Heather Latter
She always was being ranked in the sport that she played.
And no matter how hard she tried, she always was at the bottom of the ladder.
But through the “I Am Awesome! (And I Know It!)” girls’ self-esteem retreat, she realized it was okay.
She now truly believes there are other things she is good at and that she has something to offer the world.
That was just one of the testimonies shared Sunday at Sunny Cove Camp as the fourth-annual retreat wrapped up.
“It was really neat to hear first-hand how this program is making a difference,” enthused retreat director Renée Martin-Brown.
“They remember what we say about relationships, friendships, being kind, and trying to be inclusive,” she noted, citing she told the girls they are ambassadors of the program.
“It’s not okay for you to just come here for four days and talk to the talk—you need to walk the walk,” Martin-Brown stressed.
The event, which ran Thursday through Sunday, saw 65 girls aged 11-16 attend from all over Rainy River District, as well as from Dryden and Thunder Bay.
The aim is for the girls to discover more about themselves through a variety workshops, discussions, and activities.
The workshops included drama, music, visual arts, yoga, creative writing, Internet safety, and overcoming adversity.
“The presenters did a fantastic job,” Martin-Brown lauded.
“I’m so happy they were able to share their wealth of knowledge and experience with the girls.”
Aside from the workshops, the girls also had free time to journal, reflect, and connect with one another. And they thoroughly enjoyed Saturday evening’s dinner and semi-formal dance.
“The girls had a really great time through the weekend,” Martin-Brown said.
“Half of the girls were alumni and I really found that they took on a greater leadership role this year,” she noted.
“They were really welcoming to the new participants.”
This year, Martin-Brown said they tried to integrate the new and returning participants more by assigning them tables for meals.
“We had never done that before, but they got to know new people and made new friendships and really that’s what it is all about,” she reasoned.
“It was definitely a positive change,” she remarked, citing it was a good life lesson because it’s important to be able to talk and connect with different people.
“The fact that girls return year after year gives us a sense of what we’re doing right and where we’re missing the mark,” Martin-Brown added, noting the returning girls share what is happening in their lives and at school, as well as the challenges they’re facing.
“Then, in turn, we can try to accommodate them with our programming for the next year to give them better resources and cover topics that are more relevant to them,” she explained.
“It’s a great way for assessment of the program.”
And with all the positives and benefits she sees, the retreat is a program Martin-Brown intends to continue on with.
“We’re ready to forge on,” she vowed. “But in order to do that, we are going to have to secure some funding.”
The “I Am Awesome! (And I Know It!)” retreat previously has won a few competitions to help fund the program.
For instance, it captured the $45,000 grand prize in the Aviva Community Fund competition back in 2014.
Then last year, it earned $10,000 from the “Tbaytel for Good” competition, as well as money through the Moffat Family Fund.
While there is no fee to attend the retreat, the participants were asked to raise a minimum of $300 and also encouraged to participate in group fundraising projects.
They held a “Music in the Park” fundraiser and food booths at various community events, in addition to holding their own garage sales, bakes sales, lemonade stands, tag days, and bottles drives.
Used as a “pay it forward” incentive for girls who will be attending in future years, this year’s fundraising totalled $17,000.
But Martin-Brown warned the retreat needs more funding in order to maintain its quality and effectiveness.
“We’re in the process of filling out some grant applications and we’re always looking for corporate sponsors,” she noted, adding there even are small ways businesses can help out.
“We are always willing to try to partner with businesses,” she said.
Despite the success of the program, Martin-Brown has ideas to make next year’s retreat even better.
She’d like to add healthy living component, as well as possibly a physical element.
“I’d like to get the girls in the kitchen, and talk about nutrition and how to make a healthy meal,” she suggested, noting she’d like to bring in a dietitian to help.
“We’ve always been an arts-based program, but there has been some conversation about having one sports-themed event as part of the weekend.
“We’re excited to head to the five-year mark in 2017,” Martin-Brown added.
The retreat is affiliated with the OPP’s Youth Foundation and donations can be made to the program at www.oppyouthfoundation.ca
For more information, visit www.i-am-awesome.ca
