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	<title>Activist Profile Archives - YEA Camp</title>
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	<title>Activist Profile Archives - YEA Camp</title>
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	<item>
		<title>Meet Our Staff at Virtual YEA Camp&#8217;s Upcoming Winter Session</title>
		<link>https://yeacamp.org/2020/12/15/meet-the-staff-at-virtual-yea-camp/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[YEA Camp]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2020 00:54:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Activist Profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teen leadership camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youth activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Youth Empowered Action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activism camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[black lives matter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leadership camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social justice camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vegan camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[virtual camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winter camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youth leadership camp]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://yeacamp.org/?p=9841</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What will you (or the 10-17 year-old changemaker in your life) be doing over winter break this year? If the agenda was mostly to sit around bored at home, well, change of plans! Following the success of our first-ever virtual sessions this summer, we are launching our first ever Winter YEA Camp! One of the things&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://yeacamp.org/2020/12/15/meet-the-staff-at-virtual-yea-camp/">Meet Our Staff at Virtual YEA Camp&#8217;s Upcoming Winter Session</a> appeared first on <a href="https://yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What will you (or the 10-17 year-old changemaker in your life) be doing over winter break this year? If the agenda was mostly to sit around bored at home, well, change of plans!</p>
<p>Following the success of our<a href="https://yeacamp.org/2020/08/19/youth-activists-make-a-big-impact-at-virtual-yea-camp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> first-ever virtual sessions this summer</a>, we are launching our first ever <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Winter YEA Camp</a>!</p>
<p>One of the things that made our summer sessions so amazing was our incredible staff &#8212; all of whom were former YEA Campers and are now grown up with years of activism experience making a difference on causes like climate change, racism, LGBTQ equality, animal rights, mental health, and more.</p>
<p>We&#8217;re thrilled that most of our all-star team from this summer &#8212; Aine, Julia, Liam, and Maya &#8212; are able to join us again this summer, and we have added a few fresh faces, too &#8212; Ananya and Elyanna, amazing activists who were both speakers at the virtual camp this summer! These inspiring humans have over a decade of combined YEA Camp experience and have all done some incredible activism.</p>
<p>Throughout the week at YEA Camp, you&#8217;ll be learning about different types of activism, getting ideas for things you&#8217;ll want to do for the cause that&#8217;s most important to you (what we call your Issue of Importance, or IOI), and working on an activist project or two yourself! These are the staff members who will be your role models, advisors, cheer leaders, and mentors to help you put your passion into action &#8212; and that&#8217;s pretty special.</p>
<p>So without further ado, here is the YEA Camp Dream Team for Winter 2020.</p>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-12.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-9861" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-12-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-12-300x300.jpg 300w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-12-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-12-150x150.jpg 150w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-12-768x768.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-12-75x75.jpg 75w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-12.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>Nora Kramer, YEA Camp Founder and Director (2009-present)</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Current Issues Of Importance (IOIs): </strong>Factory farming, political accountability, mass incarceration</p>
<p><strong>Just some accomplishments: </strong>Started and directed or co-directed 30 sessions of YEA Camp! Successfully coordinated grassroots volunteer efforts to qualify ballot initiatives in 2 states to outlaw some of the cruelest, unsustainable, and unsanitary practices on factory farms; passed out tens of thousands of leaflets; gathered several thousand signatures, including most recently for a measure that helped to stop a new prison from being built in Los Angeles. Wrote <a href="https://yeacamp.org/beginners-guide-to-changing-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Beginner&#8217;s Guide to Changing the World.</a></p>
<p><strong>Reason for being on staff: </strong>&#8220;Activism can be really challenging, especially when you&#8217;re just getting started and not as confident. I love being able to help people on their path to make the biggest difference they can, and I love to surround myself with amazing changemakers who inspire me.&#8221;</p>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-10.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9848" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-10-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-10-300x300.jpg 300w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-10-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-10-150x150.jpg 150w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-10-768x768.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-10-75x75.jpg 75w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-10.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>Elyanna Calle, Counselor (YEA Camper: 2018)</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>IOIs:</strong> Animal rights and climate change</p>
<p><strong>Just some accomplishments: </strong>Elyanna is a student at the University of Texas studying journalism. She attended camp back in 2018 with her IOI being animal rights. Since then she&#8217;s participated in many animal rights groups and organized protests and events. After that, she got involved in climate justice and organized two climate strikes in Olympia,WA &#8212; all while still in high school.</p>
<p><strong>Reason for being on staff:</strong> &#8220;Since the day I left YEA camp I wanted to come back as a staff member. I learned such invaluable lessons and I want to give back to the program!&#8221;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b><i><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-8.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-9843 size-medium" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-8-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-8-300x300.jpg 300w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-8-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-8-150x150.jpg 150w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-8-768x768.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-8-75x75.jpg 75w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-8.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>Julia Clark, Counselor </i></b><b>(YEA Camper: 2016, Virtual Counselor: Summer 2020) </b></p>
<p><b>IOI:</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Racial Justice</span></p>
<p><b>Just some accomplishments: </b>In high school, successfully led a student organization called Students for Change that removed confederate names and symbols from her public high school. Currently an outspoken activist, a local organizer in the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Vice President of UNC Black Student Movement, which is the largest cultural organization on UNCs campus.</p>
