Social issues like climate change, racism, poverty, gender equality, animal rights, gun violence, and may others are so massive, it can feel intimidating or overwhelming to think that you as one person can even do anything. While you can’t solve it single-handedly today, thankfully there is a lot each of us can do that all adds up.

How to be or get started as an activist is unfortunately not something that is taught in most schools, which is a major reason why YEA Camp exists in the first place.

Over more than a decade, we’ve trained more than 1,000 aspiring activists to make a bigger difference on the social justice causes they care about.

Our curriculum focuses on building knowledge, skills, confidence, and community as campers examine their issue, their identity, and their impact.

We have a simple 5 step approach we teach at camp, and we want to teach it to you here too. While YEA Camp is a camp for teens, these steps work for adults too.

How to Get Started an Activist

1.Choose an issue you’re passionate about making a difference on.

At YEA Camp, we call this your IOI, or your Issue of Importance. You most likely care about a lot of different issues, and they are probably very interconnected, but we encourage you to focus on one to get started. You can always change your mind as time goes on, and you can follow this process in the future for another cause as well.

2. Learn more about your issue.

How serious is this problem? What exactly is happening? Why should people care about this? Get specific. Research frequently asked questions and learn the best responses to them. What are the arguments against, and why doesn’t everyone agree with you already? What actions do you want people to take to help?

The more you know, the more confident and effective you’ll be advocating for your cause, and the more skilled you’ll be at deciding what actions to take next.

3. Find organizations working on your cause.

When just starting out, it can help to connect with experts on your cause who have been working on this issue for a long time — or at least longer than you! This can be anything from a small local community group or a school club all the way to large international nonprofits. Check out our list of favorites here. Review their websites and follow them on social media.

As you get to know the organizations working on your cause, you’ll probably find some groups you love and others you don’t resonate with or that you even disagree with. Seeing examples of organizations with different approaches is a great way for you to decide for yourself where you want to focus your time. Hopefully you’ll meet some great like-minded people and learn a lot along the way, too.

4. Take the actions they recommend, or that make sense to you.

Most organizations will have identified key actions they want people to take to support their work or cause. Look for sections on their website called Take Action, Get Involved, or Action Alerts. What are they promoting on their social media? Some examples might be:

• calling your legislators
• boycotting a company
• signing an online petition
• sharing information on social media
• attending a protest
• making a donation

Some of these actions may seem intimidating if you’ve never done them before, but you have to start somewhere! Each action you take will make it easier for you to take that same action again or to do something else next time! Even better, see if you can get a friend to join you! You’ll be more likely to follow through and have fun too. Don’t worry about doing it “perfectly,” and if you start wondering about how other people might perceive you, try focusing on cultivating a strong opinion of yourself and taking actions that you’re proud of.

5. Keep going! 

This might not seem like much, but it might be the hardest step. Changing the world can take a while, so please don’t give up because you don’t see huge changes right away.

One phone call to your elected officials is a great start! Unfortunately, that one call is not going to solve the massive issue you’re working towards all by itself. Thankfully, all of our collective actions add up over time. Critically important is to keep going and not give up before we see the fruits of our labor! Appreciate yourself for taking action and make sure to celebrate small victories. You are awesome for caring so much!

The Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World

We hope this helps you get started as an activist on a cause you care about!

Want to learn way more about how to get started or get serious about making a difference?

Check out our free ebook, The Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World for many more resources to help you along your changemaking path.

Want even more than an ebook? Join us this summer!

YEA Camp has in-person and virtual sessions for youth ages 10-17. If you’re a little (or way) too old to be a camper, we’re also hiring for summer!

Thanks for all you do to make the world a better place! Please let us know how it goes!

The post How to Get Started as an Activist — Follow these 5 Steps appeared first on YEA Camp.

Following the success of our first-ever virtual sessions this summer, we are launching our first ever Winter YEA Camp!

One of the things that made our summer sessions so amazing was our incredible staff — 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.

We’re thrilled that most of our all-star team from this summer — Aine, Julia, Liam, and Maya — are able to join us again this summer, and we have added a few fresh faces, too — 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.

Throughout the week at YEA Camp, you’ll be learning about different types of activism, getting ideas for things you’ll want to do for the cause that’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 — and that’s pretty special.

