Tomorrow, Monday April 22, is Earth Day, but what does that really mean? Last time we checked, we live on the Earth everyday. Unfortunately, maybe for that exact reason, it can be easy to take things like clean air or drinking water for granted, though even here in the U.S. many people — especially those in poor communities — are impacted by polluted air and water everyday.
The first Earth Day was held in 1970, and there were political and news-raising events all over the country to speak up for protecting the planet. Today, 33 years later, Earth Day is still an opportunity for each and every one of us to look at how we can do our part, and to raise awareness so others will do their part, to protect the planet.
What can you do to help? Different organizations have different campaigns, ideas, and ways to participate.
The environmental justice organization Green For All and The League of Young Voters Education Fund are sponsoring #Earthdaylive. #Earthdaylive is a 2-hour live broadcast featuring some of the most innovative people, projects and organizations working to protect the environment and create opportunities for all communities. Featuring music, videos, and live interviews, it will be an engaging look at the problems our communities face, and the people creating the most effective solutions. You can tune in here from 3-5pm ET, 12-2pm PT Monday April 22.
The climate-change organization 350.org is urging people to sign the final petition to President Obama urging him not to build the Keystone XL pipeline, which scientists warn would have terrible consequences for the environment. It is fitting that the deadline for accepting comments is Earth Day. Sign here and use your voice for change!
Mercy For Animals is “reinventing environmentalism” by encouraging people to adopt “The New 3 Rs” — to rethink your diet, reduce your meat consumption, and restore the planet. Did you know that 30% of all the Earth’s land is used to raise farmed animals and their feed crops? Check out this amazing resource from PETA2. If every person in the U.S. skipped one meal of chicken per week and ate vegan food instead, it would be like taking more than 500,000 cars off the road. Give it a shot!
This blog post is taken from an interview Massmoms.com conducted with YEA Camp founder and Executive Director Nora Kramer.
What is YEA Camp, and what’s your role there?
Youth Empowered Action (YEA) Camp is a unique, week-long overnight summer camp for teens who want to make a difference in the world. The focus of the camp is on leadership and getting active for a better world, and is for young people who care about community service, activism and social justice. My role is as executive director of the organization as well as being a camp director at the camp itself.
Are you a founder of the camp?
Yes. I founded the camp in 2009 in the Bay Area.
Where is it located?
We currently have camps in three different locations around the country — in northern California near Santa Cruz, just outside Portland, Oregon, and this year on the east coast in Charlton, Massachusetts.
Who usually attends YEA Camp?
Teens aged 12-17 who are passionate about getting involved in making the world a better place in some way. Our campers come from all across the country (and even sometimes from other countries) and choose an issue they care about and want to make a difference on when they get home. Some choose to address problems they see in their school or community, like bullying or getting healthier options in their school cafeteria, or address larger global issues like climate change or gay marriage. In addition, because all of our food is vegetarian (we see YEA Camp as an opportunity for campers to try out new ways of living sustainably and compassionately), we always attract some teens who are vegetarian and excited about being able to eat all of our amazing food. The young people who attend our program are amazing. You can check out the Camper Profiles page on our website to learn more about some of our campers.
What’s the typical motivation for choosing a camp like this? Do their parents send them or do the kids already arrive with a lot of personal motivation?
Sometimes parents find out about the camp first and tell their kids about it, and other times teens find out and tell (or beg) their parents. The motivation needs to come from the campers, though. Many parents recognize that their kids would benefit from finding a cause that they’re passionate about and seeing themselves as powerful changemakers who can really make a difference. But YEA Camp is not for everyone; it is a specialized program like a basketball camp or a math camp, which would be boring for those who weren’t passionate about those things. If the teen is not excited about the camp, it will not be a good fit.
Most campers’ motivation for attending is that they see some problem in their community or in the world and they want to do something about it. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of problems. Sometimes they don’t really know what to do or recognize that they would benefit from some training and support. Sometimes they really want to meet like-minded young people and adults to have friends who are passionate about similar things.
Campers must apply to attend, and really what we’re looking for in the application is just that they have a sincere interest to make the world a better place and are willing to take action to do so when they get home.
How long does the camp run?
Our sessions are 8 days, 7 nights. The camp is an overnight/residential camp.
