For local boys and girls, our summer camp has been a FANTASTIC so far. Why’s that? Camp Adventures has everything FUN to do this summer, including swimming, games, S.T.E.M., and art.
Coach Ken, the hard-working master of summer camp, also plans event days intermittently over the summer including Pool Palooza, Summer Halloween, Backwards Day, and Color Run. So, how on Earth could summer camp get any more exciting than this?
Our Youth Empowerment Program Team comes every Wednesday to camp to offer fabulous workshops and games for every girl attending camp. For 4 weeks this summer, Miss Kelly, Miss Kelly, and Miss Kristie hosted awesome discussions, engaging activities, and more!
Each program week has an empowering theme. These themes include kindness, environmentalism, inclusion, and diversity.
The first week focuses on YW3CA’s Mission which includes a commitment to providing peace, justice, freedom, and dignity to all. The concept of inclusion in terms of the last few words in the mission, dignity for all, was the central theme of week one.
Week Two themes center around kindness and compassion. ‘Being Kind Matters’ is integral to the workshop and creative arts expression that week. Week Three themes focused on environmentalism. It is important to have the conversation with each girl that caring for the environment matters. Miss Kristie and Miss Kelly helped each participant understand the impact they can make to help the environment. They also discussed how helping the environment leads them to becoming stewards of the planet for future generations to come.
The final week’s theme encouraged positive discussion centering around diversity. You Grow Girl camp participants discussed that we are all different and unique, but when we work together for important causes, we can make change happen.
On top of fun exercises and discussion, Miss Kristie and Miss Kelly bring necklaces and charms that each girl gets to decorate. The girls get to make and create their own charms individually based on the themes that are taught each week.
Our Youth Empowerment Team intertwines the weekly themes with mindfulness movement and creative expression. Through weekly yoga sessions and creative arts activities, the girls in the camp learn healthy habits for both the body and the mind.
Through creative expression in both the written word, arts, and mindfulness movement, the Youth Empowerment Program Team exhibits an integral approach to self-care that allows each participant to lean into life. Helping girls with integrity, mindfulness, and gratitude, has helped enforce the Youth Empowerment Program’s mantra: We must Pause, and Breathe, in order to Achieve.
To learn about You Grow Girl! at Camp Adventures or the Youth Empowerment Program, contact Kelly Grosser at 610-323-1888 ext. 251 or kgrosser@ywcatricountyarea.org.