<p><b>Reason for being on staff: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">To amplify the voices of young activists and use the knowledge I have gained to help others.”</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b><i><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-9.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9844" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-9-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-9-300x300.jpg 300w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-9-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-9-150x150.jpg 150w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-9-768x768.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-9-75x75.jpg 75w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-9.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>Liam Davis-Bosch, Counselor </i></b><b>(YEA Camper: 2015, 2016; YEA Camp Counselor:</b><b> 2017, 2018; Virtual Counselor: Summer 2020</b><b>)</b></p>
<p><b>IOIs: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mental Health and LGBTQ+ Rights, Climate Change, Education</span></p>
<p><b>Just some accomplishments: </b>Former YEA Camper turned staff member that is currently studying neuroscience, psychology, and education at Pitzer College. From a young age, Liam has been involved with humane education and animal rights causes, which then sparked an interest in climate justice. Investigating these intersections led them to work with the Alliance for Climate Education working on youth education and empowerment and advocating for green energy legislation in New York State. More recently, Liam&#8217;s focus has been on alternative and accessible education through working as a youth ambassador with HundrED and conducting research on trauma-informed teaching and arts education. <span style="font-weight: 400;">Created a resource guide for teaching with sensitivity to queer folx and those affected by mental illness.</span></p>
<p><b>Reason for being on staff: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I know from both being a young person and working with young people how truly powerful we are. There is a yearning for knowledge and a passion and drive that is unstoppable. When this is paired with education and support, I know that change can be made in this world. As someone that has benefited so much from this program I want the change to give that same experience to others.”</span></p>
<p><b><i><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-14.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-9886 size-medium" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-14-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-14-300x300.jpg 300w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-14-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-14-150x150.jpg 150w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-14-768x768.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-14-75x75.jpg 75w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-14.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>Maya Diaz-Villalta, Counselor </i></b><b>(YEA Camper: 2017; Virtual Counselor: 2020)</b></p>
<p><b>IOI(s):</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Indigenous Rights and LGBTQ+ Rights</span></p>
<p><b>Just some accomplishments: </b>Maya Diaz-Villalta (they/them) is a third year at Saint Mary&#8217;s College of California pursuing their degree in Anthropology and Dance. They have been an Indigenous Aztec dancer for fifteen years and are involved in various Indigenous communities. Maya is the founder of an organization called Naturalmente Indigena which serves Native youth to connect them to their culture, mother earth, and encourage higher education.  Maya serves and advocates for Indigenous, immigrant, and queer communities. <span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p>
<p><b>Reason for being on staff: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">To listen to young people&#8217;s ideas and help manifest their goals.”</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b><i><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-11.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9850" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-11-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-11-300x300.jpg 300w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-11-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-11-150x150.jpg 150w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-11-768x768.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-11-75x75.jpg 75w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-11.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>Aine Pierre</i></b><b>, </b><b><i>Operations Manager</i></b><b> (YEA Camper: 2015, 2016, 2018; Virtual Counselor: Summer 2020)</b></p>
<p><b>IOIs: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">LGBTQ+ Rights and Student Press Rights</span></p>
<p><b>Just some accomplishments: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Headed the student advocacy chapter of the Garden State Scholastic Press Association for three years, changed the recycling system in her school district, and has written extensively on racial issues, immigration, mental health, etc. for her school newspaper, reaching a wide audience. Also served on the board of a horse sanctuary. Is now currently the Assistant News Editor for the student newspaper of Wake Forest, where she is studying political science and ancient civilizations.</span></p>
<p><b>Reason for being on staff: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">“YEA Camp was a transformative experience for me, allowing me to become more confident in myself, learn more about the issues of the world and how to make them a better place, and in building a community of changemakers that have become my lifelong friends. I want to give other kids the opportunity to experience that.”</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-7.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9842 alignleft" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-7-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-7-300x300.jpg 300w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-7-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-7-150x150.jpg 150w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-7-768x768.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-7-75x75.jpg 75w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/VIRTUAL-YEA-CAMP-7.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>Ananya Singh, Counselor (YEA Camper: 2015, 2017 YEA staff member 2018, 2019)</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>IOIs:</strong> Climate justice, social movements, education</p>
<p><strong>Just some accomplishments: </strong>Longtime youth climate justice activist. Started Youth United Making An Impact, was a lead activist with Greenpeace, a Climate Justice League Fellow with Sierra Club, former CEO of Greening Forward, youth advisory council member and plenary speaker for National Youth Leadership Council. Currently a student at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine! I have an interdisciplinary major in human ecology</p>
<p><strong>Reason for being on staff:</strong>  I love YEA Camp so much because it truly changed my life and shaped me into the activist I am today, and it&#8217;s such a special experience and community! Being able to give that experience to other people and help them discover their activist passions has been incredible!</p>
<p>Want to learn from these incredible changemakers? It&#8217;s not too late to <a href="https://www.cognitoforms.com/YEACamp1/WinterVirtualYEACamp2020">register today for Winter YEA Camp</a>. For more information about our amazing new winter program, head to <a href="http://Yeacamp.org">yeacamp.org!</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://yeacamp.org/2020/12/15/meet-the-staff-at-virtual-yea-camp/">Meet Our Staff at Virtual YEA Camp&#8217;s Upcoming Winter Session</a> appeared first on <a href="https://yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Charlotte Chambers&#8217; Journey Towards a Better World</title>
