inspirational teens Archives - YEA Camp

YEA Camper Activist Profile: Phoebe Collver-Freeland, the “Coolest Vegan Alive”

YEA Camp — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 21:10:50 +0000

Phoebe poses with a chicken at her microsanctuary.

Phoebe Collver-Freeland has been an incredible advocate for animals since she was 11 years old. When we first met Phoebe, when she attended YEA Camp for the first time in 2013, she was very quiet, but every day of camp she wore a t-shirt that had a powerful message about compassion for animals.

Throughout the week, we saw her open up more, and in the years since then, as well as when she attended YEA Camp again in 2015, we have been blown away by the amount of activism she has done. In fact, PETA2 named her the “Coolest Vegan Alive“(!!) when she was just 16! She also recently was given a grant by The Pollination Project to expand her microsanctuary!

Phoebe agreed to let us interview her to learn more about her activism efforts.

1. Tell us about the activism you’ve been doing.

I have a microsanctuary, called Phoebe’s Friends Microsanctuary, which is a small sanctuary for rescued farmed animals. I currently care for three pigs who were rescued from a laboratory, two goats whose guardians were unable to care for them, and chickens who were raised by a cockfighting breeder and saved from slaughter. We host groups of children and teach them compassion for all animals. I also do outreach, art activism, and volunteer work with various organizations, such as serving on peta2‘s Youth Advisory Board for three years.

2. How did you get involved with activism and what you’re currently working on?

I first got involved with activism when I got a PETA Kids book when I was 11. Early on I mostly wrote letters to companies who exploit animals and talked to my friends about going vegan. My family had already been caring for goats and chickens when we found out about the Microsanctuary Movement in 2015. We began identifying as a microsanctuary, and since then we have been rescuing more animals and educating children about them.

Being a public animal rights activist is a crucial aspect to the movement.

3. What challenges have you faced as an activist and how have you dealt with them?

My biggest challenge is being very shy. During my first few years of activism I wasn’t very comfortable talking to people. Instead of being too afraid to do anything, I just found something I did feel comfortable doing: art activism and animal care. After a while I decided that I wanted to be able to do outreach, so I knew I would have to start trying. I volunteered with peta2 at Warped Tour for the first time in 2015. Going up to people and talking to them about SeaWorld was so scary. I would freeze up and forget my talking points. It started to get a little easier though, and now I’ve volunteered with them for the past three summers. Each time it got easier and more fun.

4. What advice do you have for new activists just getting involved?

Find an organization and/or a mentor to work with. If you don’t feel comfortable with a certain type of activism, find what works for you. Educate yourself on your issue and be prepared to answer people’s questions.

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

YEA Camp improved my confidence and communication skills. I learned valuable skills on how to talk to people, and practicing and role-playing outreach and other types of activism was really helpful for me.

Rescue pigs are the best cuddle buddies.

6. What activist goals do you have in the future?

When I transfer to a four-year university, I want to apply to be a peta2 Campus Rep. After that, I think I either want to either work at a full-scale farm sanctuary or run my own.

Phoebe Collver-Freeland is an eighteen-year-old animal rights advocate and YEA Camp Alumni from Fremont, California, who attended YEA Camp Oregon in 2013 and YEA Camp New York in 2015.

If you want to be like Phoebe when you grow up, or know someone who does, come to YEA Camp this summer! We even have a YEA Camp for Adults!

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New Youth Blog Team Showcases Teen Activism

Nora Kramer — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 19:38:00 +0000

Welcome to the New Year from the YEA Camp Blog Team!

We are very excited to introduce ourselves and the revamped 2016 YEA Camp Blog. Having gained many new campers who bring countless brilliant and unique ideas to the table, YEA Camp is overflowing with passionate voices from young activists.

YEA Camp is a summer camp for social change, and it attracts and trains some of the most inspiring young changemakers on the planet.

This blog is the perfect platform for the stories and accomplishments of these incredible youth to be heard and shared everywhere. We can’t wait for you to read about the amazing things our campers have been doing to change the world!

First, let us introduce ourselves. We three activists are YEA Camp alumni and current YEA Camp Youth Advisory Board Members who were selected by YEA Camp’s Director Nora Kramer to manage and oversee the blog because we love to write and edit. A quick snapshot of each of us:

Leah is 17 years old and lives in West Hartford, CT. She attended the YEA Camp MA 2014 and NY 2015 sessions. Her primary passion is animal rights with an emphasis on vegan lifestyle. She founded and is president of the animal rights club at her school, Coalition for Animal Respect and Equality (CARE). A dedicated vegan, Leah convinced her entire family to go vegan and is working to bring Meatless Mondays to her town. She is a proud PETA supporter and a member of the peta2 Youth Advisory Board. Some of her favorite things to do include writing, filmmaking, playing trumpet, making art and hanging out with her pets.

Danielle is 17 years old and lives outside of Asheville, North Carolina. She attended the YEA Camp California 2015 session. Her primary issues of importance are homelessness and the incorporation of both animal rights recognition and health in a vegan diet. She is an active member in her community, often working with the elderly and those experiencing homelessness. Danielle has helped to coach her friends in becoming more eco-friendly and incorporating plant-based rituals into their diets. In addition, Danielle is an honor-roll student who enjoys running, yoga, hiking, and writing.

Amanda is a senior in high school and lives in Canton, Ohio. She attended the New York session for animal advocates in 2015. She founded and is president of an environmental club at her school, called Saving Our World (SOW). She is passionate about all of the aspects of veganism, from animal rights to human rights and beyond. She is also chair of the tabling committee for the Cleveland Animal Rights Exchange, and a member of the peta2 Youth Advisory Board. Outside of activism and being a dedicated student, Amanda also enjoys playing flute and piccolo, reading, hiking, and yoga.

The three of us came to YEA Camp passionate about animal issues but also care about so many other important issues in our world. We will be working to elevate the voices and accomplishments of a diverse group of YEA Campers across the country who will be telling their inspiring stories about the difference they are making for so many causes that concern young people today.

Nowadays, adolescents tend to be painted in an increasingly negative light by the media. Well, it’s officially 2016 and our New Year’s resolution is to turn that stereotype around.

Five YEA Campers (all too young to vote) passed out leaflets at this Bernie Sanders rally in Oregon.

The YEA Camp Blog is ready to paint many deserving youth with positive recognition. The stories you will read here recount the bold feats of a teen trying to end modern-day slavery, the determined voice of a girl working to erase the stigma of ideal body image in society, the exhilarating experience of a camper who recently attended the COP21 environmental conference in Paris, tips for youth getting involved in politics (who cares that we’re too young to vote?) and so much more. These are just a taste of what’s to come this year in the name of social justice activism – all of which have been accomplished by middle and high school-age YEA Campers – and we know you will be blown away.

Let’s forget everything we thought we knew about what teens do in their free time.

Let’s envision a world where fresh young voices are heard over the rest, rising above societal expectations, prejudice, hate and negativity. Of course, rising above the crowd requires many hands to hold them up; that’s where you all come in. By keeping up with or subscribing to this blog and supporting YEA Camp’s life-changing work, we can help carry these voices of the future up through the clouds and out beyond the stars. Let us take you on a journey you won’t forget.

Best wishes for 2016,

Leah, Amanda and Danielle

YEA Camp Blog Editors

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