Over the summer, one of our youth work team spent 4 weeks volunteering as a cabin counsellor at a summer camp for LGBTQ+ youth in California, Brave Trails.
This involved supporting their cabin of queer and trans young people, leading arts and crafts sessions, and assisting with a wide range of programmes, including drag, archery, anti-racism, swimming, team building, and queer femmehood, to name just a few! Reflecting on their time, Kirk shared:
“Being at Brave Trails was a phenomenal experience – it was a privilege to have the chance to help create this safe space for the campers, to be a queer and trans adult in their lives, as well as being a time of healing for my inner child that would have wanted to go to something like this so much! I was inspired by the campers and staff I met there, everyone able to be their full selves and indulge in silliness alongside serious and reflective conversations.
It was such a welcoming, supportive, and celebratory space: you could see queer and trans joy happening in front of your eyes, all around. I’m incredibly grateful to Brave Trails for having me, and for SAYiT for supporting me to go.”
To read more about the work that Brave Trails do, click here
Kirk Youth Support Worker September 2023