We held the second session of YEA Camp for Adults at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in New Paltz, New York.

Here are some of the highlights from YEA Camp 2019.

Our 11th Summer

This was our 11th summer hosting YEA Camp for teens ages 12 – 17 and we are so grateful for the opportunity to work with these inspiring young people. 

Our first youth camp was held at Nature’s Classroom in Charlton, Massachusetts from July 13 – 20. Our second youth camp was held at Camp Buckhorn in Idyllwild, California from August 3 – 10. 

We had around fifty campers at each youth session representing two dozen states and three countries. 

From June 30 – July 6, 22 campers from 12 states stayed with us at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in New Paltz, New York for the second ever session of YEA Camp for Adults. From yoga in the morning to meeting with farmed animals after lunch, from workshops on gender and race to trainings on communication and fundraising, our campers had the perfect mix of self-care and reflection while also learning valuable skills to help advance their activism.

We love our YEA Camp Massachusetts staff!

Between the three sessions of camp, we were so blessed to have 35 amazing staff members from 16 different states.

Our Impact

Juan Antonio Nelson is an Iowa college student who flew all the way to New York to attend adult camp. When asked about the experience, he said, “Without YEA Camp, I wouldn’t feel that I could make a difference in my immediate community. I wouldn’t have the courage to stand up for others. If not for YEA Camp, I wouldn’t have met a strong community of activists who are passionately advocating for what they believe in.”

A few months ago, former YEA Camper and current YEA staff member Ananya Singh was featured on the Perennials Podcast. In the podcast, Ananya says, “When I was 12 years old, the summer before eighth grade, I attended this summer camp called Youth Empowered Action and this is a camp for teen activists and it really was a life changing experience for me. It exposes you to so many different social issues that are going on in the world and kind of takes the approach of intersectionality and showing how all of these issues are so interconnected and then really breaking down what is possible for young people to do.”

YEA Camp staff member Ananya Singh in action at the Morristown, New Jersey Climate Strike

We also recently shared the story of former YEA Camper Leah Kelly who FIVE years after attending camp, wrote this blog post where she says, “Five and a half years ago, as a 15-year-old, I attended Youth Empowered Action (YEA) Camp for the first time and my life was changed immeasurably. I can’t imagine how different my life would have been from then on had I not spent that pivotal week learning what it means to be an effective agent of change and forming lasting connections that supported, and continue to support me as I navigate a chosen path of social justice and fighting for what I believe in.”

Our Brand New Program

This year, we also launched the first-ever YEA Camp Volunteer-a-thon. The Volunteer-a-thon was created to encourage our community in service and activism while raising money for the YEA Camp Scholarship Fund. 

Dima Bischoff-Hashem created an awesome Volunteer-a-thon project supporting her Issue of Importance, animal rights!

Participants created donor pages, shared what activism they would be working on, and asked their loved ones to “sponsor” them in their work. You can read more about three of our camper’s projects at this link and click here to read what one camper wrote about the experience. 

All funds raised through the Volunteer-a-thon go towards the YEA Camp Scholarship Fund which makes camp accessible for all who want to attend. 

This year, 51 of our 100 participants received financial aid and 17 of those campers were on full scholarships. Overall, we funded $66,400 of financial aid this year.  

Our Gratitude

We cannot say thank you enough to everyone who made camp possible. From our food donors to our staff to our donors, thank you. 

Helping ourselves to vegan pizza with Miyoko’s Cheese and more toppings than we can count!

Thanks to two generous donors, we also have a special opportunity through the end of the year. All donations given before the end of the year will be TRIPLED. Click here to learn more and to donate to our Scholarship Fund. 

Every year at YEA Camp, we have the privilege of meeting passionate and activated changemakers who are taking the world by storm. We feel so grateful to be a part of their story and look forward to supporting you in making a bigger difference on the causes you care most about, too!

See You Next Summer

Do you want to experience YEA Camp for yourself next summer, or know someone who would love to join us? 

We are eagerly preparing for 2020 and are excited to offer an Early Bird special registration for $250 off those who sign up before the end of the year. Do you know someone who would be great for YEA Camp? Nominate them here!

• Youth Camp: in Ventura, California (July 5 – 12) and Charlton, Massachusetts (August 1 – 8)
• Adult Camp: in Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey (July 18 – 24)

See you next summer!

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Pizza with Miyoko’s Cheese and “more toppings than we could count!”

One way we practice every day activism is by our food choices at camp.

For some of our campers and our staff, the allure of an all vegan camp is how they heard about us in the first place. For others, our vegan food is just another blurb on the FAQ page. YEA Camp is all about social justice and, at the end of the day, everyone at camp wants to build a more peaceful and sustainable world. That is why YEA Camp is vegan with a heavy focus on fair-trade, organic, and local options. 

