“There is a lot of pressure,” says Hayley Mackay, 12. “You have to be really skinny like the girls on TV, you have to have a lot of friends, and you have to wear a lot of make-up and a lot of trampy clothes. People make fun of you for everything in school; if you’re tall, short, skinny, fat.”

Malak Yaseen, 11, agrees.

“You have to be a bully. If someone doesn’t have a lot of friends, you have to be mean to them,” she says shyly.

“It worries a lot of kids because you want to be popular”.

From magazines telling girls what to look like, to television shows depicting what they should act like the transition from childhood into adolescence is a very difficult time for young women.

Research demonstrates that girls begin to lose their self-confidence and self-worth around the time that they enter puberty. During these years, girls are more vulnerable to negative outside influences and to mixed messages about risky behaviours.

In 2004, the Women’s Centre responded to this vulnerability by designing and implementing a gender-specific program that addresses the needs of teenage girls (10-12 years). The program promotes basic values of equality, self-determination and empowerment for all girls.

The impact on a girl is powerful. When a girl is provided a safe environment to develop critical thinking skills and increase confidence in her decision-making abilities she can thrive in relationships and develop powerful leadership skills.

This summer, thanks to generous support from BMO Financial Group, the Women’s Centre is able to again hold two of our popular Girl Power Camps. The camps will take place on the following dates:

Week 1: July 16 – July 20; Week 2: July 23 – July 27. Monday – Thursday 10am – 3pm, Friday 10am – 12:30pm.

All camps are held at the Women’s Centre (646 1st Ave NE) and are free of charge. Lunch and all other supplies will be provided, as well as bus tickets (if needed).

Girl Power Camps provide opportunities for girls to connect with each other in a community environment and learn about empowerment, gender roles, self-esteem, healthy relationships and body image. We will also be providing hands-on opportunities to learn things like art, dance, drumming and more.

Haley says what she took away most is confidence.

“What we learned this week at Girl Power Camp was that you don’t have to be like that girl on TV,” she says.

“You can just be yourself, look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I’m perfect just how I am. Don’t try and change me.’”

For more information and to register contact 403-264-1155 or caterina@womenscentrecalgary.org orsarah@womenscentrecalgary.org

8 thoughts on “Girls + Summer Camps = Girl Power Camps”

  1. HI do you have in girl power camps scheduled in August. Please let me know my daughters attended the summer camp last year and they loved it they want to attend this year again if there is something available in August.

    1. Hi there,
      Thanks so much for your comment. We only offer the two Girl Power Camps in July. If your daughters have attended last year’s camps we would be able to put their names on the wait list. Please give us a call at 403-264-1155 if you have any other questions.

  2. Are there positions available for women who would like to work for the summer camps? (ex: counsellor or mentor etc). Please let me know, I would really like to get involved with the Women’s Centre!

    Almeera

    1. Hi Almeera,
      Great to hear you are interested in getting involved with the Women’s Centre. Activities and facilitators for our Girl Power Camps are pretty much lined up and we are currently not looking for more facilitators for the camps. However, there are lots of other opportunities to get involved as a volunteer with the Women’s Centre. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Filsan, our Volunteer Coordinator, at 403-264-1155 or filsan@womenscentrecalgary.org.

    1. Hi Sharon,

      The camps are open to girls 10-12 years old. This year the camps will happen July 14-18, July 28-Aug 1, and August 11-15. The last week we’ve set aside is August 18-22, but it is tentative right now based on funding. Registration will open up mid-May.

      Feel free to email sarah@womenscentrecalgary.org if you have any additional questions.

      Thanks!
      Tiffany

    1. Hi Rose!

      Unfortunately, our camps only run during the spring and summer holidays. If you want more information about our weekly program, please contact Sarah and she will be happy to answer your questions.

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