What if a kid is painfully shy and yet has a cause he or she cares deeply about? How would YEA Camp benefit someone like that?
One of the things we talk about at YEA Camp is that there are so many different ways someone can make a difference that don’t require being outgoing or doing public speaking–from doing a beach cleanup to writing for the school newspaper to rescuing an animal in need. At the same time, an important part of our program is empowerment, which includes helping to remove barriers that campers might have to making the difference they want to make. For example, if the difference you want to make for the issue you really care about involves having a conversation with your principal or speaking at a community hearing, there would be an impact on that issue if you were too shy to do those things. We want our campers to choose the type of activism they want to do based on what they feel will be the most effective for the change they want to see, not based on their personal insecurities and fears, which can be worked on and overcome.
Our program has four pillars: building knowledge, skills, confidence and community. We do a lot of work on the confidence-building piece because ultimately we feel this is extremely valuable for someone who is trying to change the status quo. There will always be naysayers, and it takes confidence to stick with what matters to you (whether it be speaking out against racism or trying to implement a recycling program) in the face of disagreement or skepticism. The camp is an incredibly safe space for campers to explore themselves and take risks. Many do things at YEA Camp they would not have been willing to do before, like getting up in front of the group and doing a silly skit. We have been told many times by our more reserved campers that they experienced breakthroughs in their ability to express themselves and go outside of their comfort zone while at YEA Camp, which we feel will be invaluable to them as individuals and as people working to make a difference in the world.
Some parents might hear the word “activist” and interpret it as “troublemaker.” What would you say to them?
The word “activist” can unfortunately have a negative connotation to some, but we see activists as people who are taking action to make the world a better place, versus sitting on the sidelines criticizing or being apathetic about problems they see, and we feel our world needs a lot more people like that of all ages.
At YEA Camp, we focus on positive approaches to activism and ask campers to choose ways to make a difference that inspire them, whether it be starting a school club, planning a fundraiser, making a video to put on Youtube, or volunteering with an organization they believe in. We think these are things parents should feel proud of their son or daughter for doing. We seek to lead by example and show how we can be happy, positive people, like Gandhi said: “being the change we wish to see in the world.”
Do you have any success stories you’d like to share?
We have so many of those kinds of stories! I think all of our campers are a success story because they all leave feeling validated and appreciated for being people who care about making the world a better place, and they make friends who share their values and encourage them. But just to share a couple examples with you, we had a camper from Washington named Connor who came to camp really disillusioned about the culture of bullying at his school. Right after camp, he created a school climate survey and asked students about how safe they felt at school and their experience with bullying. He used that information to approach teachers and the school board and get an anti-bullying program put in place in his school that every student participates in on a monthly basis.
Another camper, Bianca from California, started a club at her school called Hearts for Animals that has held beach clean-ups, raised funds for the local animal shelter, done film screenings at school, and so much more that you can read about in the Activist Profile we did of her on our blog. Bianca wrote us a thank you letter, where she said, “I still recount my week at camp as one of the best weeks of my life, and remember in detail what I learned and how great of an experience it was. The whole reason why I started Hearts for Animals is because you all inspired me and gave me the confidence to do so. I don’t know where I would be without having gone through that experience!”
We have hundreds of stories like this.
What kind of parent feedback have you gotten?
You can read all kinds of feedback about our program from parents and campers on the testimonials page on our website. Parent feedback is all unsolicited; many are comments they wrote to us in an email or on our Facebook page to thank us and let us know the impact YEA Camp has had. One dad said “I wanted to let you know how wonderful and vital your YEA Camp was for our daughter! She not only loved her time there, but she came back with something which I will believe will be of lasting value to her, namely a sense that she can make a difference in the world.”
I’m always inspired by the love and support we get from parents of our campers. Many of them are blown away by the changes they see in their child after camp. We do a presentation on the last day when they come to pick up their camper where they get a taste of what their teen has been doing during the week, and many parents have shared that they are incredibly inspired and touched to hear what their child got out of camp and will be doing going forward.
What if a family would like to send their teen but don’t have money for anything like that? Are there scholarships?
Yes, we have scholarships and we will work with any teen who really wants to come to our camp, no matter their financial circumstance. YEA Camp is a nonprofit, and we work with campers to help them fundraise toward their tuition or to another camper’s scholarship. Please check out these campers’ scholarship pages to be inspired, and contribute if you are in a position to help them be able to pay for camp.
