Phase II of EMEAC Sumer Camp gets underway

July 17, 2011

Kim Sherobi of Greener Schools and Maria Ryen of
ReMedia do an exercise with youth during Phase I of
EMEAC's GAME Summer Camp in June

The second part of EMEAC’s first in-house summer camp gets underway July 18 in McCallister Hall of the First Unitarian Universalist Church as approximately a dozen Detroit youth will receive intensive leadership development during Phase II of the Gardening Activism Media and Education Sumer Camp. 
Phase I of the GAME Summer Camp concluded last month as a similar number of youth attended the 2011 Allied Media Conference and enjoyed several other environmental and media justice activities under EMEAC’s Stand Up Speak Out program. Phase II will be conducted by EMEAC’s ReMedia Program and will continue for six weeks through August 26.
“The Stand Up Speak Out team did a great job kicking things off last month and we’re really looking forward to trying to build on that for Phase II of GAME,” said ReMedia Coordinator Patrick Geans-Ali. “I was so impressed with the young people that participated in Phase I. All of them seemed to be young people that will make a difference in their communities going forward.
“I’m sure we’ll get a similar group for phase II and I’m excited seeing how they respond to the curriculum we’ve got in store for them.”
The second phase of GAME with the theme “Grow Your Own Media” will focus on developing campers’ leadership skills and educating the community around food justice issues like the U.S. Farm Bill 2012. Campers will be taught how to participate in and facilitate workshops on environmental, food and media justice issues before conducting a series of Cook Eat Talk sessions at the Detroit Science Center and Children’s Museum, Vangaurd CDC, Earth Works Capuchin Soup Kitchen and EMEAC with the Detroit Future Media Youth Network.
Phase II of GAME will also follow up on Phase I projects and activities like the Environmental Justice Tour with the Detroit Sierra Club and producing a film project based on Phase I activities at the Allied Media Conference. Other activities include development of the North End Community Garden, Biking expeditions with Sarah Sidewalk's Fender Benders, Niche market food entrepreneur training with Can-Did Revolution and an opportunity to be involved in the production of a music video with Detroit MC Kadiri Senefer and get first hand instruction from some of Detroit's most accomplished independent media makers Kodjo Vaden and Alecia Becks.
“Lottie and I really feel it’s important that campers get an opportunity to get some real hands-on learning while developing their leadership skills. At the same time, we want the kids to have fun in the process and that all these things go together.
“We’re hoping the young people come away from the camp having really picked up some valuable knowledge, skills and experience and then be ready to take those things they’ve acquired and use them going forward to uplift the community. If we can do that and have fun at the same time, it will be a success.”