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.

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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.

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Paula Orrego has an uplifting, positive attitude even when dealing with challenging topics.

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 us about attending her first ever march and gave YEA Camp credit for her “a ha moment” in becoming an activist! She is even coming to our first ever YEA Camp for Adults session this summer!

We appreciate that Paula took time to share her story with us, and are glad to share more about her with you.

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

Paula: Right now, I’m working as a college ambassador for Give More HUGS, 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.

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

Paula sporting her YEA Camp “This is what an activist looks like” t-shirt at a Pride rally.

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.

(Shoutout to the few teachers who did believe me and had my back!)

I wanted to make people see the problem–really see it–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.

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 YEA Camp. 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.

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.

Fast forward to now, and I actually got in touch with Give More HUGS through YEA Camp! 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!

Paula attending her first march, at the Women’s March in San Jose, CA.

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

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.

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.

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.

YEA: Wow. What advice do you have for new activists just getting involved?

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–you are trying to make a point about the greater problem, not trying to punish the individuals.

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.

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

PO: YEA Camp 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.

YEA: Are there any other organizations you’ve worked with or that have been valuable resources in your activism?

PO: Working with Give More HUGS this past year and MoveOn.org 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.

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’s rights, animal rights, and the environment.

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

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We are so excited to share Noor’s journey with you and hope it inspires you as much as she continues to inspire us!

Noor marching for social justice and supporting intersectional causes in front of the Los Angeles Times headquarters

YEA Camp: Hey, Noor! Tell us about the activism you’ve been doing.

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 my YouTube channel, have written articles for my personal blog and HS Insider (a youth journalism program), and have also founded the Education Emotion Project (EEP!) 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.

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

NA: YEA Camp 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.

YEA: What challenges have you faced as an activist and how have you dealt with them?

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.

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.

YEA: What advice do you have for new activists just getting involved?

NA: Just do it. I think we all have at least one thing in the world that we are incredibly passionate about — or affects us personally — 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.

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

Check out this amazing video Noor made about her experience at YEA Camp!

NA: I think YEA Camp 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’s not just to yell and scream or to complain about the things that we don’t like, but rather to push for action in order to ensure that we have a better future.

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?

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 NEDA (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.

Noor’s natural habitat is with her camera in tow to document her activist journey!

YEA: Are there any organizations you’ve been working with?

NA: This year I’ve been able to work more closely with NEDA, as well as volunteer for AFSP (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!

YEA: Anything else you want to tell us?

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!

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 this awesome video about her experience at YEA Camp!

If you or someone you know can relate to Noor and wants to make a bigger difference in the world, come to YEA Camp this summer! We now have a camp for adults too!

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