Watch a two minute video about the camp:
Where can a person find out more information about YEA Camp?
At our website www.yeacamp.org or by contacting us at (503) 347-0223 or info@yeacamp.org.
Want an opportunity to work with an incredible team of youth and adults to bring about a more peaceful, compassionate world? YEA Camp is hiring for summer camp jobs at each of our camp sessions, in CA, OR, and MA. Interested or know someone who might be?
Our staff have told us that working at YEA Camp is one of the most rewarding, fulfilling, and inspiring experiences they have ever participated in! We are hiring counselors, camp chefs, and health supervisors for all three of our sessions.
For more information about the positions or to apply, check our our dates and job descriptions. We look forward to hearing from you!
One of our favorite parts of getting ready for YEA Camp is reading our campers’ applications. We keep the application process pretty simple, but we do ask each prospective camper why they want to attend, what they care about, and what they hope to accomplish out of being there. Check out just a few of their inspiring comments (below), and invite any 12-17 year olds you know to think about what they might hope to get out of a summer camp designed to help them change the world! Then send them to our 2 minute video and to www.YEACamp.org.
“Coming to YEA camp, I would like to learn ways to speak up and get people to be more aware about what they are eating. I also think this camp sounds so great for
someone like me because of the happy environment you have there. I would like to come to YEA camp because I care for animals, animal rights, and the health of people, nature, and the world. The camp just sounds so perfect, I can hardly believe it. I definitely want to try to make a difference, because every little thing could help just one more animal. That’s how I think of it. Life is just a bunch of choices, and every choice counts (and could save lives). One of my main goals in life is to open the worlds eyes and stop
animal abuse altogether, and overall be living in one with nature and ourselves.” -Sage, Age 15
“It is up for young leaders to truly save the world. I want to learn about more resources that I can use, make friends and connect with each other, and have fun. I want to be able to realize that we as a race, though we have come far, are not nearly at the apex of our development and that it depends on us, this generation to advance the human race for
the benefit of everyone else. The two main problems in the world are climate change and racism. Many are denying it, but the movement to literally save the world is growing. Almost all scientists have accepted that global warming is a serious threat, and if we don’t do something about it soon, the world could be very well thrown into chaos. Since it takes almost worldwide cooperation to prevent global warming, a problem that will need to be solved first is racism. How is the Israeli prime minister and the leaders of the Arab League going to even meet? Although we consider ourselves very far ahead in equality,
we are far from it.” -JiaHeng, age 14
“I really would love to come to YEA camp because what I love to do is make positive, lasting changes in the world. Whether it is through art, or teaching, or anything else. When I am able to use my voice, my energy and my ideas to better the lives and situations of others and the environment I feel so gratified. It is such a great feeling to
know that I’ve made an impact on someone/something forever. Leave the world a little better, that’s what I want to do. At YEA camp I know that a lot of campers will have the same goal that I have and to think about all of these passionate people together is
such an awesome thought. By working together anything is possible, and at YEA I am excited to make a difference with new friends. When cleaning a creek or organizing a clothing drive, I’ve hit a few bumps in the road. At camp I’m hoping to learn what to do when this happens, as well as other skills to be effective in my efforts to take
action. Like, what’s the best way to write a letter to the President? How do you convince your principal to change to biodegradable lunch trays? I am excited to be inspired by all of the positive energy I’m sure to encounter at YEA camp. But most of all I’m looking forward to leaving this camp with a bunch of awesome friends that I can work with
to do good.” -Hannah, age 13
“I would like to attend YEA Camp to improve my activism skills, meet other young change-makers, and gain inspiration. I would like to learn new outreach tactics I can use in my work and am also interested in learning about other issues occurring in the world today. In my experience attending, I would like to gain more confidence,
understanding of other world issues, and new tactics I can use to change the world for animals. I would also learn more about how I can gain supporters for my cause to help me. The issue I am most passionate about and have chosen to dedicate my life to is animal rights. Our fellow creatures on this planet stand utterly defenseless against us and we treat them with no mercy. We are abusing our power and this sickens me. They cannot stand up for themselves and as a result, we must be their voice. I have already taken much action to stand up for animals. I am founder and president of Live Life Humane, which I founded when I was 14 years old. Live Life Humane is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to educating young people about animal rights issues and inspiring them
