i can.

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

checkboxes

a)

i will be able to help add points in the main cabin consistently throughout camp ✓
i’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC ✓
i’m willing to put the camper signups link on my scratch profile ✓

b)

N/A

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

bonus question

if i were trapped in wonderland, i’d love to go play some croquet, and then have tea with the mad hatter and everyone else <3

─── ⋅ ∙ ✶ ⋅ ⋅ ───

link back here

Last edited by taylorsversion-- (Yesterday 23:25:11)

_click_
Scratcher
100+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

ivory's july '26 swc leader app

i. about me

Hi! I’m Ivory, I use she/they pronouns (interchangeably - no preference), and I am a person of many different fields! I am in the EST timezone. I’m nearing the end of my senior year of high school, and preparing to go to college. I’m interested in social psychology, creative writing, sociology, film, and more! In my spare time, I enjoy dancing, driving, and running - that is, when I’m not writing!

ii. past experience

This will be my seventh session of SWC, marking my second full year! Although I have not yet led a cabin, I was a coleader for two sessions (Apocalyptic November 2024, Thriller July 2025, Scifi TCTWNW November 2025, Illufi TCTWNW March 2026) and a camper for the other two (Dystopian July 2024, Adventure March 2025). As a camper, I learned how to focus on my writing and set realistic goals for myself. As a coleader, I learned the importance of staying on track and getting to truly know the members of my cabin.

I also have significant leadership experience in real life. As one of the seniors in my school’s creative writing club, I provide writing motivation to underclassmen and I am an editor of the club’s magazine. Additionally, I help to choreograph and teach routines in my dance class, and I recently finished my last leadership session of a coding club that I founded over three years ago. I intend to take on more leadership opportunities in college, but for now I’m choosing to pace myself and not take on too much at a time.

I have been writing ever since I first joined SWC in July 2024. Back then, I thought writing was simply a hobby. Now, I’m planning to either major or minor in English. I write a variety of different things, from songs to poems to novels. My favorite genres to write are abstract fiction, psychological fiction, surrealism, dystopian, and autobiographies. Currently, I’m working on a social psychology thesis. I’m also always working on an album - once I finish one album, all I want to do is move onto the next one!

iii. cabin preferences

My cabin preferences are essentially the theme of my app, so I’ll just rank them in order of preference:

1- abstract
2- psychological fiction
3- script
4- surrealism
5- autobiography
6- musical fiction
7- poetry
8- illustrated fiction
9- realistic fiction
10- science fiction

The individual storyline descriptions are included in my app theme. In general, I’d be happy to lead any of these cabins!

I have always been drawn to TCTWNW, and would prefer to lead it. I find that the lack of competition is very relieving, and it allows people to focus more on the content of their writing without constantly thinking about how to get points. If necessary, though, I’d be more than happy to lead a competitive cabin!

iv. time dedication & management

At the time of posting this, my AP exams are over and I am done with school! I am currently on my senior internship. My internship is daily on weekdays, around six hours per day. It’s not a lot of pressure, so I should be able to dedicate a lot of time to SWC during that period.

Throughout May and June, I’ll be preparing for college. My internship will continue until about halfway through June, so my schedule won’t change much. I’ll have a few days offline for graduation, senior celebration day, and next year’s course selections.

In July, I will be working as a camp counselor at a day camp. The camp is somewhere between six to eight hours long. I’m not allowed to use any technology during that time, but I’ll have my afternoons free for SWC, although I’ll have to do a bit of summer work for college. Once I get home from camp each day, I should be able to dedicate approximately one to two hours per day to SWC, with occasional variation. I will update both my cabin and the hosts if anything changes.

As far as time management goes, my executive functioning skills were tested this past year. In the fall, I balanced college applications with the beginning of senior year. In the winter, I was catching up on classwork. Now, I feel like I’ve found myself in a better place.

Taking four AP classes has certainly tested both my patience and my ability to focus. I’ve become proud of my persistence, which I would say is my main strength. I’ve learned the importance of pushing myself to complete my work under stricter deadlines. I have also figured out various different methods to focus better in class. Overall, my motivation is what enables me to get work done, both in school and in SWC.

After I got into college, I was less motivated to finish my senior year. My main weakness, which has been more prevalent this past year, is forgetting. If a task is not at the front of my mind, I’ll often forget about it altogether. Over the past few months, I have conditioned myself to set reminders the moment a task is announced. The reminders will pop up throughout the day, encouraging me to finish tasks that I haven’t yet gotten around to finishing. As a leader, I plan to do this with my SWC cabin tasks.

v. communication & accountability

I believe that my communication style changes depending on the group itself and what we are doing. Overall, I tend to maintain balanced levels of flexibility and leadership in group settings. I let others speak first and then add my thoughts on various points of theirs. If I have an idea, I’ll wait for an opening to share it, and I’m willing to explain and discuss it in more detail if others are confused.

On the first day of a group project, I’ll always create a plan with my teammates to hold each other accountable. Similarly to my time management strategies, I like to set group calendars in order to track deadlines for each task. I split tasks evenly between all of the group members based on our individual strengths. If one person can’t finish a task on time, I usually contact them about it with a reminder, and if external circumstances prevent them from finishing, I split their task among the remaining group members. I prefer to hold everyone accountable while also maintaining a high level of flexibility, as I understand that people have lives outside of the project.

vi. scenarios (choose 1)

The scenario I chose (B): You notice a new camper has difficulty navigating the different studios; what do you do?

My response: As someone who was a new camper not too long ago, I would be patient with the camper. I would provide them with links to various different places whenever they ask me for those, and I would explain the purpose of a studio if there’s any confusion surrounding that. I’d get back to them in a timely manner so they aren’t forced to look for a studio on their own if they’re getting lost.

vii. swc impact

When I first joined SWC in July of 2024, I hadn’t shared my writing with anyone in over five years. That session marked the first time I brought myself out of my shell and revisited my passion for writing, one that had been buried deep down as I was still deeply insecure about my writing at the time. Ever since then, I have steadily gained more confidence in my writing, and it has become a creative outlet for me to truly express myself. I return to SWC every session because the encouragement and friendships are seemingly endless, and I enjoy bonding with others over our shared interest in words.

In order to truly make a positive impact on others, I believe that it is important to not only act as a role model, but also to be flexible and empathetic towards members of SWC. I’d like to serve as a guide for newer campers, helping them with navigation and providing explanations for SWC traditions. I will treat everyone with kindness and respect, and I will work with other members to improve each other’s writing.

viii. cabin atmosphere (under 200 characters)

A relaxed, easygoing cabin with a focus on writing improvement and fostering friendships.
(89 characters)

I will maintain this cabin atmosphere by getting to know the campers and working alongside them to set and meet various personal goals. I’ll primarily encourage campers to take care of themselves and their well-being, and I’ll develop an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their writing with others and receiving helpful feedback.

ix. checkboxes

I will be able to add points consistently in the main cabin throughout camp.
I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC.
I’m willing to put the camper signups link in my Scratch profile bio.

I can complete all leadership responsibilities!

x. bonus question

If I was trapped in Wonderland for all eternity, I’d probably claim a spot in the woods with the Cheshire Cat and build a house that’s hidden from view. I would also attempt to visit all of the significant landmarks.
starryy-silk
Scratcher
100+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

silvermoon hall ☾ silky's swc co-leader app


1. introduction (306 words)
welcome one and all, to silky’s magnificent co-leader app! I am an introverted person living in the spectacular timezone of est, using pronouns she/they! i’m often found in front of a computer screen - exploring the digital world is quite interesting and full of surprises! in front of this wonderful portal to many websites, i’m usually on google docs planning/writing something, texting with my beloved friends, practicing my drawing skills, scrolling on scratch and other websites such!

one of my biggest passions is art, and i’ve definitely spent this past year and 2025 improving it! i think i’ve definitely gotten better at lineart and bits of anatomy compared to many of my arts in previous years in digital art. while i’m definitely not perfect yet, i’m still incredibly proud of myself for how much i’ve improved ^^ i’m still planning to improve my anatomy, composition, and rendering in general! outside of digital art, i’m currently practicing charcoal and watercolor for traditional art. although it’s incredibly hard to control watercolor and charcoal is very confusing for someone who’s familiar with graphite, i still enjoy the two mediums nonetheless. both are still incredibly fun to practice and work with!

now, onto something i can probably talk about forever hehe - my favorite games! i currently enjoy playing genshin impact and honkai star rail! my favorite character is columbina in genshin, hence why this app is based on her. i currently have her c3r1 . i absolute adore her personality and design, and i’m planning to c6 her once she reruns! now for hsr, i’m currently maining evernight because i’m a huge march fan and i love her lore, although i am currently saving for nihilux (love her design and job as a manga artist). i do also enjoy many other games, but haven’t played them in a while :sob:

2. participation (345 words)
i’ve participated in swc for a whopping 10 sessions (i believe, i dont have a good memory </3). although i was not active in all these sessions (</3), i still love contributing to swc nonetheless <3

here are all the sessions that i was in!

