Summer Social Justice Camp 2024
We hosted our second annual Summer Social Justice Camp (SSJC) July 23-Aug. 1. SSJC is a two-week day camp hosted by youth for youth. We had six youth facilitators this year who reviewed applicants, planned out each day, and then facilitated the camp. Participants will choose topics of what they’d like to learn about and discuss. We spend each day on a different topic. Attendees of the camp not only learn and discuss these issues; they also build skills to bring about change. Additionally, we play games, make art, share food, learn about each other through storytelling, and have fun! Here is what some young people have said about camp:
“[I enjoyed] having it be student-led and making connections with others who are like me or who have the same interests as me.”
“It’s a cool space to interact with people and talk about pressing issues.”
“The guest speakers were very insightful. I’m definitely doing this next year.”
Here is a summary of each day of camp:
Day 1: Leadership & Identity
The youth created agreements for our time together. They learned about different roles you can take in organizing campaigns and then performed a short play where they acted out the different roles. The scenario for the issue they were addressing in their play was that their school was taking away the bathroom doors. They demonstrated protests, petitions, and sit-ins. Two youth facilitators from Positive Tracks shared about ways their organization can support young people in fundraising for causes they care about. The participants finished off the day by creating art pieces that allowed them time to reflect on themselves, building their confidence.
Day 2: Privilege & Systemic Racism
Participants reflected on their own identities and ways in which they experience both privilege and oppression. Our guest speaker, Rhiannon Kim of Love at the Roots, shared about the power of recognizing how we feel and disrupting oppression with love. Then, participants wrote “I Come From” poems. They read the “Understanding and Resisting White Supremacy Culture” zine made by Outright Vermont and made their own zines about one of the topics we had discussed. At the end of each day, participants share feedback in our beautifully decorated feedback box. Our six youth facilitators (pictured in the first photo) have been rocking it!
Day 3: Gender & Sexuality
Participants shared about the story of their name. Our guest speaker, Sade Bolger of Planned Parenthood facilitated a fun activity that they planned with Jenna Emerson where the youth matched a number to a fact about gender and sexuality in the U.S. and Vermont. Participants made protest signs or wrote letters to their legislators. Then they discussed stereotypes associated with binary genders and imagined what a world with gender liberation could look like.
Day 4: Disability & Neurodiversity Awareness and Acceptance
We’re on to the second week of camp! Connection question: If you were anything in a grocery store, what would you be? Participants heard from Juneau Rich about our topic. They watched a clip from the documentary, Crip Camp. They did a four corners activity to move around and discuss how accessible their schools and communities were. In their advisory groups, they described and drew how their brains work using a metaphor. We were able to see many different creative representations of brains within our group.
Day 5: Current Global Events and Genocide
Participants drew a flag that symbolized who they were. Our guest speaker and educator, Brita Fischer, invited campers to share about what’s currently happening throughout the world and then they shared about the ten stages of genocide and focused on the history and ideologies that are contributing to the genocide of Palestinians. Youth facilitators then shared about the arc of escalation and discussed different types of nonviolent actions and where they would be on the arc. Participants ended the day by reflecting on Refaat Alareer’s poem “If I Must Die” and creating poetry or art that represented a global issue that they are passionate about.
Day 6: Policing and Legal Systems
Our guest speaker, Indi from @acluvermont. Indi shared how the People’s House is organized and encouraged everyone to contact their legislators. They also explained the ACLU's legislative priorities for the year and then the youth enjoyed a game of Kahoot! Participants closed their time together by sharing appreciations for one another. We ended the day with a showcase where all of the young people shared their learnings with parents, caregivers, and folks in the EdJ Coalition community. And that’s a wrap on the 2024 Summer Social Justice Camp!
Huge thank you to the Dad Guild and American Flatbread for donating two of our lunches. Thank you to the Vermont Women’s Fund and the New England Youth Organizing Network for supporting this camp! And thank you Outright Vermont for letting us use your space!
Stay tuned as we update our Summer Social Justice Camp Organizing Toolkit. Check out the toolkit we released in fall 2023.