So without further ado, here is the YEA Camp Dream Team for Winter 2020.

Nora Kramer, YEA Camp Founder and Director (2009-present)

Current Issues Of Importance (IOIs): Factory farming, political accountability, mass incarceration

Just some accomplishments: 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 The Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World.

Reason for being on staff: “Activism can be really challenging, especially when you’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.”

Elyanna Calle, Counselor (YEA Camper: 2018)

IOIs: Animal rights and climate change

Just some accomplishments: 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’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 — all while still in high school.

Reason for being on staff: “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!”

Julia Clark, Counselor (YEA Camper: 2016, Virtual Counselor: Summer 2020) 

IOI: Racial Justice

Just some accomplishments: 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.

Reason for being on staff: “To amplify the voices of young activists and use the knowledge I have gained to help others.”

Liam Davis-Bosch, Counselor (YEA Camper: 2015, 2016; YEA Camp Counselor: 2017, 2018; Virtual Counselor: Summer 2020)

IOIs: Mental Health and LGBTQ+ Rights, Climate Change, Education

Just some accomplishments: 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’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. Created a resource guide for teaching with sensitivity to queer folx and those affected by mental illness.

Reason for being on staff: “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.”

Maya Diaz-Villalta, Counselor (YEA Camper: 2017; Virtual Counselor: 2020)

IOI(s): Indigenous Rights and LGBTQ+ Rights

Just some accomplishments: Maya Diaz-Villalta (they/them) is a third year at Saint Mary’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.  

Reason for being on staff: “To listen to young people’s ideas and help manifest their goals.”

Aine Pierre, Operations Manager (YEA Camper: 2015, 2016, 2018; Virtual Counselor: Summer 2020)

IOIs: LGBTQ+ Rights and Student Press Rights

Just some accomplishments: 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.

Reason for being on staff: “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.”

Ananya Singh, Counselor (YEA Camper: 2015, 2017 YEA staff member 2018, 2019)

IOIs: Climate justice, social movements, education

Just some accomplishments: 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

Reason for being on staff:  I love YEA Camp so much because it truly changed my life and shaped me into the activist I am today, and it’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!

Want to learn from these incredible changemakers? It’s not too late to register today for Winter YEA Camp. For more information about our amazing new winter program, head to yeacamp.org!

The post Meet Our Staff at Virtual YEA Camp’s Upcoming Winter Session appeared first on YEA Camp.

Activism is more fun with friends!

From honors classes to soccer practices and everything in between, the lives of most students can be incredibly busy. With school responsibilities like getting good grades, getting into a good college (if that’s one’s plan) and responsibilities at home, like chores or babysitting siblings, or even an after-school job, activism often gets lost in the shuffle. However, just as we owe it to our family and to ourselves to complete the responsibilities I listed above, we owe it to our world to do activism. The fact of the matter is that the world has problems, and they will not be fixed by sitting on the sidelines. Just as your room won’t clean itself or your homework won’t do itself, neither will the world become a better place by itself.

This isn’t to say that you should drop everything and commit yourself to activism for every waking hour of your life. As nice as it would be if possible, school and family responsibilities do come first. Fortunately, our responsibilities to ourselves and our families are not as exclusive as they might seem. So, without further ado, I present to you activism on a (time) budget.

Tip 1: Self-Care

In order to make the world a better place, you can start first by making sure that you are in a good place yourself. This includes, but is not limited to the following things: eating a healthy diet, making sure you get proper rest, taking any needed medication, doing what you need to do to get into a good headspace, surrounding yourself with positive people, and making sure that you have an outlet to remove negative energy. This could mean writing in a journal, making the time to do things you enjoy, exercise, or speaking to a school counselor or mental health professional about any struggles you may be dealing with.

Once you’ve established a foundation of your own self-care and have your own needs met, you’re ready for Tip 2!

Tip 2: Self-Education Is Activism

This is something Pierce Delahunt, an amazing YEA Camp counselor, taught me at my latest session of YEA Camp, and it completely changed my life. As teenagers, we face a world the scale of which is often beyond our comprehension. Real-world issues are complex, and they often take knowledgable people to solve. Thus, educating yourself is absolutely a form of activism. Even staying abreast of current events or learning a new vocabulary word (especially if said word replaces a problematic word or phrase) can be a form of activism. This isn’t to say that learning about integrals and derivatives will help save the world (side note: if anyone can tell me how to use calculus in activism, I will be forever indebted to you for making calculus less useless to me), but the studies of history, language, art, and science can fashion extraordinary tools for activism!