  • march 2022 fairy tales : i loved this session! it was my first session of swc and i remember doing a few dailies to help out. while i wasn’t there for the full session, it was still fun regardless!
  • july 2022 contemporary : the overall aesthetics of this cabin was spectacular hehe, although i had to drop out due to personal reasons :C
  • november 2023 fairy tales : ackkk i’ve just realized i’ve never shared my admiration for the beautiful thumbnail <3 anyways, i’m very proud of what i’ve contributed this session (2 weeklies!)
  • march 2024 epistolary : my first time co-leading! i’ve learned quite a lot on what goes on behind the scene in swc, and it made me appreciate the amount of effort everyone contributes! <3
  • july 2024 horror : this is one of my favorites in terms of storytelling and theme. i loved the drastic switch in thumbnails in the middle of the session hehe!
  • november 2024 mystery
  • march 2025 thriller : i was inactive in this session and the following sessions due to personal health reasons </3
  • july 2025 fantasy
  • november 2025 fantasy
  • march 2026 fantasy : finally, my first active session in so long ajskdhaj. my writing style has changed a lot and i liked how my dailies and weeklies reflected that change :>

i’ve also lead some src cabins, co-lead camp tropiland, hosted sfwc, and some others camps that i can’t exactly remember :sob:

outside of scratch, i’ve contributed to presenting in many fairs and tutoring people! while i cannot say i’m the best at helping kids at their work, the experience has definently taught me responsibility and the importance of guidance. i’ve also been in student council and contributed to many art projects

3. preferences (239 words)
for me personally, i’m quite alright with co-leading any cabin! although i definitely do have a few ideas for certain cabins, i don’t share any strong feelings towards any theme because i feel that they’re all unique in their own ways <3 ( also particularly because i’m quite indecisive :sob: ). if i must choose, i would prefer to not co-lead horror or epistolary because i’ve already co-lead those cabins before, and would like to try something new this session! <3 of course, i’ll still be fine with leading them, just wish to try something new heh

  • fantasy-moon games: a fantasy cabin inspired by the phantastamoon games in honkai star rail! campers will compete to become aha for one minute, all while undercovering a secret plot that will shake planarcadia to its core.
  • eden academy: an action (?) cabin inspired by eden academy from spy x family! students have to earn stella stars and face challenges in weekly field trips!
  • paranormal village: a paranormal cabin where campers try and find the reasons below the paranormal activity in the village and figure out who may be the traitor!

of course, these are all ideas, and will likely change based on inputs from my fellow (co-)leaders! <3

as for the cabin that will not win (tctwnw), i prefer to not lead it. i enjoy the friendly competition swc has to offer and wish to try campering in the cabin before co-leading it :>

4. time dedication (694 words)

i can likely dedicate 45 minutes a day during may and june and around a hour and a half during july. these times may fluctuate higher on weekdays and lower on weekends. the main contributor to these times are school and homework, which limits my activity by a lot due to the sheer amounts of it </3. i may also have to volunteer afterschool on some days, which further cuts down my activity.

my activity during the first weeks of june and some days in may may go down due to the amounts of finals i have during those weeks (</3). i’ll have to allocate most of my time studying and whatnot. of course, i’ll definently check scratch and will be active, just not as much as i would like too. this decrease in activity should be made up during the final weeks of june as my finals should be over and i should be relatively free .

as for july, my schedule should be clear, allowing me to focus most of my time in swc! i don’t have any activity that may hinder my time in swc on weekdays, which increases the amount of time i can spend on scratch.

as for my time management abilities, while i cannot say i’m perfect at managing my time, i definitely do have a few skills that can contribute positively!

let’s first start with my shortcomings! i have motivational problems, where i’m super excited to do something one day, and i completely give on it the next. this can cause activity spikes and increase the amount of time i spend on something. when i loose motivation on something, i want to give up on it. this not only extends the amount of time i spend working on something, but also reduces the effort i put in, making what was originally supposed to be a wondrous piece lackluster. i am trying to fix this problem by planning everything out (you can see below!) which can potentially fix this horrendous mess.

i’m also easily distracted when working. my brain wants to click on other tabs and play honkai star rail, genshin impact, or watch youtube. this extends the time i spend on something by a lot, as i’m not focused and am thinking about something else. sadly, this is a problem i had for a very long time </3. i’ve tried some strategies in fixing this, such as working on something, then taking a 10 minute break. however, i have no self-control, causing me to take an abnormally long break and work on something for a very short time instead. i’m still trying my best to fix this unideal habit, and the currently most-effective strategy i have is simply closing out all my tabs and throwing my phone somewhere else. it’s definitely helped, although it hadn’t gotten rid of this routine yet (</3).

now, let’s focus on more of the bright side heh <3 one of the skills that i’m quite proud of personally is my refusal to procrastinate. i do not like procrastinating at all and prefer to finish everything upfront. on assignments and many other tasks, i prefer to turn in something at least a day earlier, preferably more. not only can this give me ample amounts of time to catch if i made a mistake somewhere, it also saves so much time. not procrastinating allows me to relax later and reduces my stress, rather than relax first then stress about not finishing before the deadline.

i also believe i’m a very organized person, and prefer to plan out everything - such as when to complete assignments for school. i quite enjoy the feeling of checking things off after i’ve finished them, which definitely increases my motivation <3 i like breaking things out into chunks, which reduces hyperfixation and allows me to see the general picture of when i can finish everything. this spreads out my time evenly, reducing spikes in activity (when i’m super active one day, and suddenly disappear the next) and helping my motivational problem.

5. communication and accountability (285 words)
when working in a team, i believe that i’m a pretty easygoing person <3 i think i’m very adaptable, which is very beneficial in a team where opinions matter! i tend to let everyone else choose first because i’m fine with anything. i also make sure that everyone’s ideas are considered by creating compromises, a skill that i’m particularly proud of heh. for instance, if one member wants a flower on the thumbnail, while another wants a butterfly, a solution would be making 2 thumbnails, one for the actual cabin and another for the word count studio. one thumbnail has a flower and another has a butterfly. of course, this is a rather simple example but rest assure that i can try my best to find a resolution in an actual complicated argument <3 although i’m quite shy and afraid to speak up my ideas sometimes, i try my best to share my thoughts with others.

to hold myself and other people accountable, i’ll check in with everyone to make sure everyone can meet the deadline. if the deadline is approaching and a member hasn’t finished, i’ll ask them. if they feel like they’d have to drop out last minute, i wouldn’t judge as irl problems often come up unexpectedly. instead, i’ll suggest dividing the work between the members, so it feels fairer and helps the member. i’ll also make sure that the tasks are divided equally, so no member feels unimportant/is carrying the team <33 i’ll also make sure that all members feel comfortable and is willing to work collaboratively by opening up and mixing in a blend of casual and serious (idk if this is the right word for it :sob: ) discussion.

6. scenarios (162 words)
scenario d:

to encourage campers to participate in the storyline activity, my team and i would first send messages to campers, to remind them about swc since they might’ve forgot (something that has happened to me multiple times before :sob: ). if the campers are still inactive in the storyline, we would give out rewards for participating, such as art (eg. bodysheet of your oc), banners, and others. there can also be a leaderboard to encourage friendly competition. many are more incentivised to participate when there’s a reward :>
if the storyline is too complicated, we would simplify it by cutting things off/making it simpler. an example is when the storyline involves too many actions with unclear directions to explain the steps. we would cut off some steps, and possibly revise the direction so it’s easier to understand. if we are unable to figure out a way to shorten/simplify everything, we would likely ask other (co-)leaders a part of the leadership team <3

7. swc impact (271 words)
i first signed up as a camper to swc in march 2022, and since then, swc has influenced my hobbies and my love for writing. although i was feeling /very/ mediocre towards writing before, i believe that swc has encouraged me to write more and create several other writing projects that i’m currently working on :> the dailies, weeklies, and word goal were fun writing challenges that taught me to expand on my writing style. being apart of the leadership team in march and july 2024 has taught me better communication abilities and definitely improved my responsibility in group projects, in real life and online <3 of course, swc has introduced me to many around the world that i had the excellent chance to experience with! it has definitely improved my ability to open up with others hehe ^^

i intend to create a positive impact on others within swc by encouraging discussion and not judging others for their hobbies. there are many cool interests that are seen as weird in real life, and i do not intend to ostracize them for it <3 i would also help others, by giving critique, positive encouragement, etc. while i cannot say i’m the best at these (especially critique, i always feel like my comments are unhelpful), i still hope that others still realize that they can ask anything, feel anything, and not feel judged. feeling ignored is one of the worst feelings out there, so i’ll try my best to make sure everyone feels heard <3 encouragement and kindness is one of the main causes to making someone feel a positive impact after all heh ^^


7. atmosphere (159 words)

an engaging and slightly competitive cabin, with spiraling twists and unexpected turns to encourage a fun and inclusive atmosphere for all <3 (120 characters)

i would foster and maintain this atmosphere by creating events that can act as icebreakers for the everyone, which can encourage friendly discussion between everyone <3 (but making sure it doesn’t feel too forced, otherwise it can get awkward/people feel pressured into saying something). i would also motivate people about the leaderboard and the activities in the main cabin, which can not only create friendly competition but also encourage people to improve on their writing (as the activities are designed for that goal <3). of course, i would emphasize swc < life, as people might get too engaged and create high pressure in the cabin, the opposite of the atmosphere that i wish to aim for. i’ll make sure the storyline is creative and interesting as well, so everything feels more interesting as well! <3


9. checkboxes

i will be able to help add points consistently in the main cabin throughout camp: ✓
i’m willing to share a promotional project for swc: maybe, depends on how much free time i have in june
i’m willing to put the camper signups link in my scratch profile: ✓
i’m able to complete all leadership responsibilities: ✓


10. bonus

i would reside somewhere fun, where i can meet new people but also stay with my current friends, where i can practice magic but also find real-life technology!