to make a difference. Launching my outreach in the New Year, we plan to do grassroots outreach (leafleting and tabling), humane education presentations, online activism, and peaceful protests. I am currently in production of “The Young Person’s Guide to Helping Animals,” which we will distribute at our events. Visit our website at www.LiveLifeHumane.org.” -Andrew, age 16
“I am very passionate about animal rights. I could go on for days. I am active in PETA 2 in my area and my family and I foster unwanted dogs and wildlife. Another cause that is very close to my heart is homophobia and gender stereotyping. We have a family member that is transgender and I have just begun looking into what I can do to help. I am very interested in continuing with my current programs and possibly starting a program of interest that has not yet been brought in to the spotlight in my locality” -Kara, age 17
“I would love to learn leadership and project management skills. I would like to gain friendships with other teenagers who are passionate with their interests. I think this would be a camp where I would fit in a lot better than at most other camps. The issue I am most passionate about is teen suicide prevention. I care about this because of how many young lives are lost because of suicide, and many people I know have struggled to see reason in staying alive. I have worked my very hardest to keep them here. It’s an
issue that is gaining importance to society as more and more teenagers choose suicide as a way to escape what they’re suffering through. I have begun to take action by starting two projects. One is by putting a Suicide Hotline number up in every classroom of my high school. The other is called the You Are Project (Facebook.com/TheYouAreProject)
This project was meant to provide little boosts in people’s days. I believe that the smallest things can help a person suffering from depression and suicidal feelings to continue going for at least one more day – and one more day alive, is one more chance that they will receive help. I want to further sophisticate my project into something
where I can eventually raise money for organizations like Out of the Darkness, TIP, Teen Talk, etc.” -Katlyn, age 17
Think about how inspiring it is to be at a camp with 30+ other young people and 12 more adults who care this passionately about making the world a better place, and where the curriculum is specifically designed to help each person make as big a difference as possible on issues they care about! Check out our 2 minute video and share with those who might be interested in joining us in California, Oregon, or Massachusetts this summer!
This is the time of year at YEA Camp when we take care of things we need to do to help YEA Camp run, before it gets too close to the summer. At the end of 2012, we asked for your support in growing YEA Camp in 2013 and beyond. We set an ambitious goal of raising $50,000 to expand YEA Camp and provide scholarships to all youth who want to attend, and, thanks to so many of you, we have raised over $19,600 and are 40% of the way to our goal!
You have seen the impact YEA Camp has and, with your help, we can grow to reach many more young people both through our summer programs and by developing new online resources.
If you want to help us reach our goal, and more youth than we ever have before,we have lots of ways you can support us (and them):
Donate directly to a camper’s scholarship!See their profiles below. A donation to one of these campers’ fundraising pages makes a big difference to them–and to us! Jeffrey reached his fundraising goal in just two days when one friend shared his inspiring story on their Facebook page! Now he’s upped his goal to help other campers. Could you be the one to make that difference for one of these inspiring youth? There will be more campers adding their stories as we get closer to camp, so check our Facebook page for updates on their fundraising efforts.
Make a general donation here, or, better yet, set up an automatically recurring monthly donation here. Every contribution helps.
Create a fundraising page hereand share it around! It’s easy. Just click “Create your own fundraising page” and share the page with others and fundraise for us online over Facebook or email. Jasmine, one of our former campers, easily raised $260 by creating a page and sharing it with friends and family!
Throw a fundraising party! Our goal is to have at least 15 people around the country throw a party for YEA. This is a fun and easy way to raise money from people who otherwise wouldn’t know about us. We held one recently in Dallas that was so much fun and raised over $3300, and we have another party coming up in Portland this weekend! Let us know if you would like to have a party or have questions! We will help!
Get creative! From bake sales to garage sales, there’s a ton of fun, easy ways to fundraise. What ideas do you have? Let us know if you want to brainstorm or need help!
Can you help us reach our goal–andhelp us have the largest camps this summer that we have had to date? Your contribution of time or money will help us do much more in the future.
Support these youth activists!
