Not your typical summer camp:
Me to We’s Take Action Camp an extraordinary leadership experience for kids
When kids are passionate about an issue, it’s hard to keep up with them. They read about homelessness or world hunger, and they want to get involved and make a difference—but how? As parents, it’s hard to find opportunities for our kids to take action and connect with youth who share their interests.
Take Action Camp is Me to We’s answer to this problem. The week-long social justice-themed summer camp caters to kids with all levels of interest in local and global issues, giving them the tools and support to take action for the causes they care about.
“It’s so much more fun to share your excitement with someone who’s passionate about the same things,” says Kaylee Thomas of Landis, Saskatchewan. She attended Take Action Camp last August and found the experience transformational. She loved how the counselors put a new spin on classic camp games by turning them into problem-solving and leadership-building activities.
One game involved maneuvering a group of campers across an imaginary “lava pit.” The catch: they could only cross wearing one pair of “magic shoes” they all had to share. They had to work together to plan their route and make sure no one got left behind. “It was amazing! Even though we weren’t all the same kinds of leaders, we were able to put our leadership skills together,” says Kaylee.
Her stay at camp included leadership games, local volunteer activities, and special guests who spoke on a variety of pressing issues. The week ended with a big banquet where all the campers stood up and told their new friends what they were going to do to make a difference. Kaylee’s pledge: to volunteer in Africa and share her experience with as many people as possible. Not only is she booked to visit Kenya this summer with Me to We, but Kaylee was chosen by Me to We’s charity partner, Free The Children, to be a spokesperson for her upcoming trip.
“It was a huge opportunity for her, and it’s turned into so many more opportunities” says Kara, Kaylee’s mother. “I knew the second I picked her up, it had a huge, huge impact.” And the numbers agree. In follow-up studies, 93 per cent of campers say they intend to play a leadership role in social justice activities and 66 per cent experienced “transformative” growth as leaders.
While Kara has always supported Kaylee’s volunteerism, Take Action Camp was her daughter’s first opportunity to meet and connect with other passionate kids. “I remember when Kaylee went on Facebook to share stories with a bunch of the girls who would be at camp. She just looked at me and said, ‘Mom, there are other girls out there just like me.’” Even now, Kaylee keeps in touch with her counsellors and campers and turns to them for guidance, support and encouragement as she continues her leadership journey.
“She’s in such a great place right now,” says Kara. “I can’t say enough about it.”
Take Action Camp is located outside of Bethany Hills, Ontario and is open to youth ages 9 to 18 and welcomes campers with all levels of interest in leadership development and social issues. Sessions span July and August. For more information, visit metowe.com/camp, call 416.964.8942 ext. 510 or email takeactioncamp@metowe.com.
