Girls explored what it means to be assertive, confident, and philanthropic during the two-week Bold Camp July 9-20.
The girls kicked the week off with Kid’s Day at the Indiana Fever game. After a very close game beating the New York Liberty, the girls met with player Jeanette Pohlen on the Fever/Pacer practice court at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse.
Girls applied the philanthropic lessons from Smart camp to their Helping Hands program. In addition to discussing, imagining, and role playing how to be a community leader, girls completed 25 tie-blankets to give to senior citizen’s at American Village, one of our collaborative partners. It felt good to help others!
It wouldn’t be Bold Camp without Girls Inc. Media Literacy and Girls Inc. Project Bold sessions. Each group of girls explored the role of media in their lives and dispelled gender stereotypes in advertisements, magazines, and entertainment. Jaylyn, 11 years-old, wrote a letter to Teen Vogue to request that they include more diversity and real images of girls in their magazine. Through Project Bold, girls identified ways to stay safe in their neighborhoods, schools, and unknown situations. Along with basic self-defense moves, girls learned to tell an adult when feeling unsafe and how to advocate against violence in their community.
A handful of the C girls experienced the life of a TV news anchor during a Saturday visit to news station WTHR. The girls spend the morning with Andrea Morehead learning the ins and outs of television news. Clear communication, passion for your job, focus and preparedness were themes from each of the news professionals the girls talked to. They also heard a live performance by Casey Abrams, an American Idol star, and met him after the interview!
Each year the campers showcase what they’ve learned and experienced during the summer at our annual Touchstone Awards luncheon. The girls demonstrated self-defense moves, shared career road maps, and distinguished between real and Photoshopped images with 350 guests, including Mayor Greg Ballard. It’s a good thing they practiced proper table etiquette with Karin Glass from the Propyleum Club! Karen helped the girls prepare with tea cups, silverware, and lots of fun finger food including cucumber sandwiches.
Ask any Bold camper for their session highlights and you’ll hear about stepping with Alpha Kappa Alpha. The sorority generously provided five days of programming with age specific step routines… and the girls loved it. They performed their routine at the end-of-camp talent show, in addition to acts of singing, dancing, comedy, tumbling and hula-hooping.
The six-week camp concluded with a fun afternoon of field games, popsicles, and tie-dyeing socks. Thanks to the girls, staff, and guests for a great summer!
View photos from Bold Camp and read about our Strong and Smart Camps this summer.
