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Endearing, right? How can you not be moved by this kid’s passion for the environment?

At YEA Camp, we know that as a loving parent it warms your heart to see your kid display such enthusiasm for an important cause. We also know that it can be upsetting to see your child feel so helpless over wishing they knew how to make a difference.

Don’t fret, loving parents, at YEA Camp we specialize in empowering children and teenagers to make the world a better place. That’s why we’ve devised a helpful list so you can nurture your courageous kid’s activism.

1. Make It Fun

Look Ma, activism is a blast!

The cause itself may be super serious, but your kid’s fight for the cause doesn’t have to be.

Did someone say delicious vegan cupcakes? How about assisting your child in holding a bake sale to raise money for their cause?

I’ll have three, please! Okay, let’s make that four!

Tapping into their artistic or creative talents, using social media, or getting friends involved are other great ways to make activism fun. Your kid’s much more likely to stick with their activism if they have a good time doing it.

2. Connect With Organizations

Now that your child is inspired to care about a particular cause, it’s important that he or she understands that cause and sees how others are tackling the issue.

The best way to learn is by introducing them to respected organizations that are leading the way on their respective issue.

Don’t have time to do all that research? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a helpful cheat sheet of amazing organizations that are fighting for the environment, LGBT rights, human rights, animal rights and more.

3. Listen To Your Kids… Really Listen

Children are full of wisdom if parents take the time to listen to them, and we’ve got two epic examples of parents who do just that.

In this first video, a young child in Nepal finds out that his parents are taking his beloved goat to be slaughtered, so he does everything in his power to get his parents to spare the animal’s life. His tenacity and kindness are an inspiration to behold. Imagine the trauma if his parents had ignored his pleas.

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In this second viral video, a toddler in Brazil has a heartfelt debate with his mother at the dinner table about the ethics of killing and eating other animals. His points are both innocent and poignant, as only a child can articulate.

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These videos aren’t depicting children throwing bratty tantrums. These kids are sensitive souls who realize that the adults around them are harming animals, and it upsets them. The parents are respectful enough to listen to their children’s merciful pleas and agree not to harm the animals. These are beautiful moments of compassion caught on camera.

Whatever issues inspire your kids to express their passion, your support empowers them to think for themselves and to pursue their compassionate nature to be a caring person.

4. Introduce Them To A Mentor

Say hi to Shelby!

A great way to learn about a subject is to seek guidance from someone who specializes in that field. Help your child find an expert who’s willing to advise them on their journey of discovery.

This is an area in which we really pride ourselves at YEA Camp. Our talented staff is comprised of highly qualified professionals with teaching credentials and expertise in youth development, as well as accomplished former campers like Shelby, with much wisdom to impart. We give each camper the counseling they need to get their activism off to the right start.

5. Join Them!

Joyce & her mother Mildred on their way to the People’s Climate March. What an inspiring team!

What better way to encourage your budding activist than to join them in their activism? Not only can this make it more fun (see #1) and double their impact, but it also creates a supportive family culture, where it’s understood that people care about others and stand up for what they believe in. Plus, you’ll definitely have more to talk about at the dinner table than what they learned (or didn’t learn) in school.

6. Well, Join Them… Within Reason

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No kid wants their parent hanging out with them all the time. Give them space to follow their passion independently as well. Sometimes that could mean just giving them a ride somewhere, helping them manage their schedule, or asking if they need any help.

7. Say, “Yes, You Can,” Not “No, You Can’t”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdCbYflyD68]
See all those demoralizing insults Simon Cowell spewed at aspiring singers on “American Idol”? As a parent, do the opposite.

If your kid tells you that he or she wants to reduce homelessness in your town, don’t discourage them with details about how difficult it’s going to be. Celebrate that they care about such a crucial cause, and help them set goals for bringing about that change. Twelve-year-old Megan has raised thousands of dollars with her school club for homeless people in Boston.

Kids need someone to tell them to dream big, and to help them strive for their goals, not set low expectations.

8. Help Them Believe In Themselves

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All too often our worst enemy is ourselves. Kids can be really hard on themselves, shooting down their own great plans before they’ve even given them a try, because they’re afraid they’re not up to the task. As their parent, you can give them the confidence they need to tackle any undertaking, no matter how impossible it may seem.