		<link>https://yeacamp.org/2018/05/23/charlotte-chambers/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[YEA Camp]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 May 2018 16:55:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Activist Profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activist Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental justice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Organizations to Know]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social justice summer camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teen leadership camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youth activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Youth Empowered Action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youth leadership camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[academic summer camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activism camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animal Activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leadership camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vegan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegetarian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vegetarian camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youth empowered action]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yeacamp.org/?p=7970</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>In our 10 years of YEA Camp, we have been fortunate enough to have campers attend from a dozen(!) different countries &#8212; but none came from as far away as Charlotte Chambers, and she did it twice! Charlotte is a committed animal advocate and vegan, and she traveled all the way from Australia(!) at age&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://yeacamp.org/2018/05/23/charlotte-chambers/">YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Charlotte Chambers&#8217; Journey Towards a Better World</a> appeared first on <a href="https://yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_7974" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20180128_200740_resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7974" class="size-medium wp-image-7974" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20180128_200740_resized-200x300.png" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20180128_200740_resized-200x300.png 200w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20180128_200740_resized.png 268w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-7974" class="wp-caption-text">Charlotte with a turkey at Edgar&#8217;s Mission Farm Sanctuary</p></div>
<h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">In our 10 years of YEA Camp, we have been fortunate enough to have campers attend from a dozen(!) different countries &#8212; but none came from as far away as Charlotte Chambers, and she did it twice! Charlotte is a committed animal advocate and vegan, and she traveled all the way from Australia(!) at age 12 and then 13 to attend YEA Camp in Massachusetts the past two summers! We are thrilled to see her applying the activist skills learned at YEA Camp back home &#8220;Down Under.&#8221;</span></h4>
<h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">We are so excited that Charlotte is sharing her story with us, and we can&#8217;t wait to share it with you.</span></h4>
<h4><b>YEA Camp:</b> <b>Hi Charlotte! Tell us about the activism you’ve been doing.</b></h4>
<p><b>Charlotte Chambers: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some activism I have done includes getting hundreds of petition signatures to ban live animal export (<a href="https://secure.animalsaustralia.org/take_action/live-export-shipboard-cruelty/?ua_s=BLE.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a terrible practice</a> where live animals are sent off on long journeys on ships from Australia) and volunteering at </span><a href="https://www.edgarsmission.org.au/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Edgar’s Mission</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a farm animal sanctuary near my town. <a href="https://vimeo.com/252615724" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I did a video for the sanctuary&#8217;s Facebook page</a>, </span>attended vegan conferences in Melbourne and the Australian animal activists forum, <span style="font-weight: 400;">and participated in marches to protest a new coal mine set to be constructed in Queensland. I have also formed a group for kids and teens who care about the environment and animal rights.</span></p>
<h4><b>YEA: How did you get involved with activism and what you’re currently working on?</b></h4>
<p><b>CC: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">I got involved with activism when I was 11, when I went vegan. My whole point of view shifted and I wanted other people to make the same realization about animals that I had &#8212; that they are not ours to do with what we please. I started writing assignments on veganism and having conversations with people about it. I wanted to make a bigger difference but I didn’t know how. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">When I found out about <a href="https://yeacamp.org/">YEA Camp,</a> I was so excited that I would be able to learn how to make a difference. </span></p>
<p><b>YEA Camp gave me so many new skills and it helped me gain enough confidence to make significant change.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://yeacamp.org/"> YEA Camp</a> educated me on issues that I wouldn’t necessarily know much about. I learned more about the environment and I decided that I was interested in that area of activism too. I’m currently working on growing my environmental and animal rights group, called Brighter Futures for Animals and the Environment. Our goal is to make positive social change in our area and to make people more aware of the way we impact the environment and the lives of farm animals. We have planned projects such as banning plastic bags in our town, removing cage eggs from our supermarkets, planting more native trees, and educating our school peers about the importance of environmental protection and animal rights. We are currently in the process of meeting with our local representative in Parliament to talk about banning live animal export in Australia.</span></p>
<div id="attachment_7975" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20180210_115229_resized.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7975" class="size-medium wp-image-7975" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20180210_115229_resized-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20180210_115229_resized-225x300.jpg 225w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20180210_115229_resized.jpg 756w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-7975" class="wp-caption-text">Charlotte and members of her animal rights club at her high school</p></div>
<h4><b>YEA: That’s incredible! What challenges have you faced as an activist and how have you dealt with them?</b></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A challenge that I have faced as an activist is the loss of inspiration and the feeling of hopelessness. I often feel that I am just a kid and I can’t make a difference. Sometimes, I ask myself what the point of all this is because it seems as though it’s all a waste of time. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whenever I get this feeling now, I like to reach out to my activist friends for inspiration. I look back on past activism that I have done and I read about small environmental and animal rights victories that have happened recently. Speaking to my friends from camp helps me get fresh ideas and strategies for my activism and reading about changes helps me feel like I can make a difference.</span></p>
<h4></h4>
<h4><b>YEA: That’s great. We all struggle at times, but we can&#8217;t give up! What advice do you h</b><b>ave for new activists just getting involved?</b></h4>
<p><b>CC: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some advice that I have for new activists is to go to <a href="https://yeacamp.org/">YEA Camp</a> if you can! It is really life-changing and will definitely give you a head start on your activism. I would also say to try and put yourself out of your comfort zone as much as you can. Go to events, meet new people who share the same passion, get ideas, and stay inspired. Once you know more people who are also into activism, there is now more support for you if you ever feel like you can’t make a difference. Also, keep a journal &#8212; sometimes the world just really sucks, and it’s really great to empty all your thoughts on paper.</span></p>
