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!

The post What Does It Mean To Be An Activist? appeared first on YEA Camp.

Happy Earth Day! Each year, as this time rolls around, people gather to celebrate the beauty of nature and our environment. It is the perfect time to learn more about the biggest environmental issues that we are facing and work on taking action!

I’ve gone vegan, learned about climate change, joined organizations to push for environmental action in politics, and worked on a school-wide campaign for stronger recycling. I’ve started making a difference in my own community, and now it’s your turn!

Being an environmental activist can often seem daunting, and the issues themselves seem hugely overwhelming, but once you get active it can be incredibly inspiring and even uplifting to see how many people really care!

Environmental activism is not just about protecting trees or animals. It is also about how people are impacted. We often take it for granted, but humans depend on our environment for clean air, water, and food, which we, of course, cannot live without. There is no way to separate the future of our planet from the future of humanity.

Communities that have been systematically disadvantaged by other injustices, like poverty and racism, are going to be disproportionately impacted by environmental issues like pollution and climate change, and we must organize for justice!

There is no shortage of opportunities to get involved and make a difference, but it can be hard to know where to start! Here’s a helpful list of 5 tips for getting more involved with environmental activism.

1. Go green in your daily life. Individual actions add up and it’s important to start with making changes yourself, like reducing your plastic use or eating plant-based. Be on the lookout for ways to reduce your personal carbon footprint, like driving less, buying less stuff, and making other eco-friendly swaps.

While we want to start with ourselves, we have to address large systemic environmental problems and the impacts of corporations and industries that have a far bigger impact.

2. Green your school or workplace. How could you help make your school or workplace more eco-friendly? Think of ways the school or office could help you and others take the daily actions above, like by having recycle bins, vegan options in the cafeteria, and no styrofoam or disposable trays. Anyplace you see something bad for the environment, think about a possible solution you could help bring about. You can organize with the support of friends or coworkers, and together tackle an important issue. It will take effort, but you will be more likely to see the change right in front of you and it is incredibly rewarding!  

3. Green your community. There are unique ways that environmental issues are going to impact your community, and it’s a lot easier to create a visible change on a local level than on a federal level. Maybe there’s a lake nearby that needs to be cleaned up, and you could do community service. Or you could advocate for improved recycling or composting if they are not available in your town. Are there eco-friendly businesses in your town that you can support or is there a business in your town that is really polluting and that you can try to have held accountable? Another option is to work to pass a local climate action plan.

4. Get involved in politics. Learn about your elected officials and your political candidates’ platforms on climate change and environmental policy. It’s critical to get legislation and laws enacted to enforce climate action and transitions to clean energy. The 2018 midterm elections coming up are a great opportunity to make sure we elect people to Congress who will represent our concerns and interests. Support and vote for candidates that will take action and not accept money from the fossil fuel industry! Check out YEA Camp’s guide to how youth too young to vote can impact an election.

5. Do what you love! When tackling a huge issue like this, it’s important to focus on the aspects that you are called to. There is a role for everyone in environmental activism, whether it is through science and innovating tech solutions or creating art and media to tell powerful stories and messages. There are always ways to link up what you love doing to what is important to you. While activism isn’t always fun, and we need to pursue those ways where we can be most effective even when it’s challenging, it is important that we find ways to enjoy taking action so that we can stay involved for the long run!

All life relies on us having a livable planet, and it is up to all of us to work to protect our environment. How will you make a difference this Earth Day?

Ananya Singh is a high school sophomore in New Jersey, where she studies visual and performing arts. She is an activist for environmental and social justice, and attended YEA Camp in New York 2015, Massachusetts 2017, and is currentlyYEA Camp’s Blog Manager.

If you’d like to get more involved in activism for the environment or another social justice issue, and would like some community support and training to help you on your change-making path, join us this summer at YEA Camp! We have sessions for youth 12-17 and our first ever YEA Camp for Adults!

The post This High School Sophomore Is Urging You to Get Serious On Earth Day appeared first on YEA Camp.

YEA Camp’s curriculum is focused on developing four key areas — knowledge, skills, confidence, and community — and we definitely did that!