Providing a safe and loving home environment, encouragement in their endeavors, as well as support, perspective and understanding when things don’t go as planned.

9. Set A Positive Example

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Be the type of person who rescues a baby elephant who is stuck in a mud hole. Your kids will be better people with a role model like that. Whether it’s rescuing an animal (have you noticed we like animals at YEA Camp?), donating money to a nonprofit or candidate, volunteering, or conserving, the lessons your kids learn from watching you will last a lifetime.

10. Teach Intersectionality

This one’s a Level 5 on the empowerment scale, but it’s important to note that oppressive institutions—racism, sexism and so on—are interconnected and you’ll expand your child’s understanding of the world by helping them make those connections.

Does your child care about the environment? Great! Teach him or her the ways in which pollution disproportionately affects poor people and people of color, or how the environment is negatively impacted by the meat industry.

Does your child want to stop bullying? Fantastic! Teach him or her about how LGBT youth are nearly twice as likely to be bullied than their non-LGBT peers.

We need the next generation of advocates to be aware of the interconnection of the many different issues we face and to be allies for these different causes.

Best Parent Of The Year!

Thank you for being your kid’s greatest champion! We need more brave young change-makers in this world, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

You’ve raised a compassionate kid who wants to make a difference. It would be our great honor at YEA Camp to meet your wonderful young activist (the camp is open to kids ages 12-17) and guide him or her to follow their dreams. At YEA Camp, they’ll be surrounded by like-minded peers and adults who want to help them, and they’ll develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to take action on what really matters to them.

Follow the above tips (and send your kids to YEA Camp or nominate someone who you know would love it!), and they’ll be well on their way to achieving great things, because any parent should support a kid who’d really rather visit a broccoli farm than support animal abuse at the circus.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7yMZGA2lzg]

The post 10 Ways Parents Can Empower Their Courageous Child Activist appeared first on YEA Camp.

Even though I was one of the oldest campers, I was constantly being inspired by ALL of the other kids; it did not matter if they were 11 or 17. What all of them had accomplished even before camp was moving, and what they had planned for after camp was just exhilarating to hear about. The community was full of positivity- no bullying, no gossiping, people would not even let you put yourself down! The counselors were wonderfully diverse, yet they were all brought together by their passion for activism.

For every topic there was a counselor that specialized in it, which meant that we got to create our IOIs (Issue of Importance) with someone who had firsthand experience in that area. Our relationship with our counselors continues to flourish because they stay in touch with us, giving us connections related to our campaigns, telling us about events we may be interested in, and providing support, because being an activist is not always easy.

We had several workshops every day, and they were all extremely interesting and informational. My favorite one was about intersectionality, because it’s important to realize how all areas of injustice connect in some way. I actually replicated it when I got home in my environmental club at school!

We learned about campaigning, which was helpful because I had no idea there was a right and wrong way to passing out leaflets! There were also two workshops dedicated specifically to racism and gender, because being knowledgeable about these issues is helpful no matter what area of activism you want to go into. We talked about school clubs (which gave me many ideas for the environmental club that I had just started) and nonviolent communication (which is beneficial to ALL aspects of your life — not just activism!).

It was also evident that the staff cared about us as people, not just as activists. The most vivid memory I have of camp was being asked to write down the raw emotions behind and about the causes we care about. Why do we care about the issues that we do? What makes us so passionate? These were all questions that we were told to ponder while writing our responses. When we were finished, everyone’s reflections were read anonymously. Many tears were shed, but the support we received for sharing these more hidden parts of ourselves was immense.

Towards the end of the week, we had our YEA Show, where we had the opportunity to share talents or projects or anything that we wanted to show that we hadn’t yet that week. Sometimes the acts were goofy (I did a trio with two counselors, me on piccolo, one of them on flute, and the other on an Indian flute, where we performed a silly rendition of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”), and sometimes they were extremely deep (campers and counselors alike shared powerful poetry about activism).

The best part about this night was that EVERYONE got a standing ovation. We did this for two other events as well — when we were telling everyone about our action plan (what we wanted to do with our IOI after camp) and when we were doing a public speaking activity. How amazing it feels to be only a senior in high school and have already received three standing ovations in my life. There is nothing that boosts your confidence more than that! The staff also made sure that we accepted the applause, because even though it may not seem like it, learning to embrace people’s appreciation for you is just as crucial as anything we learned in a workshop.

