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Your trusty guide to navigating the CampOUT! experience!

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Hello Campers!

Thank you for being here— we are excited to share this experience with

you!

This is a guide to help you navigate and prepare for the camping experience.

Please take time to read the information on the following pages. This

program includes information about CampOUT! workshops, our

community’s gender inclusive approach, our non-negotiable rules, our

Community and Participation Agreements, and our camp schedule.

There is a large group of amazing individuals who are coming together to make camp

happen!

The CampOUT! Leadership Team is:

Camp Director: Anna White

Co-Facilitator: Ivan Leonce

Camp Assistant: Hanna Jarrett

Care Team:

Mental Health Workers: Anisa Mottahed, Stacy Wood

Camp Nurse: Emily Sollows

Sexual Health Educators: Ghada Dbouba, Stevie Thompson

First Aid Scout: Ada Yim

Lifeguard: Sarah Lash

Cabin Leaders:

Sarah King, Cheyenne La Vallee, Cole Christie, Jason Bigelow, Kell Gerlings, Kinchy

Phillpotts, Niigaani Binesi, Nodi Yunus, Sam Stouten, Shaheed Jiwa

Community Mentors:

Alyssa Serpa, Cicely-Belle Blain, Seth Watt, Sarah Cibart, Rae Gillese, Tony Correia,

Harpreet Gill, Akira Imai, Jaye Simpson, Aimee Faber, Jeremy Jones

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Our vision is a community where:

Each person’s individual journey is affirmed

Concepts of “normalcy” are challenged

All forms of diversity are celebrated

Learning happens in non-traditional (and fun!) ways.

We commit to take home our learnings to our home communities

Many kinds of leadership are explored, encouraged, and developed

Friendships are fostered

Personal growth is supported

We are agents of change

Goals for CampOUT!

1 Create a space where folks can bring their whole selves

2 Cultivate a deeper self-awareness in our leadership practices

3 Celebrate and affirm courageous risk taking

4 Connect with each other and the land

5 FUN! FUN! FUN!!!!!

In order for all participants to have equal access to the benefits of the camp, the five

following ground rules are non-negotiable:

CampOUT! is a sober space. This means that no drugs or alcohol are permitted

at camp.

CampOUT! is a sex positive, but sex-free environment. No sexual activity will

be permitted at camp.

CampOUT! will not tolerate harmful, disrespectful, or inappropriate behaviour.

CampOUT! participants will respect the agreed-upon curfew.

CampOUT! participants and staff will respect the facility and rules of our host

Camp Fircom.

*Anyone who breaks one of these ground rules will be sent home immediately at their own

expense.

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Our Time, Our Space

Can you imagine the world you’d like to live in? At CampOUT! we get to

practice creating that world! Together we will be creating a space that doesn’t

exist anywhere else and will never be recreated the same way!

What will you bring to the space? How will you honour everything that others

are bringing with them? How would you like to show up for yourself and for

others? How will you foster curiosity and get to know yourself and others

across our many differences? What learnings will you take home to keep the

conversations going?

CampOUT! lives, learns, and breathes on the unceded, ancestral, and occupied,

traditional lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Watuth), Stó:lō,

Shíshálh (Sechelt) and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nations of the Coast Salish peoples.

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In order for all participants to have equal access to the benefits of the camp, I

understand and will agree to the following:

I accept responsibility for taking care of my health and wellness by getting

adequate sleep and nourishment.

I commit to full participation in all camp programming to the best of my ability.

I will keep all personal electronic usage to a minimum in order to participate

fully in the camp experience.

I am aware that I will be assigned a cabin group and leader according to my age

category.

I am aware that cabins and washrooms will be inclusive of all genders.

I will inform my leader, the Care Team, or the Camp Director about any

problems/issues that may arise for me at camp.

I understand that I will not be permitted to leave the camp for any non -

CampOUT! organized recreational purposes, nor will friends who are not

registered at camp be permitted on site.

I agree to respect the CampOUT! non-negotiable agreements in order to help

create an inclusive space for all participants.

I will abide by the Community Agreements we create together at camp.

Gender Inclusive cabins, bathrooms, and waterfront!

Gender inclusivity offers us ways to engage with one another person to person. At

CampOUT! we offer an opportunity to develop mature, communicative, and respectful

relationships with one another across all gender spectrums!

We organize sleeping arrangements by age groups rather than gender experience.

Our bathrooms and cabins are gender inclusive. Privacy needs do not depend on our

gender identity.

There are bathrooms in a central location, and all showers and toilet stalls are private.

Cabins can set up change rooms in their cabins for additional privacy. There will be

opportunities to talk about this gender inclusive approach in more detail at camp.

In solidarity with cis women and trans folks, everyone wears tops at camp for sports

and swimming. Please bring a shirt you feel comfy in for this, and we will have a

customizing shirt/decorating station!