If you want to support a young person pursuing their dreams to make the world a better place, consider a contribution to these changemakers’ scholarship funds to attend YEA Camp! Check out their fundraising pages to be inspired by why they want to attend.
Mariah’s Fundraising Page “I want to be able to do as much as I can to save these dolphins. Even if I can only save one, it would mean the world to me. I’m asking for donations from the bottom of my heart so I can have my chance to make a difference.”
Jeffrey’s Fundraising Page “Unlike some I am not one to stand back and and watch the world pass me by! I like to take action and make a difference in the world and YEA camp is just the place to create plan of action to make an impact on issues you care about! And this summer I am trying to raise money so that I can attend such a wonderful camp!”
Angela’s Fundraising Page “I would like to get many things out of my attendance to YEA Camp, but most of all I would like to get the knowledge of how to be a part of the world and take a stand.”
Katlyn’s fundraising page “I want to go to YEA camp this summer to help support my passion towards teen suicide prevention and depression awareness.”
Thank you so much for your support of our campers and a better world!
Nora Kramer, Laura Carver, and the whole YEA Camp team
Valentine’s Day is a great time to show people we love how much they mean to us. But flowers wilt, candies go stale, and stuffed animals gather dust in the corners of our rooms. As an alternative to engaging in the commercialism of the holiday, you could use the inspiration of Valentine’s Day to create lasting change by helping to make your school a safer and more accepting place for everyone.
We often think of bullying as physical intimidation, but bullying can also be very subtle – gossip, exclusion, name-calling, and treating people differently because of the way they look, dress or speak. Bullying doesn’t have to take place at school. Look out for threatening or unkind behaviors occurring through text, email, and social media. Often comments can seem harmless, but little incidents add up quickly to create an environment where people don’t feel free to be themselves. So instead of giving chocolates this Valentine’s Day, let’s make a commitment to stand up against bullying in all its forms.
Over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year.
71 percent of students report incidents of bullying as a problem at their school.
1 out 10 students drop out of school because of repeated bullying.
Physical bullying increases in elementary school, peaks in middle school and declines in high school. Verbal abuse, on the other hand, remains constant.
A 2009 survey found that 9 out of 10 LGBT youth reported being verbally harassed at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation.
1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene 4 percent of the time.
What Should I Do If I Witness Bullying?
Ask yourself, “How would I feel if this happened to me?” “What would I want someone to do if it was me who was being bullied?”
Speak up if you witness bad behavior. Confront the bully if it is safe to do so. You could say something like “Hey, leave him/her alone” or “Why are you being so mean?” or “What you’re saying is not cool” or whatever feels right to you in the moment. Don’t worry about saying the exact right thing — it’s not about saying the perfect words but about speaking up for against what you know is wrong and saying something to interrupt the behavior.
Report the incident to a counselor, teacher, or other trusted adult. This could become part of a larger conversation about how to address bullying at your school in general. Report bullying immediately if there is a threat of physical danger or harm — even calling 911 if necessary.
Don’t tolerate bullying or gossip from your friends, even if it’s directed at someone else. Any person who makes others feel bad will not be a good friend to you, either.
Be kind to people who are bullied, and encourage your friends to be kind to them as well. Someone in need of a friend could be the best friend you ever have.
Talk to your friends about bullying you see at school and brainstorm about how to create a school environment that looks down on bullying. Check out the amazing way students at this school spoke up against bullying.
What Should I Do If I Am a Victim of Bullying?
Some of these things may be easier said than done, and they might take practice — which unfortunately you might be able to get if you are bullied a lot.
Know that you are not alone, that millions of other people have been bullied, that the other person is behaving in a way that is unacceptable and that he or she likely has been bullied too and may be taking out their own anger, fear, loneliness, sadness, or other emotions on you, and that it is not your fault.
Walk away. Bullies want to get a response from you, and the best way to disappoint them is not to respond at all. The same holds true for hurtful texts, emails, and Facebook messages.
Don’t react in anger. Try humor to diffuse the situation. If you need to vent your frustrations later, try writing them down or confiding in a friend.
Never respond with physical force. You are more likely to get hurt or get into trouble yourself.
Remember that you can’t control other people’s actions, but you can control your own.
Build confidence with a self-defense or martial arts class. You will learn how to effectively respond to intimidation without the use of force.