<div id="attachment_7973" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20171014_172602_resized.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7973" class="size-medium wp-image-7973" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20171014_172602_resized-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20171014_172602_resized-225x300.jpg 225w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20171014_172602_resized.jpg 756w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-7973" class="wp-caption-text">Melbourne is host of the Animal Activists Forum, an event Charlotte attended</p></div>
<h4><b>YEA: How did YEA Camp help you in your activism, if it did?</b></h4>
<p><b>CC: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://yeacamp.org/">YEA Camp</a> helped my activism so much. It helped me gain so much confidence and gave me strategies for how to create the most amount of change. The camp connected me with so many awesome and inspiring people who I’m still friends with and talk to all the time. The workshops that we did at camp help me in my activism as well as my every day life, and I am so grateful for everyone at <a href="https://yeacamp.org/">YEA Camp</a> for giving me this unforgettable experience. </span></p>
<h4><b>YEA: Aww! That&#8217;s amazing to hear! Are there any other organizations you’ve worked with or that have been valuable resources in your activism?</b></h4>
<h4><b>CC: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’ve gotten involved with many organizations since I went to <a href="https://yeacamp.org/">YEA Camp</a>, including <a href="https://www.alv.org.au/take-action/animal-liberation-youth/">Animal Liberation Youth</a>, where I am a part of their organizers&#8217; group in Victoria, and I marched with them at an animal rights march in Melbourne a few weeks ago. I have been getting more involved with <a href="https://www.edgarsmission.org.au/">Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary</a>, where I was in one of their videos for their Facebook page. I am also part of their new campaign, <a href="https://askmewhy.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kindness to the Max</a> &#8212; I have been volunteering with them as much as I can. Some other organizations that I have been involved with include <a href="http://www.animalsaustralia.org/">Animals Australia</a> and the <a href="http://www.aycc.org.au/">Australian Youth Climate Coalition</a>.</span></h4>
<p><b>YEA: Amazing! What are some of your short-term and long-term activism goals or plans? </b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My goals for activism in the future are to expand my group so that we can make large-scale change in our area and state, and I also would like to work more closely with other organizations. For long-term dreams, I would love to see an end to factory farming in my lifetime and possibly an end to animal agriculture, as well as all of Australia’s energy to be renewable.  </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Charlotte Chambers is 14 years old and in year 9 at her high school. She is from Bright, Australia and attended the 2016 and 2017 Massachusetts <a href="https://yeacamp.org/">YEA Camp</a> sessions. Her issues of importance are primarily animal rights and environmental justice.</em> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you are as passionate about making a difference as Charlotte is, you should come to </span><a href="http://www.yeacamp.org/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">YEA Camp</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &#8212; either to our youth session or to our</span><a href="http://www.yeacamp.org/adults"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> session for adults</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">! If you want to learn how to get active right away, download our new ebook, </span><a href="http://eepurl.com/dsqx7D"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://yeacamp.org/2018/05/23/charlotte-chambers/">YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Charlotte Chambers&#8217; Journey Towards a Better World</a> appeared first on <a href="https://yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>.</p>
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		<title>YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Paula Orrego&#8217;s Activism Journey</title>
		<link>https://yeacamp.org/2018/05/15/activist-paula_orrego/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[YEA Camp]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2018 22:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Activist Profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activist Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Organizations to Know]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social justice summer camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teen leadership camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youth activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Youth Empowered Action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youth leadership camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activism training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adult activist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bullying]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bullying intervention]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bystander intervention]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[give more HUGS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MoveOn.org]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paula orrego]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social justice camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teen activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teen activism camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teen leader]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yeacamp.org/?p=7757</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Paula Orrego was a YEA Camper all the way back in 2011, but it’s kind of like she never left! Paula became a counselor in training (CIT) the next summer, when she turned 18, and she has stayed in touch with us ever since. She’s also been doing activism ever since! Paula even blogged for&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://yeacamp.org/2018/05/15/activist-paula_orrego/">YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Paula Orrego&#8217;s Activism Journey</a> appeared first on <a href="https://yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_7884" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/28033227_1536832649699504_1841659156_o.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7884" class="size-medium wp-image-7884" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/28033227_1536832649699504_1841659156_o-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/28033227_1536832649699504_1841659156_o-225x300.jpg 225w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/28033227_1536832649699504_1841659156_o-768x1024.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-7884" class="wp-caption-text">Paula Orrego has an uplifting, positive attitude even when dealing with challenging topics.</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paula Orrego was a YEA Camper all the way back in 2011, but it’s kind of like she never left! Paula became a counselor in training (CIT) the next summer, when she turned 18, and she has stayed in touch with us ever since. She’s also been doing activism ever since! Paula even </span><a href="https://yeacamp.org/2017/01/how-my-first-march-restored-my-faith-in-gender-equality/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">blogged for us </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">about attending her first ever march and gave <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a> credit for her </span><a href="http://blog.afterschoolapp.com/2018/02/08/guest-post-finding-calling-anti-bullying-activist-aha-moment-paula-orrego/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“a ha moment”</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in becoming an activist! She is even coming to our first ever <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org/adults" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YEA Camp for Adults</a> session this summer!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We appreciate that Paula took time to share her story with us, and are glad to share more about her with you.</span></p>