total word count: 2472 words, exculding bonus

Last edited by starryy-silk (Yesterday 01:03:00)

technj2009
Scratcher
100+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

⋆。‧˚ʚ Saffron's July 2026 co-leader application ɞ˚‧。⋆

↠ application project: Saffron's Sunroom

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

1. About Me ·˚ ༘

why hello there! my name is Saffron, pronouns she/her, and i reside in EST timezone! most of you probably do not know me, but that’s okay! i am here to introduce myself hehe ◡̈

well to start off, i am a 17 year old junior in high school, who is a very big science nerd- i love biology, physics, and chemistry! i live by the beach, and love spending time outdoors and in nature! i really enjoy playing tennis and hanging out with friends. i have been playing piano since i was in kindergarten, and i also play the guitar and ukulele! i love music! i am such a pop girlie haha- some of my favorite artists are Gracie Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo, Audrey Hobert, and i also LOVE Noah Kahan! i love traveling, although i have not been many places internationally, i’ve been to many different states in the U.S. and i hope to travel more outside the country when i get the chance!

a few of my hobbies include crocheting, photography, listening to music, reading, and building lego flowers! in my free time, you’d definitely catch me doing one of these things lol. one of my favorite hobbies (well idk if it’s really a hobby) but one of my favorite things are houseplants- as you could probably tell. my room is filled with a bunch of different plants, and i love them so much- like each plant is so pretty and unique in its own special way. this co-leader app was actually modeled after my room, and i’m telling you- if i took a picture of the same window in my room, it would look the same xD

i am a very cooperative person while working in groups, and i continuously strive to be as helpful as i can! i love exercising my creativity in projects, activities, and all that i do! i am a very friendly person, and i always love talking to others! i believe that conversations are the start of friendships, so if you see me around, feel free to say hello! dw, i won’t run away ◡̈

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

2. Previous Participation ·˚ ༘

past participation (camps on Scratch):
camper: Poetry Cabin SWC March 2026
leader: Nature Cabin SPC April 2026

as you most certainly noticed, i have only participated in one session of SWC. now you’re probably wondering why i would even apply with such little experience, and the truth is, i am an ambitious girl and i strive to always try new things!

and well, of course there’s always a first for everything!

although having been a camper for only one session, i am confident in knowing the basis, rules, and overall structure of SWC. i was a very active camper during the March session, and have come to be very familiar with cabins, activities, and people! i am also a very adaptive person and a quick learner! any tasks or knowledge needed to be a co-leader, i am positive i will be able to pick it up fast, and to the best of my abilities, be capable of helping in what i can!

outside of Scratch, i have one primary responsibility that gives me the direct experience of being a leader. i am a piano teacher! (for elementary-middle school kids). as a piano teacher, i have learned to foster working towards steps in achievements, for learning an instrument is like a long run, not a sprint. this has built my capacity for group management and has taught me how to keep others motivated through the slower phases of a project. i always strive to keep the morale of a team high, boosting the fun for everyone! i have also learned to give constructive communication, balancing standards with encouragement to keep others engaged! i use my leadership skills!

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

3. Cabin Preferences ·˚ ༘

since this is a co-leader application i don’t really have specific cabins that i prefer to help lead. this is my first app ever haha, and i am open to leading any cabin! i’d prefer not to lead tctwnw though because i think in am more engaged in the competitive cabins!

well actually i was looking through the list of past cabins and there was only one that i’m not really interested in which is nonfiction… because like- i mean, bro when is the last time you read something nonfiction and were genuinely intrigued by it lol xD *ehm* i’m sorry (if you really love nonfiction i admire you). what i was trying to say is that i prefer not to help lead a nonfiction cabin because it is not in my interest so i wouldn’t be very helpful co-leading it! other than that though, all of the cabins sound very cool and interesting and i would love to co-lead any of them!

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

4. Time Management & Dedication ·˚ ༘

as of June and July, i will be able to consistently dedicate 1-1.5 hours of my time to SWC everyday. during the weekdays i tend to be online more, so there are definitely times when i am able to dedicate more hours to SWC!
there are only a few occasions that will be affecting my time. i do have a summer job, some daytime summer activities, but these are all limited hours which will not majorly impact my dedication. during the 2nd week of June, i will be having finals testing. i will definitely be studying but still be able to check in on SWC during this time. and during the first week of July (July 4th weekend) i will be visiting my family, so i will probably be a little less active, but still check in.

i am a very organized person, and i like consistently creating to-do lists to keep track of all my responsibilities. as for time management, i strive to be as punctual as i can! i do not like procrastinating a lot and never like turning things in late, so you can count on me to keep up to deadlines or anything needed within a limited time!

if any unexpected events that conflict my time happen to occur, i will most certainly notify my cabin leader and hosts to make sure they are aware of my absence.

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

5. Communication & Accountability ·˚ ༘

my communication with others is always clear, focused, and positive. i am a very responsive person, and always communicate what i can to keep things organized, questions clear, and necessary plans straight. i am also a very patient person. it is not always the easiest to work in groups, so i always, always include everyone. making sure all voices are heard, and clear communication is practiced.

accountability is very important! within groups, i always do my part and hold myself accountable to the responsibilities i have. when others struggle to stay organized, i am consistent with reminders and help them stay accountable to the group as well. i know that everyone makes mistakes and it is hard when someone lets something down, but in times of accountability i practice patience within the persistence in helping people complete what they need to finish.

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

6. Scenario B ·˚ ༘

since March 2026 was my first session, i completely understand how overwhelming and confusing the different studios and systems can feel at first. i also understand that activities within SWC may also be very confusing in the beginning. like i know from firsthand experience guys- the first weekend we did cabin wars i was so lost lol (shoutout to Bea for explaining it to me) because of my experience, i believe i would be able to empathize with a new camper well and help them efficiently without making them feel embarrassed or left behind.

if i noticed a new camper having trouble navigating the studios, i would first reassure them that it’s completely normal to feel lost when joining SWC for the first time, since there are many studios, activities, and announcements to keep track of. from there, i would guide them through the studios step-by-step if needed, or explain what each one is used for and help them find anything they may need. i would also make sure they know they can continue asking questions at any time, rather than feeling like they have to figure everything out alone. besides simply giving directions, i would want to help them feel welcomed and supported so that navigating SWC becomes less stressful and more enjoyable.

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

7. SWC Impact ·˚ ༘

well to start off, here’s a small backstory about me. i joined Scratch in 2020. coded some awful projects, drew some questionable art, and got to know a few people back then. i was active for around 3 years, then went on with life, totally leaving this platform behind. it wasn’t until January 2026 this year when i fully came back to Scratch. i had forgotten about it for so long, yet once i came back, i longed to join in and be active within the community again.

that is when i stumbled upon SWC, the writing camp i remember seeing during my early days on Scratch! and so i obviously joined, March 2026 being my first session ever. and yes, i will remember my first SWC session forever. “why is that?” someone may ask, and well, because SWC is so iconically impactful.

SWC has made a huge difference in my life. not only have i gotten the chance to write more and improve, i made so many- so many new friends. i genuinely don’t think i’ve ever been so excited to meet new people. the friendships i have made within my cabin, through penpals, word wars, critiques, and just meeting others in the main cabin, i truly appreciate all of you guys <3 every single SWC’er really shows how welcoming the community is. i am so grateful to have joined SWC, and will always be thankful for the friends that have impacted me, even in the short and silly conversations- they are what resonate the most.

i can guarantee that i will be continuously and unconditionally welcoming to all campers, new, old, in my cabin, and in SWC entirely. i truly believe that impact begins with the people around you, those you meet, and the conversations that spark new friendships that last a lifetime. connection with others creates the kind of environment where people feel comfortable participating, sharing their writing, and expressing themselves creatively without fear of judgment. i also want to create a positive impact by being reliable and involved throughout the session. whether that means answering questions, helping resolve issues calmly, motivating campers during slower parts of the month, or simply being present and active in the community, i want others to know they can depend on me. i hope to contribute not only through leadership responsibilities, but through kindness, enthusiasm, and the effort i put into making SWC feel like a welcoming community for everyone!

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

8. Cabin Atmosphere ·˚ ༘

a hospitable, encouraging, and most importantly, balanced atmosphere, where competition and writing improvements are both prioritized equally so that everyone can ultimately enjoy and have fun! (193 characters)

i will consistently provide encouragement for the campers in my cabin while also promoting all the writing activities for SWC in general and along the storyline. i completely understand that working with a leader may come with some different goals, and i am 100% willing to adapt to other atmospheres which are similar in purpose. as a co-leader, i want to help foster a cabin atmosphere that feels supportive, encouraging, and enjoyable to be part of.

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

9. Checkboxes ·˚ ༘

✓ i will be able to help add points in the main cabin consistently throughout camp.
✓ i am willing to share a promotional project for SWC.
✓ i am willing to put the camper signups link in my “about me” or “what i’m working on” on my Scratch profile.
✓ i am able to complete all of the leadership responsibilities listed in the FAQ!

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

10. Da Boonus ·˚ ༘

wherever TWEEDLEDEE and TWEEDLEDUM are- i will be hanging out with them.

‎‧₊˚ ────── ⋆⋅⚘⋅⋆ ──────‎ ˚₊‧

✎ July 2026 ~ co-leader app ❀ ~ 1,966 words total ౨ৎ

Last edited by technj2009 (Yesterday 03:01:27)

FireBlood23
Scratcher
1000+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

Critique for vicky's App

Hihihi!! I threw this together quite fast since I know you’ll need your answers (quite literally) asap. Apologies for any mistakes in my spelling or grammar, typing is hard with a fractured finger atm. I really, really hope this is helpful and not too harsh, take what advice you’d like, and I can’t wait to see your app! <33

About Me -

“and stalkers alike *wink* to my July”

Here, I’d suggest adding something inbetween the ‘*wink*’ and ‘to my july’ perhaps with another comma and then maybe ‘welcome to my July’ -this sentence reads a bit funny, hence why I’m recommending this, but this is just me being nitpicky <3

‘My name is vicky, a purple’

Either add ‘I’m’ instead of ‘my name is’ or add ‘and I’m’ inbetween ‘vicky’ and ‘a purple.’
Again, this is to help the sentence flow better, super nitpicky little details, but I really think grammar is important in an SWC app.

