Girls and young women in the Fort Frances area are invited to participate in the first-ever Girl Power Camp at the UMAYC here next week.
Organizers have been working on setting up the camp over the last several months and are excited to be offering the program to girls aged 12-18.
“We strongly encourage girls to come. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said UMAYC assistant co-ordinator Beri Korkola.
The camp will run from Aug. 25-28. Each day will feature workshops on different topics, including leadership training, girls against violence, and empowerment.
Organizers also are hoping to offer a workshop on self-defence.
“Most of the things we’re doing, people are volunteering their time,” Korkola noted. “It makes it a lot easier when you have volunteers.”
In addition to local volunteers coming in to help with various activities, the Regional Multicultural Youth Council from Thunder Bay will be here to run the workshops.
Becky Hunter, the UMAYC’s summer youth worker, said the RMYC offers the Girl Power Camp in Thunder Bay and has helped give workshops in other towns across Northwestern Ontario.
Girls will be separated by age for the workshops, with 12- to 14-year-olds in one group and 15- to 18-year-olds in another.
“Our mission for the Girl Power Camp is to help empower young girls in this world today, where they should be proud of themselves and to take a stand and not be afraid to be who they are or strive for what they want,” the camp’s mission statement reads.
“I hope the girls are really going to just learn to respect themselves. There are so many young people out there who don’t do that,” noted Korkola.
Some girls already have expressed an interest in the camp, but the UMAYC is looking for more to join in.
“Everyone should feel welcome to sign up,” Korkola noted, adding they’re hoping to get about 30 girls altogether.
The program will run entirely at the UMAYC’s Circle of Life Centre at 616 Mowat Ave.
The camp will begin at 2 p.m. on Aug. 25 and end around noon on Aug. 28 so participants coming from out of town will have time to travel to and from the camp.
Workshops will begin in the morning each day and will finish by 4:30 p.m. The evenings will be dedicated to fun activities.
The first night will be a sleepover, with a movie and a makeover for all the girls. There will be a bonfire on the Thursday night and karaoke on Friday night.
Also, every girl will be entered in a draw for a prize worth $200.
Anyone interested in signing up for Girl Power Camp can call the UMAYC at 274-0561.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