<h4><strong>YEA Camp: Hi Paula! Tell us about the activism you’ve been doing.</strong></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paula: Right now, I’m working as a college ambassador for <a href="http://www.givemorehugs.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Give More HUGS,</a> a non-profit organization that aims to give quality education to every child, regardless of their socio-economic status. I am currently working on a city-wide musical instrument drive to collect used instruments and send them to Hope for Relief Organization in Malawi; they will be opening a youth music center soon and are in need of musical instruments for their students. I have also been in contact with another community organization that needs instruments for their children, so if this drive goes well, I hope to start another one for that organization. Music has always been something I have been passionate about, and I want more people to see the value of it. Besides the drive, I have also been guest-writing for different blogs about anti-bullying (another subject I am passionate about) and how to become an activist.</span></p>
<h4><strong>YEA: How did you get involved with activism and what you’re currently working on?</strong></h4>
<div id="attachment_7883" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_4803.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7883" class="wp-image-7883 size-medium" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_4803-300x279.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="279" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_4803-300x279.jpg 300w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_4803-768x714.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_4803-1024x953.jpg 1024w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_4803.jpg 1161w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-7883" class="wp-caption-text">Paula sporting her YEA Camp &#8220;This is what an activist looks like&#8221; t-shirt at a Pride rally.</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">PO: I became an activist because of the severe bullying problem at my old middle and high school. Besides being a survivor myself of bullying, I was also hearing my friends’ stories of how they were being bullied. When I had reported the incidences of bullying, the administration either denied the severity of the problem, invalidated my feelings, took actions that ended up making the bullying worse, or suggested I leave the school if I couldn’t handle it. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Shoutout to the few teachers who did believe me and had my back!) </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I wanted to make people see the problem&#8211;</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">really</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> see it&#8211;and not just sweep it under the rug. However, I had been put down so often that I didn’t know what to do to make people listen to me. I was honestly starting to give up, and I just hoped I could get through my senior year under the radar.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The summer before my senior year, I got an email from my school about different jobs and internships available to us in the community that would look great on our college applications. At the very bottom, almost as an aside, there was one sentence about a week-long activist camp for teens called <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>. I figured this would be my only chance to find out what I can do about this problem; at the very least, this camp would be a fun getaway, and I would make some new friends.</span></p>
<p><strong>Clearly, the camp experience lasted longer than a week! The staff empowered me so much that I didn’t just fly under the radar my senior year; I stood up for what I believed in and ended up giving my senior speech to my entire high school (with faculty and administration included) about bullying.</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fast forward to now, and I actually got in touch with <a href="http://www.givemorehugs.org/">Give More HUGS</a> through <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>! Somebody knew the founder of the organization and shared their openings for high school and college ambassadors to the YEA Camp alumni social media page. I have always wanted to do something with music, since I have been passionate about music since I was a child, and I wanted to spread the joy of music to more children. And the rest is history!</span></p>
<div id="attachment_5112" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/paula-womensmarch.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-5112" class="wp-image-5112" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/paula-womensmarch.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="376" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/paula-womensmarch.jpg 1370w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/paula-womensmarch-768x962.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/paula-womensmarch-818x1024.jpg 818w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-5112" class="wp-caption-text">Paula attending her first march, at the Women&#8217;s March in San Jose, CA.</p></div>
<h4><strong>YEA: That’s amazing! What challenges have you faced as an activist and how have you dealt with them?</strong></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">PO: I have definitely made many people unhappy by sharing my not-so-positive story about being bullied at my old school, even though I never say the school’s name. I remember how one girl, after I graduated, created an anonymous Youtube account just to send me a long message of how current students at the school were finding out about my sharing my story and how I should be grateful that I had attended that school, because it was a privilege to go there. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I am a natural people-pleaser, but it’s experiences like this that have taught me that I can’t make everybody happy, and that’s okay. People will always think they know everything about you, but they don’t. I’m always honest about my experiences and feelings, but I have never shared my full story publicly, just because there are some things I don’t like talking about or remembering. People like that girl don’t really know me or my whole story, so I remind myself that their judgments shouldn’t matter to me. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I built a bulletproof armor around me, but that doesn’t mean I won’t stand up for myself. I ended up sending back a message and never hearing from her again.</span></p>
<h4><strong>YEA: Wow. What advice do you have for new activists just getting involved?</strong></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">PO: If you are getting involved in activism because of something you have experienced first-hand, I’d say go for it, but don’t do it out of revenge. You might end up saying things you regret later. Keep people and places anonymous&#8211;you are trying to make a point about the greater problem, not trying to punish the individuals.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When you’re a passionate activist, whatever your cause may be, you are always going to find people who don’t agree with you. What’s important is that you don’t let them affect you personally. Don’t let them silence you.</span></p>
<h4><strong>YEA: How did YEA Camp help you in your activism, if it did?</strong></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">PO: <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org">YEA Camp </a>taught me so much, but the staff especially helped me feel more confident about myself. I would have never talked to all the class deans about bullying and written my senior speech about bullying if it weren’t for their support.</span></p>