‘“colourful”. Some of my recent hobbies are:’

I’d suggest a paragraph break here!


In general, your app feels a bit listy, instead of listing your favourites or ‘currently’s’ for each thing, maybe go more into depth about it and your experience with it beyond consumption?

You’ve also only got one (ish) main body paragraph, so if you want, you could break off where you mention writing, reading and art into their own separate, full paragraphs. (if you have the word space for that, if not, then even going more in depth on one of them would be really good!)

I love this section!! It does a great job of showing your personality and your interests, and provides a lot of things for others to relate to <3


Experience -


‘a leader that more exceptional: ‘

Should be ‘a leader that much more exceptional.’ -just to make it make grammatical sense <3


‘new storyline perspective of plot twist in the middle to end of the session’

This sentence doesn’t really make sense (at least to me as the reader.) , so it might be better to rephrase this particular line?


UTOPIANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN AYYYYYYYY
(genuinely so shocked you haven’t led since /gen -you were so amazing then <3)

I wouldn’t suggest mentioning the leader forum here! It’s more of an open secret, and by not mentioning it you don’t encourage people (not leaders) to interact with it. Just a personally little funk though <3

AHSDGKHSJLASHGDH YOURE SO NICE ILYSM -utopian was my best cabin to date i think i really miss it <333


‘Ive basically reincarnated UMBC more than a few times XD. ‘

It might be worth removing this sentence as it comes off kind of gloaty/cocky ish? I’m not sure how to explain it and im sure you didnt mean it in that way, but the way it comes off to hosts and leaders is more the likely NOT what you’re aiming for <33

Don’t forget to write about your writing experience outside of SWC!! <33

Awesome section Vik! (i hope its okay if I call you that <3) -you can clearly see what you’ve learnt and how you’ve grown from past experiences, which is exactly what people want to see.
My only other suggestion would be improving your confidence in this section, for example when you say ‘a rough guess ive participated’ -you could replace it with ‘I estimate I’ve participated’ or something similar to come off as more sure of yourself and your history <3


Cabin Preferences -

“My cabin idea for this session is:
Adventure - Based on the live action show/anime+manga “One Piece”:”

Paragraph break <3

Mention your co-leader prefs in case you don’t get selected to lead!!

On another note, I love your cabin idea!! My brother watched the entirety of one piece not that long ago (hes probably not all up to date anymore) and I remember finding it really interesting whenever I caught parts of it!! I’d love to see how you led it in a cabin! <33


Time Management and Dedication


“after like the first week, when i will be able to dedicate around 1 hour 30 mins (or more if needed)”

Change slightly to - ‘where after the first week, I should be able to dedicate around 1 and a half hours a day (or more if needed).” -or something similar where you use more confident language! If theres anything you need to be confident about, its your time deicatino. <3

The first skill you mentioned could be described as flexibility!! You can use that or a similar word to improve the confidence in your answer.
Also get rid of the part about your procrastination, this is that part where they want to hear about your strengths! If you do want to keep it in however, I’d recommend going more in depth on how you improve and manage it -showing how you hold yourself accountable and work around your weaknesses is a skill in it’s own. <3


Communication and Accountability


“simple & transparent.
I am naturally calm,”

Paragraph break <3

“in a way that you have tasks to complete, i have tasks to complete, we all put our best efforts into our tasks and things will run smoothly; “

I’m a little confused about what you’re saying with this sentence? Maybe ‘the team’ or ‘my team have tasks to complete and we all put…’ ?

‘tranquil a bit’

‘break the tranquility to ensure…” -rephrasing the sentence might help it flow better?


‘holding myself others accountable’

Get rid of myself from this sentence! Unless I’m mistaken, this is about how you hold others accuountable?


‘will use this to keep track of me and my teams progress weekly with additional everyday check-in's to ensure everyone is on track and in-case anyone is encountering any setbacks or they're unable to complete a task due to something that came up.’

A run on sentence here!! Maybe break it up a bit with some fullstops or commas? <3


Scenarios


“accountability struggles.”

Maybe remove this part of the sentence? You’ve used struggles twice, or rephrase it slightly? -This is very nitpicky of me, but I’m not a fan of a word being repeated in a sentence haha <3

Other than that, I have nothing to say! By the sounds of it you’d handle a situation like this beautifully <33


SWC impact -

A little more about how you’d create this impact on others, otherwise this is perfect!! I love your answer to this so much Vicky <33


Cabin Atmosphere -
Nothing to say here!! It looks great <3




General Feedback -

Grammar!! It is one of the most important parts of a leader app, and whilst I understand and know firsthand that it’s not your style, using proper apostrophes and capital letters and full words, even if only in your leader app, makes all the difference in getting selected! It shows that you care enough to proofread and double check, which I know is not how you use it, but it is how its perceived.
I would recommend going through and making that change, but again, its just a suggestion!! Write how you feel confident. <3


Amazing app Vik!! Good luck <333


LovegoodLady
Scratcher
100+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

poetry graveyard ⸙ lune's swc leader app

i. about me

Why hello there :0 I’m Lune, she/her, and I live in the timezone of EST. I’m a fantasy series obsessive, very morbid, a cat lover, a theater kid, writer, and bookworm.
Although I have many smaller interests, such as bugs, etymology, art, and murder mysteries, there are a few things that I feel absolutely define who I am.
Reading, writing, theater, cats, and math.
Those are the things that make me Lune. They’re what I want to do with my life. Who I want to be.

Reading was the beginning of me. Before books, I was just another hapless child without much thought to what words could do.
And then I read Harry Potter.
I realize now that Harry Potter isn’t actually the most well written or inclusive series. But when I devoured The Sorcerer’s Stone in first grade (I was not prepared for all of the death in the series ahaha), I realized why so many people were bookworms. The joy! The sadness! The love! And all because of some squiggles on a page.. it’s truly magical.
Currently, my favorite books are The Hunger Games series, The Martian, The Naturals, and The Inheritance Games.

Next up is writing. It frustrates me endlessly, yes, but I couldn’t imagine my life without it. I write a lot of fantasy, but I also love bi-fi, poetry, and mystery, as you might’ve guessed from my favorite reading genres.
Poetry is my absolute favorite genre to write in. I write more fantasy (because it’s a bit easier and I’m used to it after so many years of only fantasy), but it can’t quite compare to the wonders of spilling your feelings out on a page whenever you have a lot of them.

Theater is amazing. Whether pure acting, musicals, or improv (my absolute favorite), it’s one of my true passions! I love everything about it. I can’t list everything I’ve been in for sort-of-obvious reasons (doxxing), but my all-time favorite, along with being one of the most recent, is Little Women. I’ve loved the book since I was a tiny child, and it was an honor to be a part of such an amazing production.

Cats are in here for even-more-obvious reasons. I have two six-year-old cats (still kittens to me), Irish and Hobbes. I love them wholeheartedly and will forever <3

Last things last, math.
I actually hated math last year. It felt too complicated, too annoying, and sort of impossible.
But for some reason, it’s always the thing I’m looking forward to the most this year. Numbers just make sense; so long as you know the formula, the possibilities are endless. And there’s always a solution. It’s a little bit like writing in that way; both of them are so vast but can be explored so easily if you know what you’re doing.

Well, that’s it for now, folks! I hope you enjoyed getting to know me and learned some new things <3 Feel free to come and talk to me about anything in here (or anything whatsoever)!

ii. experience

I haven’t actually had much experience in leadership or writing. Not as much as I would like.But the bit I do have has helped me tremendously in growing into more of a writer and leader.

I’ve been in around 8 Scratch camps, 4 in SWC (1 as co-leader) and 1 each in SCC, WUC, (C)LASC and JWC, each as a camper with the exception of (C)LASC, in which I was a host.
Of those, the ones that helped me most to grow were definitely my 4 SWC sessions and (C)LASC hosting experience, in which I learned the most and was the most active.

Each SWC session, I grew so much as a writer and learned a whole lot. My first session, Fantasy SWC March ‘25, wasn’t very active as I was sort of busy and not always in the mood to write. I’m truly glad I decided to camp, though, because I got the gist of most of the activities, basically dipping my toes in the vast lake of SWC. If March ‘25 was a slight dip into SWC, July ‘25 was the plunge. I was a camper in Bi-fi Festival of Fae, and I did everything I could to be a part of the community, growing so much as a writer and learning a lot about myself.

Fairy Tales November ‘25 was similar: I was also a camper, and did much to be a part of the community and become a better writer. I probably grew the most this session as a writer; discovering poetry (my love) and diving into deeper writing were certainly a change for me, but they paid off.
My camping sessions, although not involving leadership, gave me a look at what amazing (co)leaders did for their campers and what an incredible cabin was like, from storylines to aesthetics to interactions.

And then I was off to my first session as a co-leader in Magical Realism March ‘26 with Kiara and Starrii, a cabin that brought buckets of chaos and joy, along with my first look at the wide world of (co)leading. It was a lot more responsibility than I had expected, but I did my best to complete everything and loved everything about it. My leadership skills blossomed as I realized how to motivate myself, support my team, and be realistic with the goals I took on. But Magreal’s efforts didn’t even stop at leadership; it also taught me so much about writing and even aesthetics. It was truly a session of wonder.

