Heather Latter
The “I Am Awesome! (And I Know It)” self-esteem retreat for young women is gearing up for its third year in 2015 and again is vying for some money to help make it happen.
The idea was submitted last week to the “Tbaytel for Good” initiative, which is a sponsorship program to strengthen communities and support youth in Northern Ontario.
“It’s another community-minded competition,” said retreat director Renée Martin-Brown.
“They are looking for ideas that promote youth in the community so the ‘I Am Awesome’ retreat is an excellent fit for their vision,” she noted.
The retreat, which this year will be for girls aged 11-16, helps young women from across the region nurture and develop self-esteem while exploring areas such as positive body image, peer pressure, confidence-building, exploring emotions, media influences, and much more.
The girls discover more about themselves while participating in various arts-based workshops throughout the weekend, including drama, music, visual arts, yoga, creative writing, self-esteem education, and Internet safety.
The inaugural event in 2013 drew 19 participants but the retreat was expanded to included 70 young women this past fall after it was named a grand-prize winner in the Aviva Community Fund competition last January—earning a total of $45,000.
“We had a really wonderful event last year,” Martin-Brown enthused, noting the Aviva funds were used to have a social worker and mental health worker on-site for the duration of the weekend, as well as professional educators and presenters.
“One of the stipulations of winning the Aviva money was that all of the money had to be spent in one calender year,” she explained.
But in an effort to add some sustainability to the retreat, the participants were asked to raise a minimum of $300 to help with tuition costs for future attendees.
“We knew not all of the girls would have the resources to fundraise so we asked them to raise a minimum of $300, and if they could go over and above that, we encouraged that in order to help the others,” Martin-Brown said.
She noted 90 percent of the girls successfully raised the full amount.
However, the retreat still is looking to raise another $20,000 for the 2015 programming.
“We want to be able to keep the same calibre of educators and presenters as we had last year,” Martin-Brown said.
But in order to offer the same programming, she is hoping to garner some extra funds through the “Tbaytel for Good” initiative.
Submissions can be accepted until April 27, with voting running from now until May 4.
So far the local retreat is one of just three ideas in the running.
On May 7, the three ideas with the top votes advance to the semi-finals, with the grand prize winner being announced May 14.
“The grand prize winner receives $10,000 while the other two submissions receive $5,000,” Martin-Brown explained.
“So just making the semi-finals, we are guaranteed $5,000—and that’s purely based on votes.
“So that’s why it’s important for people to vote daily,” she stressed, adding people can vote once a day with each e-mail address they have.
“If you voted for the Border Skating Club last year, your e-mail address already is registered and it only takes one click to vote,” Martin-Brown noted.
“That’s nice because you don’t have to re-register your e-mail address.
“It’s very easy to vote.”
Martin-Brown said if it’s your first time voting, you will be asked to confirm your e-mail address before you do so.
She reminds people to check their junk mail folder for the e-mail.
“We’re looking to keep the momentum going,” Martin-Brown reasoned, adding she believes the retreat is a really positive thing for young women.
“The girls took away many inspiring moments of self-discovery,” she said.
In fact, she noted past participants still are connected on a Facebook page.
“They are still encouraging each other and reaching out on the page, so that is really wonderful to see that they are carrying that impact with them,” Martin-Brown said.
This year’s retreat will be held Sept. 24-27 at Sunny Cove Camp.
Registration will open online on May 1.
For more information about the retreat, visit www.i-am-awesome.ca (where people also can support the retreat through the “donate now” option).
The retreat is partnered with the OPP Youth Foundation so donations over $20 are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.
“The $5,000 would definitely be helpful, $10,000 would put us halfway to our goal, and then we’ll still be looking to fundraise the rest before we get started in September,” Martin-Brown said.
To vote for the “I Am Awesome” retreat, visit www.tbaytelforgood.net/ideas/108
