When the new Middle College High School-Gulfton campus starts classes Aug. 25, it will already have a trained group of student leaders.

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About 40 seniors from the school learned confidence- and team-building skills last week at a five-day summer leadership camp held at Talento Bilingue de Houston.

“First, we’re creating a new identity; second, we’re building relationships, and foremost, we’re building the leadership skills and teaching them active team-member skills,” said Diana del Pilar, principal.

HISD’s two new Middle College High Schools will be located on Houston Community College’s Gulfton and Fraga campuses and are designed for students who have disengaged from a traditional high school culture. They offer small classes — with a student body of 150 each and an average class size of 15 — and the opportunity to earn community college credits and workforce certifications while completing their high school requirements.

“It’s a friendly environment,” said Andrew Woolett, one of the seniors who got to know his classmates for the first time at the camp. “It just feels that you can learn a lot (more) than what you can at a regular school.”

Applications are still being accepted at both campuses. For the Gulfton campus, on Houston’s southwest side, call 713-662-2551, and for the Fraga campus, call 713-718-6740.