<h4><strong>YEA: Are there any other organizations you’ve worked with or that have been valuable resources in your activism?</strong></h4>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">PO: Working with <a href="http://www.givemorehugs.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Give More HUGS</a> this past year and <a href="https://front.moveon.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MoveOn.org</a> last summer has taught me so many activist skills. They’ve taught me how to network, organize with teams, and just break out of my shell even more. The classes I have taken at my university, Palo Alto University, have also taught me how to be a critical thinker in my activist research. YEA Camp set up the foundation for my activism, but Give More HUGS, MoveOn, and PAU have definitely helped build on top of that.</span></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paula Orrego is a junior at Palo Alto University, working towards her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Social Action. Paula is a social justice and political activist who has primarily focused on anti-bullying since high school, but she has also worked on other issues such as women&#8217;s rights, animal rights, and the environment.</span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you are as passionate about making a difference as Paula is, you should come to </span><a href="http://www.yeacamp.org"><span style="font-weight: 400;">YEA Camp</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for teens or to our</span><a href="http://www.yeacamp.org/adults"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> session for adults</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">! Or, if you want to learn how to get active right away, download our new ebook, <a href="http://eepurl.com/dsqx7D">The Beginner&#8217;s Guide to Changing the World</a>.</span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://yeacamp.org/2018/05/15/activist-paula_orrego/">YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Paula Orrego&#8217;s Activism Journey</a> appeared first on <a href="https://yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>.</p>
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		<title>YEA Camper Activist Profile: Noor Aldayeh Reaches Thousands Through Social Media</title>
		<link>https://yeacamp.org/2018/04/11/yea-camper-activist-profile-noor-aldayeh/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[YEA Camp]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 2018 18:00:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Activist Profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activist Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental justice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Organizations to Know]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social justice summer camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teen leadership camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youth activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Youth Empowered Action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youth leadership camp]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[activism camp]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[AFSP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Foundation for Suicide Prevention]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[community service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eating disorders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education Emotion Project (EEP!)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feminism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gun control]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inspirational teen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intersectionality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leadership camp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[march for our lives]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[noor aldayeh]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[youth youtuber]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yeacamp.org/?p=7664</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Former YEA Camper Noor Aldayeh has highlighted her passions for years on social media and has been a major advocate for mental health awareness. Her activism after camp has left us speechless and we can’t wait to see where her passion for social justice takes her! We are so excited to share Noor’s journey with&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://yeacamp.org/2018/04/11/yea-camper-activist-profile-noor-aldayeh/">YEA Camper Activist Profile: Noor Aldayeh Reaches Thousands Through Social Media</a> appeared first on <a href="https://yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Former YEA Camper Noor Aldayeh has highlighted her passions for years on social media and has been a major advocate for mental health awareness. Her activism after camp has left us speechless and we can’t wait to see where her passion for social justice takes her!</p>
<p>We are so excited to share Noor’s journey with you and hope it inspires you as much as she continues to inspire us!</p>
<div id="attachment_7668" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7668" class="size-medium wp-image-7668" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7121-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7121-225x300.jpg 225w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7121-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7121.jpg 1001w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><p id="caption-attachment-7668" class="wp-caption-text">Noor marching for social justice and supporting intersectional causes in front of the Los Angeles Times headquarters</p></div>
<p>YEA Camp: Hey, Noor! Tell us about the activism you’ve been doing.</p>
<p>Noor: My biggest focus and current activism had been mainly centered around mental health awareness, although within the past few months I’ve also been able to involve myself with many other issues. I’ve created activism-related videos on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj8-bTNdDvDilM1zk9L_FPg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my YouTube channel</a>, have written articles for my personal blog and <a href="http://highschool.latimes.com/author/nooraldayeh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HS Insider</a> (a youth journalism program), and have also founded the <a href="https://www.educationemotionproject.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Education Emotion Project (EEP!)</a> through an international leadership organization. EEP! is a project centered around providing mental health information and resources to youth who need and/or want to spread awareness throughout their communities. I’m also currently working on creating the first ever Mental Health Week at my school, where we will encourage students and teachers to engage in discussions about mental health while providing education as to how to be proactively aware of the many issues and stigmas surrounding these subjects.</p>
<p>YEA: Incredible! How did you get involved with activism and what you’re currently working on?</p>
<p>NA: <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YEA Camp</a> exposed me to so many movements I wasn’t aware of before, and I’m forever thankful for them for being able to broaden the activism I’ve been able to be a part of lately. I can also honestly thank a large majority of the current activism I’m a part of to the internet, as well as the many nonprofits centered around issues I am passionate and care about. Without these resources I don’t think I ever would have known where to start in terms of these issues, and they were a vital starting point to everything I’ve been able to be a part of.</p>
<p>YEA: What challenges have you faced as an activist and how have you dealt with them?</p>