The food we choose at the grocery store or out for dinner with friends is one of the simplest acts of every day activism we can do. Because of that, we hire a skilled team of vegan chefs to cook us amazing food that everyone can appreciate. 

This summer, we had some incredible companies donate their plant-based products to help us more affordably showcase the very best in vegan eating. 

Thank you to…

Amy’s Kitchen is a family-owned food company that was organic before “organic” was a national certification. Pioneers of the organic food industry (and maker of endless delicious vegan options), Amy’s has been with YEA Camp since year one and we are so grateful for their support!

Another family-owned business, Butler Foods donated their famous Butler Soy Curls, an all natural alternative to meat. Our chefs traded the traditional Chicken Noodle Soup for “Soy Curl Noodle Soup” for an extra dash of heart-healthy perfection. 

Sometimes we even let campers into the kitchen for baking demos!

Chicago Vegan Foods is a 100% vegan company (did the name give it away?) From their frozen dessert line to their gooey non-dairy cheese to their vegan marshmallows, Chicago Vegan Foods has something for everyone. Thank you Chicago Vegan Foods!

YEA Camp Trivia: Do you know what vegan company Camp Founder & Director Nora Kramer named her rescue dog after? Daiya the dog approves of Daiya Foods and all the “deliciously dairy-free foods” they bring to our camp. You can even find vegan frozen pizzas from Daiya in grocery stores around the country. Yum!

Started in 1970 when four friends “opened a seven-seat soup, salad, and sandwich counter in the back of small natural food store in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California,” Follow Your Heart now offers over 60 dairy-free products in over 25 countries. We are so grateful for their support and their reminder to, “when in doubt, Follow Your Heart.” 

We couldn’t get in line fast enough for this Miyoko’s inspired vegan pizza!

Miyoko’s Kitchen provided us with many a mid-day snack. Their cheese wheels were a hit at every session of camp and we especially love this quote, pulled from their website: “Compassion for animals is at the heart of everything we do. It always has been. It always will be.”

Like Amy’s Kitchen, Tofurky has been a generous support of YEA Camp for eleven years. We even wrote a feature post about them here! Tofurky has been providing us with plant-based protein since our very first session. Truthfully, it wouldn’t feel like camp without them!

We are so lucky to have their support!

YEA Camp would not be nearly as delicious were it not for the support of these awesome companies who are revolutionizing what it means to eat vegan. Campers often tell us that YEA Camp is what propelled them to eat a plant-based diet! What an honor to help our campers become more conscious about their food choices. We are so grateful to have the support of these compassionate companies. Their dedication to making the world a kinder and more ethical place inspires us all.

The time to announce dates for YEA Camp 2020 is coming soon. Be sure to sign up for e-news to make sure you’re the first to know!

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Summer camp for adults gives us permission to let down our hair and dance!

For most “grown-ups,” summer camp is a thing of the past, trading cabins for cubicles and hikes for hectic work schedules. But there are so many benefits that kids get from going to camp that are valuable for adults too!

That’s why Youth Empowered Action (YEA) Camp took its 10 years of experience running summer leadership camps for teens and created a YEA Camp for Adults.

For YEA Camp in particular, as a social justice camp that helps aspiring activists make a bigger difference on the causes they care about, we see that what we do is just as relevant for adults as for youth.

Since 2009, YEA Camp has trained over 700 teens to get active and be more effective on the issues of their choice. Our program is focused on developing people’s knowledge, skills, confidence, and community — something that anyone on a change-making path will benefit from, regardless of age.

Here are 10 reasons adults need summer camp just as much as kids do:

1. Tap into a greater sense of your purpose

   When was the last time you spent a week focused on cultivating your life’s purpose? At YEA Camp, our focus is on how to make a bigger difference in the world by reconnecting with what really matters. We prioritize the good stuff.

2. Camp bursts your bubble (in a good way)!

   When we are accustomed to spending time with the same people, at the same job, and in the same community, we limit how we express ourselves. Stepping out of your bubble gives you an opportunity to experiment with new ways of being. This helps us to live into our most authentic selves.

3. Self-care, self-care, self-care

   Despite being a ubiquitous buzzword, self-care — “the practice of taking action to improve one’s own health” — is super important. In the busyness of work and life, sometimes we take our own well-being for granted. This can have consequences to our mental, physical, and emotional psyche. At camp, we share ways to replenish ourselves and invest in experiences that will refuel our energy.