As you learn more about the causes you care about, you will be more confident and effective in taking action to help. You can start by learning from organizations working on causes you care about. Check out this list on YEA Camp’s website. Follow groups on social media to learn more and get updates on current events and action alerts.

Tip 3: Keep a Calendar

A great way to manage your time and make room for activism is to keep a calendar of events and major due dates. This allows you to plan out your week, or even month, ahead of time so that you can clear certain dates where important events are occurring. For example, say there’s a protest on a certain day, but you know a paper is due the next day. A calendar allows you to see that more clearly and you can plan accordingly and get the essay done earlier. If you are part of a school club or are working on a bigger project or campaign, creating a list of actions to take (like talking to your principal or passing out flyers) and assigning due dates to them (even if they aren’t exactly “due” on any given day) can help you keep track of everything and make sure your plans actually happen.

Tip 4: Incorporate Activism Into Your Everyday Life

Activism, according to YEA Camp’s definition, is simply taking action for the betterment of our world with an eye for the big picture. However, just because the picture is big doesn’t mean small actions don’t add up to a big impact. Something as simple as talking to your friends can bring valuable allies to your cause. Additionally, if you have a project to do or paper to write, you can try to find ways to work in activist topics (e.g. an essay on The Scarlet Letter or Jane Eyre could easily take a feminist angle). You can share your views in class discussions, or wear activist t-shirts and spread your message that way. Writing for the school paper is another great way to spread your message, as journalism is about giving a voice to the voiceless.

Tip 5: Prioritize

Obviously, homework and chores are important, but so is activism. Prioritization is a great way to manage your responsibilities to yourself, your family, and the world. So, if an important math test is coming up, that might take priority one day. If a relative is coming to visit and you need to help with housework, then that would take priority. Especially when you’re busy, daily actions through your diet, purchasing choices, or speaking up for people can be more of your focus. Even a few minutes of sharing something important on social media or signing online petitions can be a great quick thing you can do. On days where there’s no school work, activism can take priority. Another way to show priority is to do activism in different spheres of your life. For example, if you’re planning to hang out with friends, suggest you do activism together! I’ve gone to marches with my best friends. Activism with friends is a great way to help the world and strengthen your bond!

So, if you’re an AP freak like me or a theater kid or a jock, just remember to uphold your responsibility to the world! Time management can be hard, but the payoff is well worth it.

Know when you will have time to devote to activism? In the summer — when you can join us at YEA Camp and take your activism to new heights! We even have a session for adults! 

Aine Pierre has been involved in activism from a very young age on behalf of animals, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. Her latest project is advocating for student press freedoms in her state, working alongside the former director of the Student Press Law Center. Aine lives at home on the east coast with her three wonderful furry siblings and is a stressed AP-taking junior at her high school.

The post Student Activism On a (Time) Budget appeared first on YEA Camp.

I’ve always loved animals, but until two years ago, I was part of the reason why they were tortured and slaughtered.

After finding out about the horrors of animal agriculture, I cut animal products out of my life completely, and as most new vegans tend to be, I was angry and passionate: a complicated mix of emotions. Aggressively commenting on YouTube videos and Instagram posts, calling people murderers, and yelling at those who would benefit more from education impacted those around me … and not in a good way.

It wasn’t until recently that I realized that in order to be a good activist in modern society, you must treat the people you are trying to persuade with kindness and respect. I joined activists groups, went to vigils, and tried my best to be one of the “good faces” of veganism, even though we all just want compassion and justice for all. Balancing my social life, school work, and small bits of activism seemed impossible, and it felt extremely discouraging to care so much about issues that I thought almost no one else understood. I wanted to better myself as an activist, but I thought that it was necessary to block out all of my fears and emotions about the world.