Co-leading Magreal was an honor, and helped me appreciate the merits to being both a co-leader and a camper. This session, I’d love to dive into leading and explore various techniques for writing and design, learn how to deal with the responsibilities that lie in such a position, and see how many bad time management habits I can lessen.

As for camp-like things, hosting the first session of (Co)Leader Application Support Center with Cat and Kiara brought me more leadership experience than I would ever have imagined. It was a lot of commitment, much more than I had ever had before at the time, and I found myself absolutely loving it. It made me look at time management, decision-making, teamwork as a whole, and brainstorming in whole new ways, giving me so much education as to what being a ‘leader’ is really like.

Outside of SWC, I’ve had a few experiences in leadership and teamwork. I was president of student council a few years back, which, although not well-organized on the school’s end, brought me experience in addressing a group of people, even if the teachers made all of the actual decisions. This past year, I was a parliamentarian in National Junior Honors Society, a role involving approving decisions made by the president and a bit of public speaking, giving me a look into what leadership is like in higher standards.

Writing-wise, I’ve been writing for around 4-5 years. Not nearly as much as some of you, but enough to feel like a true writer in my heart. I’m afraid I haven’t won any awards or anything like that for my writing, but then again, I haven’t entered many contests. In fact, the only one I’ve ever entered is the SWC Writing Competition. But awards have never really been why I write. I have always been a writer purely to express my thoughts, feelings, and ideas out in words somewhere I can always look back on, and to grow as a person through growing as a writer.

Overall, I might not be considered the most experienced out of all of you, even the ones who’ve never (co-)led before. But I’m willing to gain that experience, and I believe that is just as important.

iii. cabin preferences

If I’m accepted as leader, there are a couple ideas that have been floating around slowly taking over my brainspace for a while now. In any case, in no particular order, they are:

Script:
As a camper in Script, your job description only has one sentence: ‘Do whatever is needed to keep the theater up and running.’ Although a bit vague, you were hooked by the theater’s cozy (and chaotic) charm and decided to try it. Suddenly, though, all the actors have dropped out for the theater’s long-awaited first musical (a show that could make or break the stream of ticket-buyers) for unknown reasons, and the director has no choice but to hire the employees on as actors. Including you. And unfortunately, you can’t complain that it’s not part of your job description.
For this cabin, I have a pretty solid plan for the background, but the rest is something I want to explore with my co’s!
Script could also fit the genres of Lyric and Bi-fi.

Illu-fi:

Inspired by the Tea Dragon Society graphic novel series by Katie O’Neill, Illu-fi would be a low-stakes cabin focused on cabin bonding and making memories. Campers would become part of the Tea Dragon Society, reviving old traditions and take care of their very own tea dragons, tiny furballs that act and look much like a modern cat or dog, but with magical tea leaves growing on their horns that produce tea. Tea dragon tea, when drunk, floods your mind with memories, both joyous and melancholy, of time spent surrounded by friends and family. The storyline would mainly consist of daily writing prompts and roleplay, along with smaller chaotic prompts to help pass the time until the Festival, where campers get to drink their tea dragons’ tea and reflect on the session. Illu-fi could be adapted to fit Fantasy or Classics.

Fairy Tales:

Fairy tales are often associated with happy endings, problem-solving magic, and true love. But when you actually look closely, they're filled with dark wit and, surprisingly, a good bit of tragedy. To me, a Fairy Tales cabin revolving around the darker side of fairy tales, along with some non-traditional fairy tales, like the poems of Edgar Allen Poe and myths from other cultures, would be a really cool concept! It would likely be quite writing-focused instead of storyline, but still integrating some plot bits along the way. This cabin would likely involve a low-key storyline that doesn't require too much activity, instead focusing on collaboration and creativity. This one in particular is one I would love to iron out with my co-leaders if it's accepted, as I have a lot of paths in my head that it could take.

Fairy Tales is definitely not the only genre this cabin could fit; it could easily become Poetry, Gothic, or Tragedy without much adaptation.

I also have ideas for Mystery, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Mythology, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Adventure, and Action.

If I were to co-lead, I would love to be part of any genre listed above that's not stated in the ‘maybe not’ list below, along with Furry Sleuth (I’ve seen a couple people mention this in their apps and I absolutely love it), Journalism, Comedy, Lyric, or anything similar. I might not choose to co-lead Sci-fi, Cyberpunk, Contemporary, or Horror, as I’m not well-versed in those and probably wouldn’t do the best.

Despite that, it would mostly depend on the storyline, as I have seen versions of some of these that I thought were amazing even though the genre is not typically my forte.

I would prefer not to (co)lead TCTWNW, as they tend to be less active, but might if given the chance. Out of these cabin choices, Illu-fi (Fantasy might be the better genre for this cabin to keep from having two Illu-fi TCTWNWs in a row <3) would likely be the best for a non-competitive cabin.

iv. time dedication + management

Dedication
Time is a hard thing to pin down, but I do have a rough outline of what cabin planning season (and July itself) will be like.

My summers are quite varying as far as day-to-day availability, so I would be able to dedicate anywhere between 30 minutes to 3 hours online every day. In May, I will have school until the 22nd, which will keep me fairly busy. Those days, it will be more like 30 minutes to an hour. After that, I might have a few vacations (during which I will be completely offline) and extracurriculars, both of which will take up more time in the day. I will let both my team and the hosts (especially if it’s a vacation) know whenever those dates come up, as it will be much harder to get things done on those days. On all non-vacation days, no matter how busy, you can expect at the very least a check-in from me in the morning or afternoon to see how things are going.

If anything changes as far as my activity levels go, I will do my best to let my team know!

Management
To start things off, I’ll put it bluntly. I’m not the best at time management. I know I’m not. Bu what I will say is that I’m learning. I’ve already gotten a thousand times better than when I answered this question in January.

My biggest issues are still procrastination and overcommitment; I’ll overload myself with things to do, and then feel terribly demotivated whenever I make time to do them. Last session, I learned a lot about the consequences these two things can have; there are some things that I was extremely excited about for our cabin but just never got to.

Luckily for me, though, consequences can lead to improvement. And so they did.

I’ve learned to slam on the brakes whenever I see these two coming, and apply some of the techniques I’ve learned over time: to-do lists, time blocking, determination, and optimism. Although relatively simple, these four can help chase away my time management demons better than anything else so far. To-do lists and time blocking help me keep track of and/or limit what I have to do and remember when I need to get things done, while optimism and determination help me push through demotivation and get those things done.

Now that we’ve listed my shortcomings (and how I solve them), we can move on to my strengths!

It’s not all down in the dumps whenever I’m managing my time. Although I’ve certainly got some big problems in time management, there are also things I’m great at.

Organization and consistency are powerful tools that help me get things done despite my personal setbacks.

Organization is a beautiful thing. When you know exactly who’s doing what, at what time, and when they’re getting it done, most everything falls into place as perfectly as possible. Obviously, nothing’s perfect and there are always bumps in the road, but careful planning can help us adapt to those plans as best we can because we know what’s coming next.

I can easily chart out a to-do list or timeline, and making schedules or daily goals are natural for me to come up with or stick to. Setting deadlines to motivate me and others to keep pushing through or checking off a cabin bucket list sre things I was born doing.

Being consistent feels quite important when you’re in charge of a group of people, no matter the scenario. If some of my contributions come in way past the deadline and some come in days in advance, my team wouldn’t know what to expect from me. I’m proud to say I’m quite consistent in meeting deadlines, keeping up with activity, coming up with ideas, and all the other parts that come with the (co)leader position.

There you have it! My strengths and weaknesses in time management, along with a rough schedule of my summer. Time and I don’t always agree, but when we do, wonderful things can occur.

v. communication + accountability

Communication

Communicating is one of the most crucial things in a leadership setting. Using it in a way that works for you and the people you’re working with can lead to life-changing experiences, memories that last forever, and an amazing experience overall.

My style is very heavy on collaboration: I’ll respond and add on to everything others have brought up, and than brainstorm a bit solo and bring back some ideas to the team if asked.

I always consider my team’s wants and needs before doing anything solo, most times checking in with them to see if they’re okay with my ideas and/or timing.

I can provide plenty of ideas if asked, but I sometimes have a hard time knowing if others want suggestions. A lot of people prefer to do their own thing without as much input, so I’ll usually try to stay on the safer side and not offer my ideas out. Sadly, this might hinder me from providing great ideas that could turn a boring cabin into an amazing one.

However, this session, if given the opportunity, I’m resolving to push myself to share my ideas out no matter how silly or unachievable they seem, to make my cabin as amazing as possible.

As for my methods to responding to my team in the planning forum, I like to scan through lists of what others have said, and add onto them one by one, ending with an idea if I’ve got one. I love bouncing off ideas and brainstorming as a group, no matter what the project.

The best things I’ve created have almost always been a group effort, and I know an SWC cabin is no different.

Accountability
I’m a fairly reliable person when it comes to accountability. I do, of course, have my issues, like everyone, but for the most part, I’d like to think it’s one of my greatest strengths in a leadership setting.

Yes, I have a bad habit of procrastination. But like I said, once I actually sit down to work, I’m quite productive. And I’m finding ways to battle the procrastination off in the first place.

And I do have a hard time letting myself do something that’s not perfect. I have a bad case of perfectionism. If I get stuck on something that doesn’t feel right, I’ll eye it for hours, trying to figure out how to fix it.