Campers learned about all kinds of issues they didn’t know about before, like the many impacts of consumerism and how different social problems in the world are related to each other. Do you see how racism is related to environmental pollution, or how war is related to homelessness? We also looked at many different examples of young activists taking inspiring action to make a difference in their community. Check out some of the videos we watched about Brower Youth Awards winners!

We also did skill-building, including learning how to fundraise, start and run a school club, use art and media (traditional and social media) to spread awareness, plan a campaign, understand and participate in the political system, and communicate effectively with people who disagree with us.

Kristin and Alex (right) taught the “snowflake”-style of leadership within a school club, with the leader overseeing and helping other members of the club work on different tasks to help accomplish the club’s goals. You can check out this handout we gave the campers about effective school clubs.

We do SO many things designed to build confidence — and of course developing knowledge and skills builds confidence. On our first morning of camp, we show this inspiring video, “Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy,” and all gain confidence being a “lone nut” as well as in knowing that we don’t have to be the person in front to make a difference. One of the of our most inspiring activities, Show Off and Tell, gives campers a chance to inform us all on an issue of importance to them (what we call their “IOI”) and to “show off” about the activism that they have done, which inspires us all and for which they deserve to be appreciated for.

Another favorite confidence-building activity we call “IOI Blitz,” where campers get to practice a one-minute “elevator speech” about their IOI over and over and over again, getting better and better at articulating themselves about an issue they care about. Campers also learn from each other when they all “share about what they care about.”

We also try to teach some important experiential lessons that build confidence. For example, we invite campers to brush their teeth with their non-dominant hand throughout the week as practice for developing new habits and a reminder that doing even very simple things can be difficult at first but get much easier with practice. These four amazing boys, Jose, Ethan, Tommy, and Saul, were among those who took the challenge. Check out those new teeth-brushing skills!

We do so many things to build community at camp, from cute things like doing a thumb circle (this might be the largest thumb circle ever!) to more in-depth activities that involve taking some risks (like performing a silly poem in front of the group) and sharing the emotions we feel about the issues we care about and the injustice we see.

The love and connection YEA Campers developed for each other came through on the notes they wrote each other on their appreciation posters, the dance parties that spontaneously broke out at most meals, the group hugs that spontaneously broke out after most evening activities, the tears and hugs that could be seen in every corner of the room as we said goodbye on the final day, and the inspiring thank you notes campers wrote us.

We did a new culminating activity this year that will become a new YEA Camp tradition: our first ever Changemaker Olympics, where campers got to put into practice their new skills to win campaigns, like creating a plan to address bullying at their school and persuading (mean) Principal Leanne (who insists that bullying isn’t a problem at their school), and making clear demands and running a campaign to persuade Mayor Kyle to address homelessness in their community. (It took a lot of work and good acting by our staff to be just mean or difficult enough to be challenging and similar to what really happens when trying to persuade people who are unsupportive at first. See Leanne struggle to get into character, below.)

This was all great training for campers as they prepared their action plans, which they then presented to the group. It was so incredibly inspiring to hear everyone’s plans for after camp! And they hit the ground running right when they got home!

In the week since camp ended, one camper, Lamanh, went into school and talked with her school principal about launching composting in the cafeteria, and the principal was supportive and they are moving forward with this! Hani created this online petition on Change.org, Ofzerna is raising money to rescue a cow and launched Facebook page for Project July, the animal sanctuary she is working to start (she already has 80 likes), Lacey has been getting the word out about the proposed anti-animal King amendment to the farm bill (you can sign here!) and went to a community meeting with the Humane Society of the US to stop a museum that promotes hunting, Sage created a 3-week vegan meal calendar that her family is implementing, Melissa talked with the city council member she is interning with and will be working on improving environmental policies in her city, and so many other campers did so many more things!

This session has set a high bar for the sessions to come! We are so excited for the campers we will be meeting in Oregon and Massachusetts (a few spots are still available — check out www.yeacamp.org for details), and to be inspired by the many accomplishments of our campers for years to come!

P.S. If all this wasn’t enough for you, check out this blog post written by fabulous YEA Camper Lacey about her experience at YEA Camp!

The post First Session of YEA Camp 2013 a Huge Success! appeared first on YEA Camp.