Finding Empowerment at Camp Girl Power

Something special is happening in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

At a time when girls are losing confidence in themselves at a heartbreaking rate, one local nonprofit is stepping up to remind them of their inherent worth and power. The organization, Girls Empowered, creates resources and programming designed to help girls stand up for themselves, make positive choices and take control of their future.

While growing up has never been easy, today’s teens are faced with more hurdles than ever before. Tense political climates, the aftermath of a global pandemic and the increasing pressures to share on social media mean that during ages when girls should be exploring their sense of self and purpose, they’re finding themselves anxious, self-conscious, and stressed. Those same feelings impact grown-ups, too.

Girls Empowered’s founder, licensed psychologist Dawn Haaz, who has a doctorate in psychology, noticed the trend while working with patients in 2014.

“I was seeing a lot of the same theme, no matter what age the women were: low self-esteem, issues with unhealthy relationships, a lot of body image issues, difficulty being assertive. And I started thinking, what if there was some kind of preventative measure for young girls? So, they weren't dealing with the same things at 60 years old. And that's where I got the idea originally for Camp Girl Power.”

The camp, which serves girls from across Southeastern Pennsylvania, has grown from a small pilot into programming that connects dozens of girls from surrounding counties each summer. Designed to address the types of challenges that Haaz saw so many women struggling with, each session welcomes girls to a safe space where they take part in activities that build confidence, social skills and new friendships.

And, as one of our Neighborhood Grant recipients, Girls Empowered joins Rite Aid Healthy Futures in its pursuit of helping kids unlock their full potential. 

We got a chance to visit Camp Girl Power this summer and spoke with campers and parents to learn first-hand what makes Girls Empowered so special, and why the programming is so timely.

The week of camp, which included everything from lakeside yoga to role plays practicing being assertive in relationships, was a whirlwind of girlhood, journaling and of course, plenty of summer fun.

Each five-day session dives into topics that include self-identity, self-esteem, self-care, body image, healthy relationships, diversity, leadership, and team building.

Girls learn about the foundations of friendships, how to use their voice and how to navigate the everyday challenges of school, siblings and growing up through activities that include group work and intentional physical activity.

Haaz speaks with campers before an activity.

When we arrived at the camp, we found the session quietly listening to a guest presentation on the importance of standing up to bullying. The girls listened intently as the guest spoke, but dashed for the nearby playground once the presentation wrapped up.

While the girls took a break to play, we chatted with a few of the parents whose daughters attended the camp.

Sitting among folders, water bottles, backpacks and not-quite-finished coloring projects, Christine Leonard and Susan McCann shared more about their experience with the program. Both moms are leaders of a local Girl Scout troop, and they’d stumbled upon Girls Empowered while looking for a summer activity for their group to enjoy together. The camp’s programming caught their eyes right away.

“Our girls are all very different,” McCann said. “They don’t all go to the same school or have the same background, so we wanted something that would be meaningful to each one of them and also encourage them to bond as a group.”

Both moms have been thrilled to see how much the troop has benefited the camp. 

“I think it’s amazing how excited the girls are leaving the camp,” Leonard shared. “They are completely revved up, it’s really incredible. And it’s a very positive energy; it’s not outbursts because they’re tired or anything like that, it’s very positive. They’re excited about doing something.”

Campers act out their role-plays for the audience.

Once the campers returned from their break on the playground, it was time for them to make their directorial debuts. After a lesson on the difference between being assertive, aggressive, and passive, the girls split into small groups to perform role plays where they practiced their learning.

Each group received a vignette with a problematic relationship scenario. The girls acted out how they could handle the situation assertively.

The provided vignettes were just the sort of thing that a young girl might run into, like learning a friend has been talking behind your back or that a sibling has borrowed a shirt without your permission (and gotten a stain on it!).

In each role-play, campers practiced handling the situations in healthy ways, like sticking up for yourself without becoming a bully, too.

Social skills are one of the most important elements integrated into camp programming. Social media has already made connecting with others more complicated, but the COVID-19 pandemic has also had a lasting impact on kids’ ability to build relationships and deal with conflict.

