Happy Day 9 of

If you haven’t heard, 12 Days of YEA Camp Heroes is part of our end-of-year fundraising campaign, If Not for YEA Camp… to look at how our campers are making a difference that, according to them, they would not have done if they hadn’t attended.

Today’s featured camper, 16-year-0ld Leah (left) from Connecticut, is dedicated to helping animals, and we are so proud that she has put her huge passion into so much action since camp!

Leah started the CARE Club at her school this year, and it has already been very successful. The club has 20 active members and many more supporters, and is working on several important projects. So far they set up a collection drive at school for the local Humane Society, held a screening of the great film “Blackfish” about the abuse of orcas at SeaWorld, and set up a table in the cafeteria to inform students about animal cruelty issues.

Check out Leah with the packed car of donated items the club collected for the local shelter!

They also achieved a huge victory getting Meatless Mondays implemented in their school district! This will mean thousands of students eating less meat each week — a huge win for animals, the environment, and their health.

We have been asking campers about the difference YEA Camp has made in their activism, and were so inspired by Leah’s answer to our “If Not for YEA Camp…” question.

Leah says, “If not for YEA Camp, I wouldn’t have known how to start my animal rights club. I wouldn’t have known how to recruit members, plan club activities, or known how to fundraise or campaign for my club properly. I wouldn’t have understood the importance of using good communication skills to get my message across or how to find the right people to support me in my efforts. I’m very thankful that I now have these skills. I always had the passion and the ability to come up with ideas to help the animals I care so deeply about, but it wasn’t until YEA Camp that I was able to fully harness that passion and put together my ideas to make an action plan worth completing.”

We are so proud of all Leah has accomplished — and she is just getting started! She’s got a lot more planned out in this awesome notebook of hers!

Your donation to YEA Camp helps young people like Leah to develop the skills to run school clubs and campaigns of their choosing, to build confidence to speak up for what’s important to them, and to have a community to support them along the way.

A generous supporter is matching all donations up to $2500 until the end of the year, making your donation go twice as far! Will you make a donation to help us grow? You can do so here. We so appreciate your continued support!

Tune in tomorrow for Day 9 of 12 Days of YEA Camp Heroes!

Missed previous days of YEA Camp Heroes? Get caught up on these inspiring stories! Here’s Day 1 about Megan in Massachusetts raising money for the homeless, Day 2 showcasing Joyce in New Jersey speaking out about bullying, Day 3 highlighting Maddie in Colorado advocating for animals, Day 4 about Lia from Washington state working to address the stigma of mental illness and reducing teen suicide, Day 5 about Roberto from North Carolina speaking more confidently about progressive causes, Day 6 about Ana from California advocating for women, workers, animals, and more, Day 7 about Jia Hui’s animal advocacy, and  Day 8 about Shelby’s advocacy for gay and transgender rights.

Know a 12-17 year-old who would love YEA Camp? We’ve got an early bird discount until the end of the year so send them to YEACamp.org for more info!

The post YEA Camp Hero Day 9: Leah CAREs About Animals! appeared first on YEA Camp.

Well, this year, while we will also have 3 regular ol’ amazing, life-changing sessions of YEA Camp from coast to coast, we are thrilled to also be offering a first-of-its-kind session of YEA Camp specifically for animal advocates!

Held at the incredible Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary in Upstate New York, campers will experience the same fun, inspiring, and informative activities at all YEA Camps while also focusing specifically on becoming the best advocates for animals they can be. The session will be from August 9-16, 2015, at the gorgeous Epworth Center in High Falls, NY, less than 2 hours from Manhattan.

Campers at this unique session will:

• learn the best ways to make a difference for animals through activism at school and in their community
• meet and bond with some of the most dedicated young animal advocates in the country
• receive mentorship from accomplished, adult animal-advocating role models
• gain confidence in speaking up effectively in challenging situations
• recognize the interconnections between animal rights and other social justice issues, like poverty, the environment, racism, and more.
• care for neglected and abused animals at the sanctuary
• become familiar with organizations around the country making a difference for animals
• be inspired by all the progress being made and possibilities for helping animals!

Like at all sessions of YEA Camp, campers will have tons of fun and make great friends in a supportive community, recognize their ability to affect the problems in our world in a more positive way, and leave armed with an action plan to make a difference in their school or community.

And, like all sessions of YEA Camp, which are committed to modeling living peacefully and sustainably, campers will enjoy delicious mostly organic vegan meals – 3 meals, 2 healthy snacks, and an amazing dessert each day!

We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring amazing young animal advocates together at YEA Camp for an inspiring and life-changing week to bring about a more compassionate world!

Of course, animal advocates will still get a ton out of attending any of the other sessions of YEA Camp — including the session in NY taking place at the same time — if those dates or locations work better, or if they’d rather be with a group of people passionate about many different issues versus focused primarily on one.

Space is limited at all of our sessions, and we’ve got a sweet Early Bird Discount until January 1, so now’s the time to learn more about YEA Camp, tell friends, and register for your best summer ever!

Can’t wait til the summer!!!

P.S. Check our site for more info if you’re interested in working at or volunteering with YEA Camp. We’ll start hiring in February.

The post Announcing Our First Ever YEA Camp for Animal Advocates! appeared first on YEA Camp.