The food was exceptional, and it was incredibly exciting to find out that several campers, who had come to the camp for issues other than animal rights, decided to go vegan after camp! It definitely demonstrated that many people will find that vegan food is amazing and that maintaining a vegan lifestyle is totally possible, if they are just presented with some good vegan food to try!

Some breakfast foods included French toast, breakfast sandwiches, and pancakes; some examples of snacks were watermelon, popcorn, and hummus; lunches were anything from veggie burgers to pizza to grilled cheese; our amazing dinners were usually some sort of ethnic food — Mexican, Indian, and Chinese to name a few; and every night ended with a dessert such as brownies, cookies, or cupcakes.

Plus, our cooks were especially talented in accommodating dietary needs people had, like gluten-free, berry-free, and soy-free. They also pride themselves in cooking with organic and local ingredients as much as possible. No one ever went hungry that week!

We were very fortunate at our camp specifically because we had the opportunity to stay on the new location of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. Almost every day we had the chance to spend some time with the sweet rescued creatures. There were cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, guinea hens, and ducks. I had never been to a sanctuary before, and it was deeply beautiful to be able to pet — or even snuggle up with — the animals that I am dedicating my life to saving. Several of us even got to volunteer for a bit by cleaning out pens and brushing the goats and sheep!

Reading this account of Amanda’s experience at YEA Camp was so inspiring to us! If you feel the same and you’re 12-17, or you know someone who is and would love YEA Camp, now is the time to get registered! Find out all the dates and details at www.YEACamp.org.

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Sixteen-year-old Claire Tamburello from Michigan has been advocating for animals since she went vegetarian at age 11. She has organized protests against the circus, rallied at the State Capitol to oppose the hunting of wolves, regularly volunteers with a local animal shelter, and recently organized a cleanup of a local park.

Last week Claire traveled to Texas to be part of the “Empty the Tanks” campaign to protest  Sea World, she’s fundraised for Farm Sanctuary‘s “Walk for Farm Animals”, and she’s seen here as part of  Mercy For Animals‘ #noaggag campaign protesting the “ag gag” laws silencing whistleblowers for exposing cruelty on factory farms. “I’m against ag gag laws because they prohibit the documentation of what really happens on factory farms,” Claire explained. “If these laws are passed, nobody will know what happens behind the closed doors of the animal agriculture industry.”

Ana Little-Sana, from San Diego, has done more to make a difference in her 15 years than most people do in their whole lives. Ana was recently recognized as a Rising Star by the San Diego Leadership Alliance and has worked on a wide variety of social justice issues. From speaking at a press event for Climate Action Campaign about the impact of climate change on young people, to lobbying against police brutality at the State Capitol with the NAACP,  rallying for women’s access to Planned Parenthood, advocating outside of Wal-Mart to push for a minimum wage increase for workers, leafleting for the ACLU, attending fur protests, organizing demonstrations against Sea World, being vegan, and so much more, the impact this young changemaker is having across so many important issues is truly stunning.

Ana was also an extremely dedicated intern on Congressman Scott Peters’ successful re-election campaign, and her efforts impressed Vice President Joe Biden so much that he took a selfie with her.

Fifteen-year-old Joyce Frink from New Jersey has done a huge variety of things to make a difference in issues at her school, her community, and even globally. Joyce was chosen by her teachers to be a peer mediator and in that role organized a school-wide assembly and presented in several classes to address bullying and create a safer school environment. She also initiated “Mix It Up” Day at her school, where students sit with different people in the cafeteria than they usually do, and organized a successful food and clothing drive.

Outside of school, Joyce spent Thanksgiving out with her mom, distributing food to the homeless in her town. This fall she also attended her first protest at the People’s Climate March in New York City and has been active in her community. “I enjoy speaking up for those in need because I know what it feels like to not have anyone speak up for you. And I never want anyone to feel that way,” Joyce told us. “That may sound cliché, but that’s truly how I feel. When people thank me for making them feel better, that’s truly a good feeling.”