<p>NA: There are many challenges that you can face once you begin your activism journey, whether it be backlash from others or your own personal struggles. At first I felt as though the world was against me and my activism, but over time I realized that that was not really what was holding me back. Not everyone will agree with what you are doing, and that is okay. As long as you’re able to stay true to what you believe, but also know that nothing is set in stone, I think being able to pursue action becomes that much easier.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-7667" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7120-300x261.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="261" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7120-300x261.jpg 300w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7120-768x669.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7120-1024x892.jpg 1024w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7120.jpg 1334w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />I think my biggest challenges have truly been personal ones; I tend to think that everything I do is not enough, and for a while I let that hinder me from actually trying to achieve my goals. But over time I’ve realized that there is absolutely nothing to lose and that doing nothing will never result in any change. Getting over listening to that voice in my head has made the biggest difference in what I’ve been able to do, and as a result has also positively impacted how I communicate with others.</p>
<p>YEA: What advice do you have for new activists just getting involved?</p>
<p>NA: Just do it. I think we all have at least one thing in the world that we are incredibly passionate about &#8212; or affects us personally &#8212; that we want to change. But that change will not happen on its own! You do have the power to spark a change in your community, and I feel like even though we’re all taught to try and “change the world”, no one truly encourages us to take action. Small actions are a great place to start. Find an issue you care about; do as much research and obtain as much knowledge and resources that you can; and from there, decide what the best mode of action would be. Is that creating an awareness week at school? Creating a club? Joining a nonprofit? Volunteering? The possibilities are endless, and you can never predict how big of an impact a seemingly small action can have.</p>
<p>YEA: How did YEA Camp help you in your activism, if it did?</p>
<div id="attachment_7685" style="width: 218px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGbvPuHT1ig"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7685" class="wp-image-7685 size-full" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Screen-Shot-2018-04-11-at-10.23.54-PM.png" alt="" width="208" height="113" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-7685" class="wp-caption-text">Check out this amazing video Noor made about her experience at YEA Camp!</p></div>
<p>NA: I think <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YEA Camp</a> was kind of the spark to my flame in terms of my activism journey. I’d always felt passionately about many issues, and wasn’t afraid of expressing my opinion regarding them, but I never knew how to turn that into palpable action. Being able to be in an environment that cultivated change and constant encouragement amongst its campers and staff made me realize why I started getting into activism in the first place. It&#8217;s not just to yell and scream or to complain about the things that we don&#8217;t like, but rather to push for action in order to ensure that we have a better future.</p>
<p>YEA: Aw! We’re so glad YEA Camp helped you find your voice and sparked your passion. What activist goals do you have in the future?</p>
<p>NA: I know that this may sound far-fetched, but my ultimate goals in terms of activism would be to spark as much positive change in as many communities that I can. I hope to continue to pursue action that I’m passionate about and that can help or inspire others. Personally, I would love to work with a mental health related nonprofit in the future. Currently, I work with <a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NEDA</a> (the National Eating Disorders Association) and volunteer with a few other organizations! Ultimately, I want to always be open to hearing about others stories and learning from them, and in addition to that be able to be a part of as many movements that cultivate positive change as possible.</p>
<div id="attachment_7666" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7666" class="size-medium wp-image-7666" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7119-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7119-225x300.jpg 225w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7119-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_7119.jpg 1001w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><p id="caption-attachment-7666" class="wp-caption-text">Noor&#8217;s natural habitat is with her camera in tow to document her activist journey!</p></div>
<p>YEA: Are there any organizations you’ve been working with?</p>
<p>NA: This year I’ve been able to work more closely with <a href="https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NEDA</a>, as well as volunteer for <a href="https://afsp.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AFSP</a> (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention). I hope to get involved with even more organizations that are centered around a variety of issues, but as of right now this is where I’m at!</p>
<p>YEA: Anything else you want to tell us?</p>
<p>NA: I just hope that no matter what, you know that you can do whatever you set your mind to. Sometimes even the people who you thought would support you the most are hesitant to encourage your actions, but if you know that what your doing is for the greater good, don’t let that stop you. Have faith in yourself, homies!</p>
<p><em>Noor is 16 years old and a junior in high school. She lives in Torrance, California and attended the 2017 Massachusetts session of YEA Camp. And she made <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGbvPuHT1ig" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this awesome video</a> about her experience at YEA Camp!</em></p>
<p>If you or someone you know can relate to Noor and wants to make a bigger difference in the world, come to <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YEA Camp</a> this summer! We now have a <a href="https://yeacamp.org/adults/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">camp for adults too</a>!</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://yeacamp.org/2018/04/11/yea-camper-activist-profile-noor-aldayeh/">YEA Camper Activist Profile: Noor Aldayeh Reaches Thousands Through Social Media</a> appeared first on <a href="https://yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>.</p>
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		<title>YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Lauren Scheller-Wolfe Is a Star</title>
		<link>https://yeacamp.org/2018/03/21/7098/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[YEA Camp]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 2018 18:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Activist Profile]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://yeacamp.org/?p=7098</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>When we first met Lauren Scheller-Wolf at YEA Camp, she was a little bit reserved, but we have learned over the years that sometimes our quieter campers do the most activism! Lauren shows that activists can make a difference while working to address several different causes and pursuing multiple passions. Not only does Lauren volunteer&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://yeacamp.org/2018/03/21/7098/">YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Lauren Scheller-Wolfe Is a Star</a> appeared first on <a href="https://yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When we first met Lauren Scheller-Wolf at YEA Camp, she was a little bit reserved, but we have learned over the years that sometimes our quieter campers do the most activism! Lauren shows that activists can make a difference while working to address several different causes and pursuing multiple passions. Not only does Lauren volunteer for an animal sanctuary, she also performed in a play to raise awareness about dating violence, and is on an all-girls robotics team that challenges the male-dominated fields of STEM. And she&#8217;s also an amazing intern for YEA Camp! And she&#8217;s been volunteering since she was 11!</p>