   

   Forget traditional networking, at adult summer camp you will make life-long friends in a really organic way.

4. It’s the most fun you’ll ever have “networking”

   Forget business cards or small talk. Camp is set up so that we can develop meaningful friendships through a like-minded community. From playful games to heartfelt discussions to late-night pajama parties, our adult campers leave with friendships that are much deeper than can be made at happy hour.

5. Time to focus on passion projects

   When we pull ourselves out of your daily routines, we can actually focus on what matters to us. At camp, we spend a whole week exploring our activism area of interest. Setting aside intentional time for your passions can be an unforgettable experience with long-term benefits. Camp provides an opportunity to focus on passions that sometimes don’t fit into your busy schedule.

6. Shifting routines shifts your perspective

   Speaking of getting out of daily routines, think of camp as a reset. Being in nature can help us clear our minds, refocus our priorities, and refresh our outlook. Think of YEA Camp for Adults as a well-deserved retreat — but with a talent show, a dance party, and activities that will help you see the world differently and take more effective action on the causes you care about when you get home.

   

   Camp for adults allows us to spend time in nature while taking time to pursue what we really care about.

7. Being in nature is paramount for our health

   So many of us spend our days indoors, staring at screens. Being out in nature, spending time with animals, breathing fresh air, and engaging in healthy forms of movement are key ingredients to a vibrant life. YEA Camp for Adults takes place on the property of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, a sanctuary for rescued animals whom we can visit with each day. There will be time for yoga, journaling, outdoor games or exercise, or just taking a nap under a tree.

8. We make “work” fun

   Activism can be hard, and delving into serious topics can be challenging. YEA Camp makes it fun. We don’t force you to sit at a conference. We also aren’t big fans of stuffy offices. That’s why we do our activism training in between visits with the animals and meaningful community-building activities. At the end of the week, campers leave with a clear and tangible action plan on how they can make a difference on their chosen cause. Plus, they have a great time doing it.

9. Meaningful self-development

   The more we expand our outlook and perspectives on life, the more comfortable we can be in every situation. This can lead to endless new insights, relationships, and possibilities in any area of life. We think it’s true that life does indeed begin at the end of our comfort zone. YEA Camp is designed to help campers feel more comfortable going outside their comfort zone.

   10. Live your best life

   As they say, “pick a job you like and you’ll never work a day in your life.” At camp, we believe that finding the joy and fun in something real and meaningful will help you lead a more balanced and fulfilling life. Plus, camp lets us get out of a rut or initiate shifts in routine that can lead to creativity and new perspectives. Devoting a week to what’s most important to you is so valuable. At YEA Camp for Adults, we connect with how to apply your skills and passions. We want to help you make the world a better place in a way that inspires you.

No matter how old you are, it’s not too late to have a great answer to the age-old question, “How did you spend your summer vacation?”

YEA Camp for Adults is for aspiring activists who know they want to make a bigger difference in the world, and who want focused skill-building and leadership training in the midst of the playful world of summer camp. If that sounds like a great way to spend your summer, click here to learn more. And, of course, if you know a 12-17 year-old who wants to know how they can do more to make our world a better place, YEA Camp’s youth camp is the place to be!

The post 10 Reasons Adults Should Go To Summer Camp Too appeared first on YEA Camp.

YEA Camp for Adults will be amazing! Join us!

As we prepare for our second year of YEA Camp for Adults, we wanted to share more about its purpose, ways it’s similar but also different from a typical leadership or activism conference or training or retreat, and how it might be the most fun you’ve ever had focusing on self-care, personal growth, and changing the world.

We are living in a time when children are being separated from their families at the border, when those in power are ignoring scientists’ warnings about climate catastrophe, and the richest 26 people in the world currently own the same wealth as the poorer half of the entire global population. These are just a few of the most devastating injustices we are facing.

It’s enough to make a big-hearted person feel totally demoralized, check out, or give up.

But, thankfully, many people who have never been activists before are getting involved and inspired to bring about change.

Seeing this has been incredible! People are attending their first marches and getting involved in politics for the first time. They’re donating money, having uncomfortable conversations to challenge outdated thinking, and on and on.

For the past 10 years, YEA Camp has been training teens to make a bigger difference on the social justice causes they care most about, and we recognize that folks 18 and up have some of the same needs as teens do to get involved at higher levels than ever before.

That’s why we created YEA Camp for Adults.

Check out our new video about YEA Camp for Adults!

Changing the world is hard! Not only does it take knowledge about issues and skills to make an impact, it takes self-confidence to get out of our comfort zone, and community to learn from and work with.