But I’m getting better at that, too. Most ‘issues’ lately are only fixed if I finish early. And that, to me, is a huge improvement.

So despite all that, I stay pretty consistent. And I have lots of strategies for keeping myself on task.

I can keep myself on track by sitting down in a comfortable place without distractions, and nothing but my work and possibly a snack in front of me.
Speaking of which, despite how silly it sounds, food can be pretty useful when you need to focus. It keeps you from getting distracted by looking at the clock to see how close dinner/lunch is, or getting disrupted by my stomach growling.

If a distraction sneaks its way into my head, I remind myself of what time I have and see if I’ve got time to chase after it. Oftentimes, I don’t. And even if I do, I don’t stop what I’m doing immediately and rush off. I give myself a stopping point, and if I’m still yearning to do something else, I do. But I don’t get carried away. I let myself have fun for slightly less time than I think I have, then go back to work.

I get things done by setting deadlines, putting reminders where I can see them (even if it’s just keeping a tab open on my computer instead of closing it), and keeping in mind that my team (or my grade, in the case of most schoolwork) is counting on me; I hate disappointing others and try my best to stay on top of things when I’m working in a group.

And that, I feel, is exactly what accountability is: knowing that others are relying on you and doing your part to keep things going.

And to me, that doesn’t mean doing everything you possibly can even if you don’t have enough time.

It means keeping track of the things you do have time for and asking for help in advance as soon as you realize you can’t do it. It means reminding others what they have to get done and offering for help if you have that capability. It means admitting to your mistakes and working to fix them.

And all of that is what I’m good at, or what I’m working on, day after day, to get better at.

vi. scenarios

Scenario C.

Losing motivation is something I can relate to. It’s something everyone deals with. And so is having trouble with accountability; sometimes time constraints and piles of work feel like a huge weight pressing down on you.

If something like this happens to someone on my team, I’d reach out privately (in case they aren’t comfortable sharing with the rest of the team or don’t want to clog the forum) and ask them what’s going on.

If they don’t have enough time, I’d work with the rest of my team to figure out who has the most time on their hands and if they’re willing to take on some of the (co)leader’s work. If no one is able, we’ll try to simplify the plan and take some items off the list to lessen the load.

If they just can’t see the point of working on the stuff, I’d ask them what feels pointless about it and see what I can do to explain the meaning behind it while still validating their feelings. I might also ask them what they think might be a better idea, and discuss any given ideas with the rest of my team so they’re working on something that feels more important to them.

If they just don’t feel like they have the skills to do it, I would ask them what about it feels ‘impossible’ and guide them through the process. If that doesn’t work, I’d see if anyone would be willing to switch around some assignments and give them something that they feel comfortable working on.

If they don’t give an answer, I’d see what I could figure out from context and try some more collaboration-focused things where they could easily give their input on what they do or don’t want to do. And if all of this fails, I’d try a simplified version of each of the methods above and see what seems to work.

I definitely know what this situation feels like, and I’d do whatever I can to boost morale and keep things on track.

vii. swc impact

SWC has had an enormous impact on me, and from my very inactive first session last March to this very day, it affects how I think, how I approach leadership, how I interact with others, and most of all how I write.

I started out in March as a silly writer who never planned and thought the only thing worth writing was a novel.

I can’t believe how wrong I was.

SWC has changed my writing in so many ways, from providing endless inspiration to changing my style almost completely.

Nowadays, I’m filled to the brim with ideas for poems, flash fiction, short stories, scripts, and yes, books.

Characters and worlds feel so much more real. Word choice has become so much more important. My writing has become a lot sillier at times, but than I start a poem and a slight solemn melancholy comes over me almost immediately.

Before SWC, I wrote completely for the plot, didn’t give a thought towards character development, and, well, had terrible grammar and syntax.
I’m so, so glad I signed up as a backup camper that March.

My life will never be the same.

As for creating a positive impact on other SWCers, whether first-timers or war veterans, I intend to create a session they’ll remember.

I want to make a cabin that doesn’t feel like it’s got high expectations: high-demand storylines that the (co)leaders are begging you to participate in, nothing so competitive that you feel like your letting your cabin down if you don’t do the weekly, nothing telling you to write a million words.

Whether I’m in a leadership position this session or not, I aim to help those I interact with to feel motivated and satisfied with their writing. Whether these opportunities come in the form of critiquitaires, or being an accountability buddy with someone, or even just telling them that their writing is really cool, or anything else I can do, I’ll try my best to take on as many as I can without burning out.

SWC is such an amazing place for me— I hope I can make it just that for others around me, too.

viii. cabin atmosphere

a.
“A calm, encouraging cabin with a low-maintenance but immersive storyline and a focus on improvement, bonding, and personal goals” (129 characters and 19 words).

b.
Whatever cabin I end up (co)leading this session, if I’m given the chance to do so, I want to give campers a memorable experience that they’ll enjoy down to every second.

Campers, like I mentioned in my ‘SWC Impact’ section, shouldn’t feel pressured to do everything or interact with everyone.

I would create this atmosphere by making sure the cabin has a minimal, or low-maintenence, storyline that creates something campers are proud of, and it wouldn’t be focused too much on competition.

Activities like Cabin Wars would be a chance to have some fun writing with your cabin, not something that requires thousands of words from each person, and dailies, weeklies, critiques, and word wars would be portrayed as an oppotunity to improve, instead of one to gain points.

All in all, I hope to create a cabin that’s encouraging and doesn’t cause any stress, focused almost completely on bonding, memories, and improvement.

ix. checkboxes

a.
⁀➷ I can add points consistently through the session
⁀➷ I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC
⁀➷ I’m willing to put the camper signups link in my “About Me” or “What I’m Working On” on my Scratch Profile
b.
I’ve read all things listed in the FAQ and can complete all of them!

x. bonus question

I would either reside in the Tea Shop with the Mad Hatter or in the Rabbit Hole with a book <3 Holed up in a corner with a book or sitting in a beautiful tea shop surrounded by insanity both sound like perfect places to stay for eternity!
starunicorn_5
Scratcher
100+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

zoological ventures ☂ an swc (co)leader app!

about me ✿
Hi there– I’m Kat (she/her), your friendly neighbourhood Spidercat, found in the IST timezone (UTC +5:30)! I’m a cat-loving STEM kid who’s passionate about my dreams and interests– including reading, chess, zoology, theater, and (the most surprising of them all :0) writing. Recently, I’ve been learning the piano!

I chose this app theme because zoology is one of the things in life that really makes me happy– getting to be in nature and help protect the animals I’ve loved since I was a little child. I hope that this app can help share some of its magic with you!

I’m a huge reader, and over the years, I’ve devoured my fair share of books. I love exploring characters and worlds, and getting lost between the pages of a novel. Some of my favorite books are the Wings of Fire series, the Hunger Games series, and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. Reflecting these, the genres I love most are fantasy, dystopian, and mystery!

My music taste, meanwhile, expands over a wide range. I listen to music when I need to relax, focus, or just vibe– it helps me process emotions. Some of my go-to music artists are Taylor Swift, One Direction, and Michael Jackson!

This section wouldn’t be complete without mentioning theater: it’s been a fixation of mine since I was a child! It’s like a jumble of life and color on one stage: the characters feeling real, their voices pulling the entire audience under a spell. I love watching a show, and I equally love putting my all into performing. Honestly, the thrill of waiting for your cue is like nothing else.

Writing is another thing that means the world to me. I hope to pursue it as a career, and publish my works in the future. It’s always fulfilling to pour out my imagination, to express themes and characters and scenes with my words. SWC has been a huge help with improving, but the thing I love most about it is that it’s not just a writing camp. It’s a place where people from all over the world can talk and share, and it has been a constant companion for over two years of growing as a person and writer.

My current goals are to earn a chess ELO of 1500+ (I’m at 1200 as of now), become more familiar with the piano, and hit 200 pages/50k on my novel. That’s it for my introduction– I would love to chat sometime, and I hope you have an amazing day!

experience ✿
This session will be my ninth session of SWC– thank you for NINE wonderful experiences where I could learn and cause chaos and have fun! Here’s a list of these sessions:

Nov ‘23 - Adventure - camper | March ‘25 - Myth - coleader
March ‘24 - Fairy Tales - camper | July ‘25 - Horror - coleader
July ‘24 - Fantasy - camper | Nov ‘25 - Fantasy - camper
Nov ‘24 - Dystopian - camper | March ‘26 - Lyric - camper

Woah, I really am getting old! Anyways, in terms of leadership online, I’ve co-led two SWC cabins and was an admin for a popular Scratch roleplay. I’ve also led Scratch Chaos Camp, January Writing Camp, Scratch Study Camp.

My first time (co)leading SWC was nothing like I’d expected– it was better! Myth March ‘25 with Sage and Willow was one of the best cabins of my life. It taught me so much about dedication and communication with both my campers and (co)leaders! I learnt that your leadership team is less like coworkers with a boss, and more like a team of friends. I discovered how to meet deadlines, while maintaining healthy contact with my team while we’re at it. As for Horror July ‘25, I was thrilled to get another chance at (co)leading. I’m proud to say that I did my absolute best with this cabin– I discovered so much more about coordination and handling responsibility by completing what was delegated to me to help the storyline move on and stay synced with our plans as a larger team.

In real life, my experience a little less. I have handled certain group projects, though, where I could motivate everyone and delegate tasks fairly while listening to all ideas. In leadership, I’m definitely growing more experienced with how to be someone that people look up to and can always approach. Of course, I’m not perfect, but I’m trying to learn new things and develop my skills every chance I get!

