[STCrowley]

My first question would be this: do the topics interest them? Be willing to talk about girls, sex, school, why school sucks (that's one of the few topics that I got my teenagers animated about--more on them in a second), or whatever they're really interested in. Or, have them teach you about something. (This has worked well for me, too. They love asking me questions and finding out I don't know.)

What I really wanted to say, though, is that some students are more difficult than others. Have they been sent to the camp because they're difficult? The only teenagers I've ever had were a pair of teenaged brothers whose parents paid for our school (private language school--expensive) because the kids were impossible. All I could get them to talk about where school being stupid, hating the Army (their father was in the German Army. They had to learn English because he was being sent to the U.S.) and fishing. The one who barely never spoke was willing to do--no exaggeration--a half hour presentation on the fantasy world in his favorite series of novels. He treated me like an idiot with each question I asked, but he answered them.

Does that help at all? I'm game to brainstorm with you, if you think you're already using 'cool' topics.
-Toby