Seek help from a trusted adult.
Share your story. Maybe, to create discussion about this problem at your school, without using the name of anyone who has bullied you, write an article for your school paper sharing about your experience. Find other ways to generate dialogue.
Become an Anti-Bullying Activist for Valentine’s Day and Beyond:
Pink Shirt Day
There are lots of ways to make your school a better place this Valentine’s Day and beyond! Some students and school clubs have started programs such as putting a valentine in every locker or giving a treat and a note to each student. Get creative! There are lots of ways this holiday to celebrate inclusivity and create a positive school environment.
In Canada, two teens founded Pink Shirt Day to show their support for a classmate who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. It has grown into a national movement and is celebrated on the last Wednesday in February. Start a Pink Shirt movement at your school.
Write a blog or post about bullying and ask your friends to share it (or write their own).
If your school has a safety committee, ask to get involved as a student advisor.
Start an anti-bullying school club.
Create flyers and pass them out around school, or leave them in public areas like the bathroom or the library.
Ask your principal to sponsor a self-defense workshop at your school.
Join a mentoring program and be a role model for younger kids.
Set a good example. Be a good friend to others and treat them as you would want to be treated.
Post positive notes for other people to see around the school. For example, Operation Beautiful encourages girls to post anonymous affirming post-it notes on lockers or bathroom mirrors.
Create a school social climate survey to find out how safe students feel at the school and to assess the level of bullying that is happening. Use the results to talk to teachers, administrators, or the school board about creating anti-bullying classes or other initiatives at your school. Contact YEA for resources and ideas for surveys or anti-bullying programs at your school.
Bring a Challenge Day workshop to your school. Challenge Day programs are powerful and incredibly effective assemblies that massively change the behavior of bullying students and the dynamics in schools.
The term “student activism” might make some think about being on student council or running a school club, which are both great. But student activism can look lots of different ways, and can be integrated into the assignments you already have for school.
Doing a school paper or project about a topic you aren’t passionate about can feel like “busy work.” When you’re able to incorporate what you care about and believe in into your class assignments, not only will you probably enjoy your homework more and learn about something important to you, it will also allow you to educate your teacher and classmates about issues you care about! Even better if the assignment is part of a presentation, where more people will learn about your issue.
Whether it’s a book report, a class presentation, a creative writing assignment, or an art project, using your required class assignments as a means to educate others is a form of activism that doesn’t require extra time on your part, doesn’t cost any money, and it’s also a great way to become an even more well-informed expert on an issue you care about.
Most issues have nonprofit organizations whose major purpose is to educate the public about a social problem, so find organizations working on an issue of importance to you and read about their work, and even contact them if needed. As with any assignment, be sure your information is accurate and from reputable sources.
If you’re incorporating a meaningful issue into an art project, use your creativity to ensure your audience understands your message.
Using your assignments as a platform to educate people (including yourself!) about social problems is easy student activism that will ensure that your classmates and teachers will be learning about something that they might never have learned and give them a greater opportunity to do something about it.
YEA Camp is a fun & inspiring leadership summer camp for 12-17 year olds who want to make a difference in the world. For more information about our summer camp and other teen activism resources, visit our website http://www.yeacamp.org
I definitely want to try to make a difference, because every little thing could help just one more animal. That’s how I think of it. Life is just a bunch of choices, and every choice counts (and could save lives). One of my main goals in life is to open the worlds eyes and stop
Jeffrey’s Fundraising Page
Valentine’s Day is a great time to show people we love how much they mean to us. But flowers wilt, candies go stale, and stuffed animals gather dust in the corners of our rooms. As an alternative to engaging in the commercialism of the holiday, you could use the inspiration of Valentine’s Day to create lasting change by helping to make your school a safer and more accepting place for everyone.
We often think of bullying as physical intimidation, but bullying can also be very subtle – gossip, exclusion, name-calling, and treating people differently because of the way they look, dress or speak. Bullying doesn’t have to take place at school. Look out for threatening or unkind behaviors occurring through text, email, and social media. Often comments can seem harmless, but little incidents add up quickly to create an environment where people don’t feel free to be themselves. So instead of giving chocolates this Valentine’s Day, let’s make a commitment to stand up against bullying in all its forms.
