Amanda Waxman
Youth Empowered Action (YEA) Camp, a week-long summer camp that equips young advocates with the training and tools they need to succeed, kicks off August 6th in Massachusetts.
From staging headline-grabbing climate protests to changing the tides of elections with their voter turnout, youth are at the forefront of movements to change the world for the better.
Recognizing how vital youth leadership is to social justice, Nora Kramer founded YEA Camp in 2009—a summer camp that’s centered around leadership and activism training for students to make the maximum impact on all the issues they care about.
This August, the week-long overnight camp will take place in-person for the first time in three years at their campsite in Hinsdale, MA. In 2020, the camp had to adapt their programming into a virtual training due to precautions around the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Surprisingly, I actually loved doing YEA Camp virtually. I think it was a very special time after Covid hit that led our camp community to come together to plan what we could do in the context of a global pandemic. A group of about 20 past campers and staff met on zoom calls a couple times a week for a few months to figure out what a virtual camp could even be, and I’m so proud of what we came up with,” shares Nora Kramer, the camp's founder. Due to the success of their virtual camp with students around the country, they will continue to offer online training opportunities in both summer and winter.
“We got amazing reviews from the virtual camp, and personally I loved it, but of course everyone wants to be back in-person. I can’t believe it but we are about to have our fist in-person camp in three years!”
What is YEA Camp?
Whether online or in person, the volunteers and staff at YEA Camp bring expertise from across social justice movements and organizations to mentor the changemakers of tomorrow. The camp is open to students between the ages of 12 and 17, who fly in from across the country and even the globe to experience everything the camp has to offer.
During the week, each camper chooses an issue they feel passionate about to focus on throughout their training—like addressing racism or gender inequality, or protecting the environment or animals. Then, together, the campers work through sessions that build their confidence, sharpen their activism skills, and empower them to make an action plan to make a difference on their “Issue of Importance.”
“Some came to YEA Camp because they are passionate about animal rights and veganism, while others may not know much about those things until they learn about them at camp. Other top issues are racism, climate change, feminism and LGBTQ+ equality, gun control, and sadly more,” Nora Kramer, YEA Camp's founder.
The first part of the week is based around learning about different social justice issues, seeing examples of what we can do about them, and strengthening their mindset about even being able to have an impact. Then, in the second half of the week, campers go through workshops on that prepare them for real-life projects, like planning a campaign, fundraising, arts activism, or starting a school club.
Equipped with the skills from their training, YEA alumni have gone on to fundraise thousands of dollars for causes they care about, intern for political campaigns, lead campaigns for Meatless Mondays and composting programs at their schools, and even teach classes for their fellow students.
As they work through the curriculum, campers still get the opportunity to make friends, play games, and participate in more traditional “summer camp” activities. Nora explains, “In order to maintain a healthy balance of thinking about serious and emotional topics and also remaining hopeful and enjoying camp, each day we mix workshops on different social issues or skill-building topics with free times and breaks to play games, go swimming, and to just bond and be silly. I think it’s hugely important for us to model activists having that balance so that we don’t burn out and can be more relatable and effective, while also enjoying our lives.”
Why was YEA Camp founded?
Changing the world can be a daunting task—but YEA Camp shows aspiring activists that they don’t have to do it alone. YEA Camp’s founder, Nora Kramer, is an activist herself, and felt inspired by all the young people she connected with while conducting grassroots outreach, and how passionate they were about the social issues that impacted them. Realizing how valuable it would be to cultivate their skills, Nora received her teaching certificate and studied how to design curriculums, infusing her formal education with her firsthand experience with grassroots activism. YEA camp’s curriculum features a wide array of topics that provide a holistic view of activism, with trainings on social justice, activism, leadership, mindfulness, and personal development. This holistic approach sets campers up for long-term success in social justice movements, as they grow both as individuals and in community with one another.
Like traditional summer camps, YEA camp also provides its campers with the chance to make strong connections with likeminded individuals. “The sense of community at YEA Camp just sort of transcends everything. I really value it even today, staying in touch and building those relationships,” says Shelby Kim, a former camper turned counselor. “If it hadn’t been for YEA Camp, I would not have been as effective or as organized of a leader for my Gay Straight Alliance. I was the president that year, and I definitely took a lot of skills from the YEA Camp trainings and workshops we did.”
Animal rights and veganism at YEA camp
Part of what makes YEA Camp unique is their inclusion of animal advocacy in their program offerings—in fact, respect for non-human animals is one of the core values that YEA Camp was founded on. And, to align with this value, the camp serves an all-vegan menu throughout the week. The camp’s food offerings don’t just call attention to the ethical issues associated with raising animals for food—such as environmental degradation, workers’ rights violations, and public health concerns—they also serve as some students’ first exposure to sustainable, plant-based eating. The camp hires all-star vegan chefs to make “kid-friendly vegan food,” serving everything from french toast to Sloppy Joe’s to ice cream sundaes. So, campers definitely won’t miss out on their favorite cafeteria classics while eating an all-veg menu at YEA camp—according to the camp’s website, even folks who typically eat meat give the food rave reviews!
Get involved
If you or someone you know would be a great fit for YEA Camp, registration is still open for this summer’s in-person session, which takes place in Hinsdale, MA (about a three hour drive from both New York City and Boston) from August 6-11th. YEA Camp provides food and accommodations for all campers, and financial aid is available for those who need it. You can also follow YEA Camp for details about their upcoming virtual training opportunities, which are offered in both winter and summer.