I was in the car with my dad a few months ago, and after one of my daily rants about the injustices towards animals, we got on the topic of summer camps. I wondered if there was a leadership camp involving veganism, so I frantically typed “vegan summer camp” in the Google search engine, thinking that nothing even close would appear. I found YEA Camp. It wasn’t strictly about animal rights, but that was one of the many social justice issues encompassed by campers and staff. I saw that YEA Camp attempted to create the kindest environment possible, and in order to do that, served strictly vegan food. After reading the description of this camp, I realized that it would be the perfect opportunity to better myself as an activist.

Since I’ve returned home from camp, a few of my friends have asked me what it was like, and every time I struggle to describe it. I hesitate and stutter, because my experiences were way too powerful and remarkable to put into words.

YEA Camp felt like a utopia. I was surrounded by people who not only care about the important injustices in the world, but who also want to do something about them. These people were so kind, and I always felt like my voice was heard. No one was excluded and everyone was treated equally and like they mattered. This place restored my faith in the world, helped me build my confidence, gave a sense of love and community, provided me with all of the skills and knowledge necessary to do great things, and so much more!

Not only do I have a specific action plan, and the resources to make more specific, attainable action plans in the future, but I have the self-confidence to go through with them! I’ve already started talking to my principals about my plans for the social justice club I am starting, and we got more than 50 signups at our first club day! I’m also going to participate in my third Cube of Truth with Anonymous for the Voiceless. I’ve also started practicing new self-care strategies to take care of myself. Because of the empowerment and knowledge that I gained from that week, I feel powerful enough to do more activism, and I know that we can change the world.

Eden Curtiss was a camper at YEA Camp Massachusetts in summer 2018. She lives in Nort Carolina and will be a junior this year. Because of inspiration from YEA Camp, Eden has started a social justice club at her school, is making more music about animal rights, starting vegan social media accounts, and doing more street activism.

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Charlotte with a turkey at Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary

In our 10 years of YEA Camp, we have been fortunate enough to have campers attend from a dozen(!) different countries — 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 “Down Under.”

We are so excited that Charlotte is sharing her story with us, and we can’t wait to share it with you.

YEA Camp: Hi Charlotte! Tell us about the activism you’ve been doing.

Charlotte Chambers: Some activism I have done includes getting hundreds of petition signatures to ban live animal export (a terrible practice where live animals are sent off on long journeys on ships from Australia) and volunteering at Edgar’s Mission, a farm animal sanctuary near my town. I did a video for the sanctuary’s Facebook page, attended vegan conferences in Melbourne and the Australian animal activists forum, 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.

YEA: How did you get involved with activism and what you’re currently working on?

CC: 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 — 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. When I found out about YEA Camp, I was so excited that I would be able to learn how to make a difference.

YEA Camp gave me so many new skills and it helped me gain enough confidence to make significant change. YEA Camp 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.

Charlotte and members of her animal rights club at her high school

YEA: That’s incredible! What challenges have you faced as an activist and how have you dealt with them?

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.

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.

YEA: That’s great. We all struggle at times, but we can’t give up! What advice do you have for new activists just getting involved?

CC: Some advice that I have for new activists is to go to YEA Camp 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 — sometimes the world just really sucks, and it’s really great to empty all your thoughts on paper.

Melbourne is host of the Animal Activists Forum, an event Charlotte attended

YEA: How did YEA Camp help you in your activism, if it did?

CC: YEA Camp 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 YEA Camp for giving me this unforgettable experience.

YEA: Aww! That’s amazing to hear! Are there any other organizations you’ve worked with or that have been valuable resources in your activism?

CC: I’ve gotten involved with many organizations since I went to YEA Camp, including Animal Liberation Youth, where I am a part of their organizers’ 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 Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary, where I was in one of their videos for their Facebook page. I am also part of their new campaign, Kindness to the Max — I have been volunteering with them as much as I can. Some other organizations that I have been involved with include Animals Australia and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.

YEA: Amazing! What are some of your short-term and long-term activism goals or plans?

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.  

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 YEA Camp sessions. Her issues of importance are primarily animal rights and environmental justice.

If you are as passionate about making a difference as Charlotte is, you should come to YEA Camp — either to our youth session or to our session for adults! If you want to learn how to get active right away, download our new ebook, The Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World.

The post YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Charlotte Chambers’ Journey Towards a Better World appeared first on YEA Camp.