On Being Ourselves and Shattering Stereotypes

We had such a fun first day of Session III! In the morning the campers went around for Rotations, where they learned about and got excited for all the activities they will get to do this session. In the afternoon they hung out with their cabins and units during Cabin Floats and Opening Unit Activities, beginning to bond and have fun with their peers and counselors. 

The first full day of Camp also features a much heralded tradition– The Gender Campfires.

The Gender Campfires are designed for all campers to gather and discuss relevant gender issues. The reason for these campfires is to provide support and an open forum for campers and staff to discuss the cultural and societal expectations that many young people are faced with on a daily basis. We have the campfires on the first day of Camp as a way to set the tone for the rest of session. As per our Mission, it is our goal to create a strong community while also building the campers self-esteem and self image. By giving them this forum we aim to break down barriers by providing a safe space for campers to be themselves without the need to live up to any stereotypes. We encourage campers to share songs, stories and poems as well as sharing personal anecdotes in order to show the beauty and challenges that go into growing up as a Tawonga man or woman. 

Continue scrolling down to see photos from the activities of the first full day of Camp!