Kakari Boateng is a social justice advocate in Sacramento who uses art, music, and other forms of creativity to spread his message of fairness and sustainability. He has passed out leaflets about vegetarian eating, raps about issues he cares about, and most recently created a petition on Change.org to try to change the School Board’s decision to implement a new dress code at his school. The petition has garnered over 700 signatures in less than a week.

In the petition, Kakari points out that a new dress code “will mean buying new clothes that some families may not be able to afford.” He also points out that the school board did not consult the students or accept any student input in this decision and tells us that the petition is about “more than the dress code. The school board doesn’t take us seriously when we try to advocate for change” and this is one effort to do that. You can sign here.

Thirteen-year-old Megan Frisella of Massachusetts told us the story of a trip she took into Boston her birthday. “I saw an old man walking around, begging for money, so I gave it to him. This happened four or five more times, and I realized this tragic problem. I was nearly crying from the sadness of seeing so many people just out there, living in the streets with no one caring about them.” So this school year she started a school club, Helping Hands for the Homeless.

As a fundraiser, she and the other club members created and sold calendars, raising over $2000 net. Rather than give the money directly to a shelter, the club created 80 care packages that “will let homeless people know they are cared for and to hope for a brighter future.” Megan was thrilled that the club’s success attracted the attention of a neighboring school, which is starting a similar club.

Roberto Warren, 18 from North Carolina, looks for every opportunity to speak up for the social justice causes he believes in. Whether he’s posting political articles on social media, using school projects to research and educate classmates on issues like voting rights and racism, making politically motivated art, or attending protests, his voice is so needed in the conservative area where he lives.

Roberto has been dedicated to the inspiring Moral Mondays movement happening in the state to rally against the Conservative policies that have led to cuts in funding for education and the poor, non-implementation of the Affordable Care Act, efforts to disenfranchise voters, and more. He has been to protests by the HKonJ, Historic Thousands on J St. Coalition, and supports their agenda  “because they are fighting for the right things, such as voting rights for all, equal marriage rights, criminal justice, and more. They are standing up against the North Carolina legislature and governor to promote an agenda that would benefit North Carolina in many ways from helping to pay for college, fixing our tax code, and more. It is really fun to go to these protests because you can feel the love flowing through the people there.”

Do these teens’ stories sound a little different than the stereotype of the apathetic teenager? There are plenty of young people out there who want to make a difference on the issues above and so many others, and plenty more teens who get inspired to make a difference when they see that people their age are taking action. There are also lots of teens who might get involved if only they had an experience that boosted their self esteem, showed them ways others are making a difference, and welcomed them into a community of like-minded, supportive changemakers.

YEA Camp is a summer camp for social change designed for 12-17 year-olds who care about social justice, human rights, animals, or the environment. With sessions in California, Oregon, and New York, motivated teens come to YEA Camp from all over the country to get skills training, like starting a school club and planning a campaign. They come to YEA Camp to develop their confidence to speak up about what they care about and communicate more effectively.  They come to YEA Camp to learn more about the issues facing our world and to meet like-minded changemakers who are working to make a difference. At camp they choose an issue they want to focus on and create an action plan to make a difference when they go home. So many go on to do inspiring things that they credit to YEA Camp.

“Before YEA Camp, I wanted to be involved with activism and help out, but I truly didn’t know where to start or what exactly to do,” Joyce Frink told us. “Going to YEA Camp taught me many things: how to leaflet, how to table, start a club, campaign, and even more. If it wasn’t for these skills, I never would’ve attempted the things that I’ve done recently…. I honestly wouldn’t have done any of these things without YEA Camp.”

“YEA Camp gave me a community that I’ve never had the privilege of being a part of, and that was a group of teenage activists,” Ana Little-Sana said. “That ability to spend so much time with so many like-minded people definitely gave me the confidence to go out and advocate for change in my own world.”

You can learn more about YEA Camp and what campers say about it here.

There are so many more young people like this making a difference on an issue of importance to them.  Inspired? What issue do you care about? We’ve got some Resources to help you get started or take your change-making to the next level.

Know a young activist or changemaker-to-be? Or does that sound like YOU? YEA Camp is just around the corner, and we have some limited spots still available.

Our California camp is July 12-19. Our Oregon camp is July 25-August 1. Our New York camp is August 9-16. Get all the details and register at YEACamp.org.

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