So many people got their start as changemakers by mostly stumbling along without a plan or rationale. It’s often lonely and time-consuming to try things out without much in the way of relevant knowledge, skills, mentorship, or even open conversations with experienced activists to help navigate a path that is inherently entrepreneurial and against the status quo.

Left to our own devices, it’s too easy to just like posts on social media, go to a march every few months, and complain about all of the world’s problems without doing much of anything about them.

That’s where we try to intervene and make a real difference. We leverage the experience of our staff to help kickstart or up-level your activism.

Social Justice Activism and Leadership Training for Aspiring Activists

At YEA Camp, we curate the most foundational concepts and skills that we want to make sure every changemaker has in their toolkit. Things like:

• Fundamental strategies for understanding and chipping away at racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression
• Intersectionality and how different social justice issues relate to one another
• Evaluating our habits and choices to see how our daily actions and purchases can be some of the simplest ways we can make a difference
• Going deeper and examining our limiting beliefs and fears to help us find our voice and tap into our power
• Tapping into our resilience when we feel overwhelmed and demoralized by the state of the world
• Communication skills to help us have more effective interactions with people who we disagree with, especially those in positions of power — and to know when to avoid these interactions
• Skills to inspire others to get involved, to use social media or grassroots outreach effectively, to raise money for your cause, or to launch a socially responsible business or venture
• Interactive activities tailored to different learning styles and to help you apply everything you learn
• Tapping into our creativity and using the existing skills we each have to find our niche and make a difference in a way that is most appropriate for each of us
• Developing strategies to assess the best use of our time, and to make a plan that inspires us

Why A Summer Camp for Activists?

So many reasons! Let’s focus on three.

Join us at YEA Camp for Adults at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, just outside of New York City.

1. Summer camp brings together the elements of fun, inspiration, and relaxation. As activist-minded people, we can become focused on all the problems in the world. In comparison to so many injustices, it could feel impossible or selfish to enjoy our lives. We hope you’ll see that taking time to be out in nature, be silly, and enjoy life is a long-term investment in your activism. It can help us replenish our energy and inspiration so that we can think clearly and truly be of service to others.

2. Camp inherently challenges us to get out of our comfort zones.

   From meeting new people, to being open to the unknown, to the most basic adjustments to new food and a bed that’s not your own. But as we tap into our courage in a safe environment, we can build a muscle that actually expands the size of our comfort zone. Things that made us nervous before become not so scary, and that is hugely helpful for any activist. With an activist mindset, we see infinite opportunities to take action beyond what we’ve done before, where we’re not sure what to expect, or where we may be opening ourselves up for criticism or perceived failure. We can all benefit by getting more comfortable getting out of our comfort zones.

3. Camp might be the best place in the world to reinvent yourself.

   Most of us spend the majority of our time with the same people.  Our coworkers, family, friends, neighbors, and even ourselves know us to be a certain way. We are a product of our past ways of being and seeing ourselves. But what if we want to re-evaluate who we are or how we want to approach life? What if we want to pursue new passions or set new goals? That can be hard to just wake up and do one day over breakfast or at work.

Being at camp is transformational.

You get to show up as whoever you want to try out being. If you’re naturally shy, what if you try being outgoing? In a welcoming environment where nobody knows you, we won’t even know you’re just trying that out!

This is an opportunity to brainstorm a new way to get involved in your community or a more inspired career. We will have no judgments –just offer support and thoughtful input if you ask for it.

There are conferences and trainings to learn about specific problems in the world or to build specific skills. But they’re usually boring or stuffy, in a sterile hotel conference room all day packed with people you won’t get to know, and with someone droning on to explain a PowerPoint you could have read at home.

But what if you could learn the basics of what you need to know to make a bigger difference while also having one of the most fun weeks of your life, building strong bonds with like-minded supportive people, and spending time in nature rejuvenating yourself so that you feel inspired rather than drained?

That’s YEA Camp!

Details, Please?!

YEA Camp for Adults is a leadership training and activist retreat all held on the grounds of an animal sanctuary!

YEA Camp for Adults is held at the incredible Woodstock Farm Sanctuary — a home for rescued farmed animals who will be some of our hosts and friends as we enjoy our own sanctuary during our time together. We chose June 30-July 6, the week of July 4th, so it will be easier to get away.

We only have 50 beds, so this will be an intimate setting. Everyone will get to know everyone and nobody can fall through the cracks. The accommodations are modern, and we will have a personal vegan chef cooking for us! We also promise you will become friends with creatures with 2 legs, 4 legs, and even wings!

We also offer a sliding scale and financial aid to make it easier for people to be able to come.

If you’re passionate about making a bigger difference in the world, YEA Camp was created with you in mind.