<p>Sorry, we don&#8217;t mean to give away all the spoilers! We were happy she fit this interview with YEA Camp into her busy schedule and are glad to let her tell you more.</p>
<p><b>YEA Camp: Tell us about the activism you’ve been doing.</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lauren: I’ve volunteered with two organizations for several years now &#8211; <a href="http://www.animaladvocates.net">Animal Advocates</a> (an animal shelter where my family and I take care of cats) and </span><a href="https://www.globallinks.org/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Global Links</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which packs and sends donated medical supplies to hospitals that can’t afford to buy their own, or to places that have recently gone through a natural disaster. For instance, right now, we’re sending a lot of stuff to Puerto Rico.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_7100" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://www.yeacamp.org"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7100" class="size-medium wp-image-7100" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/thumbnail-2-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/thumbnail-2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/thumbnail-2.jpg 667w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-7100" class="wp-caption-text">Lauren tabling with her robotics club</p></div>
<p>In addition, I’ve written several articles and blog posts about activism, animal rights, and veganism for different websites and organizations.</p>
<p>I’m also on an all-girls high school robotics team (<a href="http://www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/girlsofsteel/">The Girls of Steel</a>). Our mission is to empower women and girls in the pursuit of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) by exemplifying female success in robotics. STEM fields are still very male-dominated &#8211; our mission is to change people’s attitudes about women in STEM and helping young girls know they can be successful in a STEM career.</p>
<p><b>How did you get involved with activism and what you’re currently working on?</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My parents were vegan and doing animal rights activism before I was born, and I’ve been explaining veganism to people since forever, so I guess you could say I was born an activist! However, I started volunteering when I was about 11, and I started writing and doing other forms of activism after attending my first session of <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org">YEA Camp </a>in 2015. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Right now I’m working on a few things, along with writing, volunteer work and Girls Of Steel. I’m on </span><a href="https://www.farmsanctuary.org/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Farm Sanctuary</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">’s Youth Advisory Board, giving input on pamphlets etc. they want to create for younger activists, as well as kids that want to learn about veganism.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition, I’ve done a few art-activism things. I just finished performances of a play called “You Belong to Me” with a local theater company. This play aims to raise awareness about, and prevent, teen dating violence, and it’s an incredibly powerful piece that has been performed in schools all around the Pittsburgh area. I want to be an actor when I grow up, so this was a great way for me to combine acting and activism! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’m also a </span><a href="http://www.yeacamp.org/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">YEA Camp</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Intern!</span></p>
<div id="attachment_7099" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://www.yeacamp.org"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7099" class="size-medium wp-image-7099" src="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/thumbnail2-1-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/thumbnail2-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/thumbnail2-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://yeacamp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/thumbnail2-1.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-7099" class="wp-caption-text">Lauren at a farm animal sanctuary with rescued turkeys</p></div>
<p><b>What challenges have you faced as an activist and how have you dealt with them?</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Time management has always been a bit of a problem for me, but I’ve discovered it helps me be the most effective if I have one specific goal (maybe it’s to “Write one article before Sunday”) and then I budget my time over the week to make sure I get it done; vs having an open-ended goal (“Write as many articles as you can this week”).</span></p>
<p><b>What advice do you have for new activists just getting involved?</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Go for it! Even if you don’t think you’ll be good at it. Even if you can only do something you consider small or unimportant. You’ll get better (and gain confidence) with practice and every single action matters and will make a difference, no matter the size or scope.</span></p>
<p><b>How did <a href="http://www.yeacamp.org/">YEA Camp</a> help you in your activism, if it did?</b></p>
<p><a href="https://www.yeacamp.org"><span style="font-weight: 400;">YEA Camp</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> helped me in tons of ways! I gained more knowledge (about many things, but specifically about how to answer tricky questions), as well as a lot more confidence in myself and my abilities as an activist. </span><a href="http://www.yeacamp.org/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">YEA Camp</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> also connected me to a ton of organizations and people that I have worked with or could work with in the future. It’s also helped me a lot to just know that there are amazing people out there who care as passionately about issues as I do.</span></p>
<p><b>What activist goals do you have in the future?</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gain more confidence. Reach more people. Take part in more activism.</span></p>
<p><b>Have you been involved with any organizations or used any as resources for your activism?</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yes! </span><a href="http://www.yeacamp.org/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">YEA Camp</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (obviously), </span><a href="https://www.animaladvocates.net"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Animal Advocates</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.globallinks.org/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Global Links</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.farmsanctuary.org/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Farm Sanctuary</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><a href="http://www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/girlsofsteel/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Girls of Steel Robotics</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are the main groups with which I have worked that have helped me to grow in my activism. </span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you care about making a difference just like Lauren does? Want help getting more involved? Come to </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a> this summer!</span></em></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lauren Scheller-Wolf is a 17-year-old activist for many causes, though her focus is on animal rights. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attended YEA Camp New York in 2015 and 2016.</span></i></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://yeacamp.org/2018/03/21/7098/">YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Lauren Scheller-Wolfe Is a Star</a> appeared first on <a href="https://yeacamp.org">YEA Camp</a>.</p>
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