“Friendship is something we struggle with tremendously in school right now,” said Enadia Elvidge, an elementary school counselor who also works as a program facilitator at the camp. “I think a lot of it is social skills, and how to have an effective conversation, and when you have a problem with someone, how to talk it out politely instead of using not nice words.”

For many campers, topics like handling conflict and being honest with others are new.

“This is the first time that I’m hearing that you need to focus with your eyes and say things directly to others,” 10-year-old Brooklyn said when we asked about her thoughts on the assertiveness role plays.

That’s where Girls Empowered comes in. The camp activities, like the communications role plays, help girls engage with important topics in ways that connect to their own lives. And the programming works.

The day after the performances, Leonard and McCann noticed two of their girls talking. One camper was filling in her friend who had missed the role plays and communication lesson the day before, and the two chatted about what the group had learned. 

“It was a total conversation between the two of them,” McCann said. “They said, ‘We learned that you shouldn’t be passive, and why you should try to be assertive’, and they had this whole conversation between two girls going to the fourth grade. It was really wonderful.”

With campers and adults alike having such positive experiences, it’s no surprise that the program attracts repeat participants. One of those participants is Evian, or Ms. Evie for short, a bright and passionate 14-year-old with lots of big ideas for the future.

Once a camper herself in Girls Empowered’s Girls Leadership Program for middle school girls, Ms. Evie now returns as a student intern to support the staff and work with the girls. Being closer in age to the campers, and with her own experience at camp, she builds strong relationships with them quickly. Wherever she goes, there are sure to be a few girls trailing behind.

Chatting with Ms. Evie, it was hard not to be energized by her smile and passion. She wore a pink tulle gown with fairy wings as she shared about her time at camp.

“I love the environment here,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun to focus on ourselves. We get to talk about confidence and what beauty means to us and stuff. We're all there accepting each other. It's a great community.”

Besides being a student intern and experienced camper herself, Ms. Evie is also a 2023 recipient of the Girls Empowered Award, a special honor given to those who demonstrate what it means to be empowered in the 21st century.

Ms. Evie poses in one of her favorite outfits.

“I was nominated by my mom. She's my biggest fan,” Ms. Evie said. “She nominated me because I speak at school board meetings a lot because the school board in my school, they've been banning a lot of books and they've been taking down Pride flags and I thought that was unjust. And also, as you can see, I wear fancy stuff, like poofy dresses and fairy wings. I wear these dresses to school every day. I was also nominated because of that because they thought it was noble of me to keep wearing this stuff, even though I face people who are sometimes mean about it.”

It's clear to see why Ms. Evie is a Girls Empowered Award winner – her courage to stand up for others, challenge the status quo, and show up each day as her most authentic self is a testament to her personality, as well as the impact of Girls Empowered.

As a middle-schooler, Ms. Evie is at an age where the pressure to conform can be overwhelming, and where the choice to be an individual can leave you feeling vulnerable. Not only does she not let that slow her down, but she uses her experiences to show younger campers how to show up for themselves, too.

“One of the reasons that I like to work with these girls is that I feel like a lot of times when girls like to wear fancy stuff, they aren't taken as seriously. So, I like to wear a lot of pink stuff to say, ‘Hey, I wear more feminine stuff and I'm still strong and I should be taken seriously’,” she said.

During our final day of camp, we sat with the campers as they completed one of their last activities, a scrapbook of their time and lessons from the week. The girls were more than happy to show off their artwork and share more about their time at camp.

Luna, age 11, loved the arts and crafts. Her friend Layla chimed in, too, saying the projects helped build confidence, and 9-year-old Gia was partial to the journaling.

Regardless of their favorite parts, it was easy to see that every girl got something special out of Camp Girl Power. Whether they practiced social skills, made a new friend, or stepped out of their comfort zone, all the campers left their final day with memories of an experience that will help guide them as they grow and mature.

“I really just love watching the girls come in and grow,” Elvidge said. “They’re nervous, and they’re shy, and they have all of that angst of meeting new people. And it’s a little awkward at first. So, I find it so beautiful to see how much they flourish between Day 1 and Day 5. It’s really cool to see how, when we give them the time and space to be themselves, they’ll open up.”

Ms. Evie and the campers pose for a photo at the same lake where the girls enjoyed a yoga class.