Summer is fast approaching! We hope you will take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity to take your change-making to new heights!

Check out our event page here. And find out more or register to join us this summer by visiting our website here.

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Do you consider yourself an activist? Why or why not? How about if you’re still in high school and not old enough to vote? What if you care a lot but have no idea where to begin?

YEA Camp’s definition of activism: Taking intentional action to make a difference for others, with an eye for the big picture.

We at YEA Camp believe that “activist” isn’t a title you earn after attending a certain number of protests or living through a certain number of birthdays, or after achieving a campaign victory. Activism happens all around us every day, and it’s a mentality that can empower us to make a bigger difference in the world.

What does the term “activism” mean to you?

The following excerpt is taken from The Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World, our free ebook that you can download here. We hope it will be a tool to help you make a bigger difference.

What Is Activism?

We at YEA Camp didn’t think any of the dictionary definitions really did this term justice (no pun intended)! So we made up our own definition.

Activism (noun): taking intentional action to make a difference for others, with an eye for the big picture.

By this definition, we consider recycling a can activism if you do it to protect the environment — the big picture. Technically, if your motivation is to get the 5 cent deposit, that wouldn’t qualify as “activism” but still has a great result.

(However, the folks who helped pass laws to ensure people can get 5 cents for each returned can, regardless of the motivation for recycling, are absolutely activists!)

While, by definition, activism helps others, activism can also help you if you are being affected by the problem you are seeking to address. If it helps only you and there’s no bigger picture where others benefit as well, we wouldn’t consider it activism.

Other examples of things you can do that fit our definition of activism:

• Speak up when someone makes a prejudiced remark
• Vote or helping others to vote when done not out of one’s own self-interest but what’s best for society.
• Rescue an animal in need of a home, as a recognition of the big picture that shelters are overpopulated
• Reduce your ecological footprint like by going vegetarian or vegan (or even just eating less meat), driving less, and buying things second-hand. Again, if you do these things to benefit your health or save money, that’s great! Those have great results for society regardless of the motivation, but they wouldn’t be considered activism by this definition. (We say this not because we’re keeping score, but to clarify what we mean by the term “activism.”
• Raise or donate money for any not-for-profit cause. This could include finding a cure for a disease, helping a family in need, or an NGO.

Do you see the “eye for the big picture”? Activists see the need to do something when the government is not properly addressing or funding efforts to solve our problems, such as by providing affordable health care or safety nets. We could go on all day.

Here are some examples of YEA Campers doing activism –lobbying, leafleting, marching, and fundraising!

We actually do a workshop at YEA Camp called “A Million Ways to Make a Difference” because the possibilities are really never-ending.

The point is: We bet you’ve done plenty of activism already.

So are you an activist?

By our definition, we consider most people activists for something, even if they don’t realize it or think of themselves that way.

We see activism as something people do with different levels of regularity, commitment, and effectiveness. Most people consider someone an activist when that person has done “enough” activism to be worthy of the title. But this “enough” is an imaginary, arbitrary level that we can each decide and claim for ourselves.

We see activism as a perspective and a mindset that leads us to take certain actions.

At YEA Camp, we attract campers who have a wide range of experience.  Some are just starting out, while others have been doing some form of activism since they were little. We think of it like everybody who cares about something is an activist at heart. Some of us just need some more direction and focus to follow through.

Of course, there can be activists for “good” and “bad” causes. There are even people doing things that might unintentionally be counterproductive to their goals.

Ultimately, activism means helping those without power who are experiencing something harmful that could be stopped by societal action.

As activists, we need to figure out what those actions are, and how to make them happen.

Adopting an Activist Mindset

So, what’s the difference whether or not you think of yourself as an activist?

When you have an activist mindset, you start being on the lookout for how you can make the world a better place. You start taking actions (big or small) to bring about the change you wish to see.

Learn how to be an activist by reading our The Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World

When you think of yourself as someone who is making a difference, you start behaving differently. You think about how you can be more effective. You take action in the direction you want the world to go.

We think activists are heroes. They (we!) are devoting time, energy, or money and making sacrifices for the greater good.

Thank you for being an activist!

Now that you hopefully consider yourself an activist, want to learn more about making a bigger difference? That’s what we’re here for!

Download our free ebook, The Beginner’s Guide to Changing the World, to get tons of resources to help you make a bigger difference on whatever social justice causes are most important to you.

And if you’re between the ages of 10-17, join us this summer at YEA Camp! We have helped more than 1000 aspiring activists get started or get serious making a difference and would love to help you on your changemaking journey.

Thanks for being an activist and for all you do to make our world a better place!

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