Tenley, Age 11 - Young Womxn's Wellness

The days went by so fast and slow. Slow, because each minute felt carefully considered, and filled to the brim, but fast, because one moment it was Monday, the next it was Friday.

In these times, being with others is priceless. Although we don’t want to admit it, emails and texts aren’t sufficient enough to feel a connection with others. To see their face, see them smile, hear them laugh, is a gift too often taken for granted. Even seeing my friends virtually has given me a sense of happiness I can’t explain. To say that I am grateful for Kyle and the Young Womxn’s Wellness camp would be an understatement.

I first heard of the camp from my mom who told me that Kyle, who had been my brother’s and my teacher, was holding a camp for girls my age. I was overjoyed at the fact that she was doing a camp, regardless of what it was even going to be about. The camp taught me about leadership, self care, compassion for others, navigating negativity as well as simply reintroduced me to the experience of having fun with friends. Nora said that “Kyle’s camp really made my summer! I had an actual schedule, and I got to hang with my close friends. I would gladly do it again!”

One of the many things I liked about Young Womxn’s Wellness camp was the variety of activities provided; there was something for everyone, and each person’s opinion was heard and carefully considered. I loved the collages we made every day, representing a memorable moment of that day, and we would share them through a guessing and detective type game. I loved making tortillas, with Ria, an eighth grader (but in my opinion a possible contestant for master chef) showing us each step and then sharing a delicious taco lunch with us.

I also loved the various art and creative projects we got to do together, because I was really able to focus on making each piece of artwork and not thinking about anything else. Ruby told me “Due to the pandemic, everyone has been stuck at home.” Many many times this summer I found myself with nothing to do. But one big highlight of this summer was the Young Womxn’s Wellness summer camp that Kyle led. It was a break from boredom, and a time to practice wellness and hang out with friends! [...] If you are like me and have trouble deciding what art to make, the art projects had a prompt so I could just do the art! These prompts also were not too specific so we could always add our own twist to it!”

Like I said before, during a challenging time like this, the importance of building connection and community with others is often underestimated, and to be able to connect with not only others but yourself is really special. I never knew the impact of seeing friends would have on me until camp started, and I watched in the camera view as my, and my friends faces’ smiles lit up. Young Womxn’s Wellness gave me and my friends the opportunity to connect with ourselves and each other, and just simply to have fun. I learned about my friends, from the “operation manuals” we made for ourselves, sharing what makes us most energised, happy, and even our pet peeves. I learned about myself, from the “values cards” we made, and the colleges we shared each day.

Ava said “I love the way Kyle taught the camp, because I felt like I really got to know myself better and be present in the moment without having to think about all of the stress going on outside my head.” The Young Womxn’s Wellness camp was calming yoga, and energetic games, creative projects, partner challenges, appreciations for each other and so many more things I wouldn’t be able to describe in a page, much less a paragraph. Cassidy told me “I really liked this camp not because I just got to see my friends, but because it taught me so much more. I realized as a person I am so much more than just “a woman,” I learned to be a young women’s leader and to also be a strong follower. I had so much fun and hope that young women will join us.”

And one thing I know we could all say a million times, is thank you Kyle, thank you to The Young Women’s Wellness Camp, and we all hope to see you in our next session.