As for writing experience, I don’t have any official awards or accomplishments, but I do get personally told that I have a talent. I’ve tried out NaNoWriMo and am currently drafting a novel. I write for myself, mostly, and I have been for seven years now. Again, there are many points on which I want to improve, but I’ve come really far in this journey. Something that I value in myself as a writer is my passion– I hope I’ll have a love of writing as long as I live! <3

preferences ✿
This session, I’m applying for leader. My top preference for a cabin is adventure. My cabin idea based on my favorite book series, Wings of Fire. Campers can create their dragon persona, and explore the magical world of Pyrrhia! Danger is looming over the land, and they must solve quests and bond as a team to save the world and fulfill the prophecy… or choose to pave their own destiny! Another genre that would suit this idea is fantasy. I have a lot of ideas for which direction this can go in, and if I was chosen, I would flesh it out more with my cos. Reading the series prior isn’t required, as the concepts are self-explanatory, and ensures that everyone can participate equally and have fun!

Other genres I would be willing to lead are mystery, thriller, or dystopian! As for co-leading, I would be honored to recieve an offer for any cabin, but a few genres I would love to co-lead are sci-fi, paranormal, and magreal, along with any I stated above! Some genres I would prefer not to (co)lead are romance, hi-fi, and non-fiction, due to my lack of experience.

As the friendly competition of SWC usually gives me extra motivation, I’d rather not (co)lead TCTWNW this session. <3

time dedication and management ✿
A— I would be able to dedicate between 1-2 hours to SWC everyday, under normal circumstances. One thing that might pop up unexpectedly is badminton any day of the week except Sunday. The first half of June, I will be having summer vacations, for which I am going to stay at home– so my activity might increase then, and decrease in the second half because of school restarting. In July, other than school and homework, there’s nothing that might affect my activity. In case something does come up, I will do my best to notify my team!

B— The skills that I would use are long-term and short-term to-do lists, along with focus shifts. I would prepare both weekly and daily to-do lists. This would help me finish my daily tasks, while also making sure I keep track of my longer deadlines, instead of only focusing on one or the other. This would help me keep up with my responsibilities and make sure that everything gets done. Organization has always helped me maintain a positive mindset towards work.

Focus shifts are when I set a timer, and close all distractions. As someone who gets distracted easily, these help me lock in while also being mindful of the passing of time. This used to be a big problem– I would leave things halfway and not even realize, until I don’t have time left. I’ve minimized this by closing all other tabs, playing some soft music, and then the concentration comes to me!

I try to be as efficient as possible in everything I do, so I can save time while making sure that the result is of the best quality! I often find my own creative methods to complete tasks in a more enjoyable and faster manner, like when I used a specific order of adding words with a kind of ‘muscle memory’.

communication and accountability ✿
When communicating in group settings, I try to be respectful, kind, and positive! Looking back on group situations, I would say that I’m always cheerful and lighthearted. I tend to avoid conflict because I never want to hurt anyone’s feelings– keeping in mind that there is another human with emotions on the other end of the screen. I usually think over my reply several times, ensuring it’s relevant and considerate! I value open-mindedness and will always be willing to listen and come to an agreement where everyone’s ideas come into play and create something wonderful that we can all be an equal part of!

Accountability is an important thing in any team– it fosters trust, and makes sure everyone contributes fairly. For myself, being reliable is super important– when someone places that trust in me, I will do my absolute best to stay true to it! I hold myself accountable by setting myself a deadline and striving to complete it while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I will hold others accountable by checking in on them with a gentle reminder, along with seeing how they’re doing. I’ll make sure that no one feels pressured or overworked by helping my team out and asking for help if I need it.

scenario a ✿
If my (co)leaders had different ideas of the cabin atmosphere, I would first try to mediate between everyone’s ideas, while being an active listener– I think all ideas are worth listening to! I would be open and honest, while also staying calm and respecting boundaries. I would find a common point in all of our atmospheres, and try to combine them. The main thing would be to hold up a positive environment at all times. In the end, I would do my best to come up with a solution together that all of us are happy with, ensuring that no one feels excluded or unheard. SWC is a place people work together and express themselves, and I will uphold that!

swc impact ✿
SWC has been a driving force in my life– I didn’t know, when signing up that first session, that I would find such an amazing community here! SWC has helped me develop my personality in so many ways– it improved my writing skills, my leadership skills, and even helped me grow my social skills in real life. My writing used to be full of ideas– but no effective way to deliver it. SWC’s helped me use my words wisely to send my message across with more power! As for my social skills, I used to literally be a shy girl in the corner. Now, I’m still an introvert, but one who has a lot more confidence and can stand up for myself and my voice. I can communicate with more ease, and know how to be kinder and more sensitive. It’s given me the motivation to keep working on my writing projects, and talking to people who were friendly, chaotic, and welcoming make me feel like I belong.

As a leader, I’ll work to make every camper’s experience just as magical as all my past (co)leaders made mine. The main thing that I love about a cabin is when it’s interactive. It makes space for new friendships, and lets everyone have more fun! I’ll involve my campers by guiding them (especially new campers) around SWC to make sure that everyone is well-oriented. I would talk to them and encourage them to talk to each other, and incorporate bonding activities like questions of the day and storyline tasks. Most of all, I would be compassionate and approachable, ensuring that my campers can come to me anytime– to ask a question, bring up a problem, or just to talk!

atmosphere ✿
A—
A slightly competitive, storyline-heavy cabin that focuses on personal writing goals, making friendships, and having an amazing time! (133 characters)

B—
I would create this atmosphere throughout the session by offering motivation to anyone who needs it, and keeping cabin spirit high no matter the rankings. The cabin storyline would be fun, based on camper activity to make sure not to pressure anyone. I would also encourage them to prioritize life > SWC.

checkboxes ✿
A—
✓ I will be able to help add points in the Main Cabin consistently throughout camp
✓ I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC
✓ I’m willing to put the camper signups link on my “about me” or “what I’m working on” on my Scratch profile

B—
Nope; I will be able to complete all my responsibilities in a timely manner! <3

bonus ✿
If I were in wonderland, I would probably go hang out with the Cheshire Cat, and train with him to learn how to become invisible! And even if my efforts were in vain, he seems like a fun guy to spend time with.
unercornshine
Scratcher
500+ posts

SWC Megathread ࿔*:ଳ・ March 2026

࣪ ִֶָ☾.The Hellbound ⭑.ᐟ Vicky's SWC Leader App July 26'
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

words: 2,853
link to app:

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ Question 1: About Me
Greetings (g)hosts, leaders, swc-ers and stalkers alike to my July 2026 Leader App. My name is Vicky, and I'm a purple-obsessed Muslim teen who lives in the rainy terrains of the UK: BST (UTC+1). I aspire to be an investigative officer and I have enough schoolwork, hobbies and fandoms to always keep life quite, ahh- “colourful”.

Some of my recent hobbies have been:
Writing (omg who would've thought?!?) and this leader app is based on one of my many worlds and characters for a novel with no specific title yet, but includes genres of dystopia v utopia, post apocalypse and more. It's kind of like a mashup of Arcane, Hunger Games, and Shatter Me in a unique sort of way. I've also been focusing on two other novel ideas aside from this one, one being realistic sci-fi featuring found family, political corruption and more. My other idea is a mystery, crime and thriller novel featuring star-crossed lovers and “us against the world” I also love reading and I've recently been into mystery, crime, thriller, dystopia and classics. I'm currently reading The Inheritance Games series and a FEW of my favourite books are: the A Good Girls Guide To Murder trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the Shatter Me series, Hunger Games (specifically Sunrise On The Reaping) and more. I've been reading since very young and it's one of my greatest passions. Lastly, one of my favourite hobbies is art. I use traditional art forms like sketching and acrylic paint and I also enjoy crafty things like crochet, gift-card making, lettering and other handmade crafts.

I also enjoy watching TV, to be specific: youtubers, anime, animation, action k-dramas + a bit of romance k-dramas too and ofc the good ol' western shows. Off the top of my head, my current favourite western shows are: Stranger Things, Wednesday, One Piece Live Action and Young Sherlock; also, I've been into Marvel sine I was a kid but I'm getting a lot more into it now. My favourite animated shows/movies (not including anime) are Into and Across The Spider-verse, and Arcane. In terms of anime I'm currently watching Attack on Titan and my favourite anime is Jujutsu Kaisen with Kimetsu No Yaiba (Demon Slayer) in second. Although technically i've not actually watched that many animes + i'm open to recs. Also, call me weird but I also love certain kids shows like Sophia the First, Ninjago, Rainbow High, Avatar the Last Airbender and more haha-

I'm very ambiverted and I enjoy spending time with myself, doing the things I love or just wandering through the thousands of worlds I've imagined up in my head. I'm also someone with very strong views “politically”: the kind of person who would love to endlessly debate or discuss with you about politics or the current state of the world. I think like an activist and I've always wanted to bring something more to this world.

So, now that you know a bit about me, let me show you why I should be picked as a leader this session.
*cheeky chuckle*

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ Question 2: Experience
I have participated in 7 sessions of SWC as a camper and I have gotten accustomed to the rhythm of SWC and how it works; being a camper in SWC for so many sessions has also taught me a bit about about being a leader from an external point of view. I have observed what leaders basic responsibilities are: developing the cabin storyline, communicating with campers, adding words and points etc. But I have also observed what makes a leader that much more exceptional: constant interaction with campers to build a strong relationship between leader and their cabin, the extra nudges and motivation campers need to stay engaged, new storyline perspective or plot twist in the middle to end of the session to ensure the campers aren't getting bored, and more ideas that push a leader from good to great! These are things I have seen leaders do in the past as a camper, and how it makes them memorable and loved by the cabin; I would love to implement such an effect.

