Leaders Assembly 2018

Even in a world that is embracing new expressions of gender, many pre-teens and teens at camp still feel intense pressure to conform to very specific codes of dress, speech, and behavior based on being male or female. Sexist name calling and pressure to be sexual are commonplace at camp and are too often ignored or even encouraged by junior staff. While for many teens camp is a safe place to explore emerging desires and romantic interest, for others the camp environment can reinforce harmful pressure to hook up for reasons of status and fitting in. How do we help staff and campers to challenge expectations based on gender and create a healthier environment to explore both friendships and romantic relationships? How can senior staff communicate clear boundaries to protect all campers and also foster healthy development and conversation about personal and communal values around attraction, flirtation, romance, body image, gender codes, sexual identity and sexuality? In this highly interactive session, we will share recent action-research conducted by Moving Traditions and FJC with 25 camps and share new tools and approaches for addressing these issues proactively through staff training, camp policy and program development.