Furthermore, I participated in one session of SWC as a co-leader, which was such a memorable and eye-opening experience for me. This session was Utopian July 25' which I co-lead with Sunny and Liv was our leader. In this session I learnt a lot about being both a co and a leader.

Firstly, as a co I learnt a lot about what it's actually like behind the scenes of a leadership team. It gave me experience on what goes on behind the construction of a cabin and I gained experience in working on cabin aesthetics, the cabin storyline, word adding, interactions with campers and more! But what I really absorbed more from was observing Liv as a leader. It was great learning from her as she was an exceptional, experienced leader who taught me a lot about keeping yourself and the team super organised, ensuring you have a focus on the campers well fare, dealing with your co's kindly and treating them more like friends than co-workers.

Aside from SWC, I would say -as an estimate- I've participated in around 15+ scratch camps, 2 of them as leader, one as a co-host.

Co-Hosting SCC February 2026 with Sage and Lyra (the founder) has been an enjoyable experience which I have learnt a lot from, the key lesson being how to delegate tasks according to everyone's strengths and availability, which I would try my best to implement in my leadership team.

Founding and hosting UMBC has definitely taught me about perseverance and stubbornness in terms of not giving up in the face of a few struggles. UMBC has also given me a lot of experience in working from scratch with a new idea that hasn't been done before, and the beautiful art of trial and error. Nonetheless, I'm proud that I came out of UMBC's testing fazes with resilience and pride with a new idea to share with our lovely swc'ers. I would implement these skills as a leader by ensuring I never give up on my cabin and even if things don't go to plan, I will continue to try and make things right.

In terms of my leadership experience outside scratch and the internet, I've gone from taking on leadership roles since primary school as well-being lead: a few people in the school who, with the help of a teacher, organised fun activities to ensure every student stayed happy, to taking on roles in secondary school: not only when I took the title of ‘student council’ where I represented my class in making school decisions, but also when I often take the responsibility of leading in group projects, PE and subtler things like taking control of form time when our teacher hasn't arrived yet. These irl experiences have taught me a lot about various things I would like to implement in swc.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ Question 3: Cabin Preferences
My cabin idea for this session is:
Adventure - Based on the live action show/anime+manga “One Piece”:

One Piece is a vibrant and lovably chaotic world which I think swc-ers would come to love sooooo much, and so I would like to inspire this cabin on One Piece, which follows the protagonists as they journey the seas to pursue their dreams, making friends, enemies and everything in-between on the way. The world of One Piece is poppy, bright colours, bizarre but lovable character designs, funky powers given to you by ‘devil fruits’ and so much more! Furthermore, One Piece portrays strong themes and messages like ‘don’t give up on your dreams' and ‘the importance of friendship’, which I would love to emphasize in my cabin too.
This is what I would like to base my storyline around: campers venturing the seas to build their bonds with one another and also focus on making their personal dreams (goals) come true.
I will try my best to ensure that campers who don't know much about the world of One Piece are able to understand and enjoy the storyline just as much as a camper who had known about One Piece before. I will achieve this by starting from base level of the plot and giving extra information where it's needed.
This cabin idea can also be moulded to suit Fantasy or Bi-Fi.

As a co I don't have much preference, although I don't think I would suit a cabin like Non-Fi or Folklore.

I would also prefer not to co/lead TCTWNW as I would prefer to engage in the competitive side of swc this session.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ Question 4: Time Dedication + Management

During June and also what's left of May, it will be exam season and my studies shall be my top priority. Most of my exams should end on the week ending Friday 19th June, although I will be having my physics and chem exams later than that: during the start of July; most likely on the first week. During the busier June time I will be able to dedicate around 1 hour per school day, and around 1 hour 45 mins on weekends, depending on the work load (I should be able to dedicate a little more time if need be). I will be most active during July, and after the first week I should be able to dedicate around 1 hour and a half (or more if needed) to swc per week day, and more (3-4 hours spread out) on weekends, again depending on how much actually needs to be done.

To manage my time I would say I'm very good with flexibility. This means my ability to squeeze in tasks at unexpected times. For example, I wrote around 4 of my leader app questions on paper between school lessons, at lunch times, etc. which accelerated the time it took to write my answers. This skill makes me productive and even when I'm busy I can still get extra tasks done. Moreover, I would say my greatest ally is to-do lists as they ensure I can keep myself accountable for what tasks I have to complete daily. I work very well under pressure and I'm quite efficient under time pressure.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ Question 5: Communication + Accountability
My communication style in group settings could be described as calm & patient, friendly & comfortable and simple & transparent.

I am naturally calm, patient and understanding, which I think is especially important on an online camp were our irl lives should be prioritised over swc. I also love to work in groups where we're all friendly and accustomed to each other, so we can all work comfortably with each other and be able to openly trust each other. Furthermore, I am very simple in my communication style in a way that if we all put our best efforts into our tasks then things will run smoothly; however, I make it clear to my team that if I see a lack of effort or seriousness from a group member, I am not afraid to break the tranquillity to ensure things are being done properly. I try my best not to come of as harsh or rude, but I do believe that sometimes being slightly stern is what is needed to get things done.

In terms of holding myself and others accountable I would say my best method is delegation and a weekly checklist. Delegation would ensure everyone has a task that they're in charge of and they know they're being held accountable for. A weekly checklist would be appropriate as the weekly margin gives an opportunity for team members to individually space out their tasks over the week according to their personal schedules. I will use this to keep track of me and my teams weekly progress, along with additional everyday check-in's to ensure everyone is on track. Daily check-in's are also good for in-case anyone is encountering any setbacks or they're unable to complete a task due to something that came up.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ Question 6: Scenarios
scenario c: (a fellow (co)leader struggling with motivation and accountability)

To address this situation I would first try to tenderly speak with the co/leader to find out the reason behind their struggles so that we can discuss a way to help them. I would first encourage them to take time to resolve whatever's causing the struggles and prioritise their mental health and irl life. It could be overwhelm or stress, in which case I would then approach the other (co) leader's to discuss a way to help them, and see if we can reduce their workload and distribute the extra tasks between ourselves if it isn't too much. We can also prioritise only the necessary tasks to distribute between ourselves so we don't have to carry too much burden. This could be like taking on their word count studio together and their share in releasing the cabin storyline but dropping their role in cabin aesthetics or design. If it gets too overwhelming to take on some/most of their tasks, I would seek help from the host team to see if there's anything we can sort out to help the person whilst still keeping our workload reasonable. If needed I would also try my best to motivate and encourage them to raise their spirits or to give them that little push, trust and kind words some people need in order to be motivated.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ Question 6: SWC Impact
SWC has impacted my life a lot, and shaped my person and writing for the better.

Firstly, my favourite thing about swc is the community: swc made my younger self feel accepted and loved at a time where my irl friendship was quite rocky. This community is so supportive, loving and welcoming in a way that made me feel as though I did have a place somewhere, and friends who understood and care about me. I could try and achieve such an impact on others by being as active in the main cabin as possible in order to interact with swc'ers outside my cabin. I will also try and be as sociable as possible and try to communicate with new people. I will try and be as active on the main cabin as possible

Furthermore, I remember first joining swc and how confusing everything was to me, but everyone tried their best to explain things to me and didn't mind my plethora of questions and my calling cabin wars ‘cabin battles’ XD. This is the impression I would like to create on new campers: a place where you can be yourself without being judged. I would try create this impact by checking on new campers regularly to see how they're settling in, encouraging them to ask questions and get acquaintanced with other swc'ers.

Lastly, swc has impacted my writing a lot. It has shaped my writing style, confidence and so much more. I went from writing half-fledged sci-fi novels to writing poems, short stories and planning novels I'll actually (hopefully) be able to finish! All the workshops, dailies, weeklies and more have made my hobby of writing into something consistent and something I could pursue in the future. Moreover, swc has given me a lot of confidence in my writing, and I went from never thinking anyone would ever read something I wrote, to sharing my writing all the time and getting positive reception from it too. I would achieve this impact on others by giving positive and encouraging messages after I read their writing or before I critique their writing.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ Question 8: Cabin Atmosphere
A welcoming cabin with an engaging, chaotic storyline and focus on building lasting relationships, self-care and achieving individual goals whilst still having an eye on competition. (181 characters)

I would foster and maintain such an atmosphere by encouraging interaction between campers and group discussions. A part of my cabin idea (One Piece) is a focus on the campers working together as one ‘crew’ and the importance of friendship. Furthermore, I would ensure the storyline has enough twists and turns to keep campers engaged and i would keep the atmosphere positively competitive by encouraging campers to engage in dailies and weeklies and reminding the cabin how many points we need to get to x position. I will also try my best to ensure this doesn't become to overwhelming for the campers by setting reachable goals and encouraging campers to prioritise life > swc. I would also create an environment that focuses on self-care with activities that encourage self-care and a healthy lifestyle. My cabin idea (One Piece) also has a focus on achieving your dreams and i would like to incorporate this by encouraging campers to set themselves goals at the start of the session which i will be regularly asking about progress on this goal.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

๋࣭ ⭑⚝ Question 9: Checkboxes
I will be able to help add points in the main cabin consistently throughout camp.
I am willing to share a promotional project for SWC.
I am willing to put the camper signups link in my “about me” or “what I’m working on” on my Scratch profile.

there is no leadership responsibilities I will not be able to complete in the FAQ.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Last edited by unercornshine (Today 19:35:08)

Powered by DjangoBB