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An opportunity to relax your

phone use: Camp is a nice place to put

down your phone and enjoy spending

time with new and old friends,

exploring, learning, and experiencing

nature. Challenge yourself to go 3 or 4

days without texting!

No Wi-Fi: let your friends and family

know you probably won’t be posting

much while you’re away. There is

service at the camp.

Be Respectful: bring earphones if you

need to listen to music to fall asleep.

Ask Consent: Always ask people if

you can take their picture and if it’s

alright for you to post that picture.

Practice presence: community

building can be an intense experience

that is hard to describe to others. Stay

in the moment and wait until you get

home before sharing pictures or stories. This will allow you to really reflect on

your experience.

Ask us if you have needs: The camp staff can send an email to parents/caregivers

to let them know you have arrived safely and are enjoying yourself. They will worry

a lot less if they receive a quick but official message from us.

On Saturday evening, we will have the CampOUT! Community Celebration! This is an

opportunity for campers and cabins to get creative and “come out” as creative forces

to the group by sharing some of their unique skills, abilities, jokes, talents, stories,

poetry, drag performances, tap dancing, acting abilities, or any other entertaining,

inspiring, or thought provoking tidbits that folks would like to put together for the

showcase! Try some collaboration! Take a deep breath, ask your leader or a new friend

for the support you need to share a bit of your unique self, and have a blast with this

great opportunity! And sign up!

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Programming Streams:

1. Leadership: Empowerment, skill development, critical thinking, and mentoring to

foster leadership for social change. There are lots of ways to ‘lead’!

2. Community Building: Education and skill development to cultivate community

involvement. Let’s cultivate healthy communities!

3. Arts & Performance: Engagement in personal and collaborative creative arts

opportunities. Arts for all kinds of creative creatures!

4. Health: Gain tools for helpful self-care practices, body & mind wellness, healthy

relationships, communication, setting boundaries, sexuality, gender identity, and

responsible sexual practices. Yeah!

5. Fun Camp Activities: Engage with a campy camping environment through

swimming, hikes, games, canoeing, nature walks, campfires, arts & crafts, music, skits,

and more!

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Community Building Workshops:

Go Smudge Yourself: An Intro to the Four Sacred Medicines – with Aimee

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Anxious? Depressed? Or just not feeling at your

mental and emotional best? Smudging and the use of Traditional Medicines can be an

excellent coping skill to help keep you feeling like your awesome self! Come learn

about the 4 Sacred Medicines, Smudge Ceremonies, and go Smudge yourself! Aimee

can also offer Cedar Brushdowns, Spirit Baths, and facilitate Talking Circles.

A Walk in the Woods: A Beginner's Ecological Hike – with Seth & Alyssa

Ever wonder why certain trees thrive or wilt, why soils look different in different places,

or how a rock was formed? How about the diversity of animal behaviour around us

and how it might relate to sexual and gender diversity? Go on a walk in the forest with

two nature enthusiasts and learn about local plant and animal species, how to use

plants in survival situations and everyday life, and discuss how this all relates to the

connections we make with the natural world and ourselves.

LGBTQ2+ Scavenger Hunt – with Sarah C. & Tony

Beautiful blossoms come from strong roots. On this action packed adventure around

camp you will skip, hop, dance, and/or fly from station to station while learning about

pivotal moments in queer, trans, and two-spirit history right up until today. Through

collaboration and teamwork your group collect history cards and face an extra

timeline challenge at the end. Happy exploring!

Tarot Toolkit: A beginner's guide to using tarot cards for self-reflection and

discovery – with Harpreet

Have you always wanted to learn the mystical art of tarot? Or are you an expert

looking for a new way to use your skills? In this workshop, we’ll go over tarot basics,

look at how the cards can be used as a self/communal care tool, and practice laying out

and translating a spread.

1. Affinity Groups

a. Indigenous Space – blurb

b. QTIBIPOC Space – blurb

c. White settler Space – blurb

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Arts & Performance Workshops:

Textual Healing: Finding identity and healing through comics and media –

with Harpreet

Calling all bookworms! In this workshop, we’ll be exploring how comics and graphic

novels can help us learn more about ourselves and healing - especially when it comes

to mental health, sexuality, and families. We’ll talk about some popular comics and

their themes, and then try out writing short comics about our own experiences.

*Content warning: Some of the themes in this workshop can be heavy, and contain

content that references mental illness, disordered eating.

Paper places – Exploring Ourselves and Each Other through Origami – with

Akira

Releasing the Rebel – Writing workshop – with Akira

A workshop focused on releasing a rebel into a story. As trans, non-binary and two-

spirit people living our authentic identity can feel like a constant act of rebellion. A

rebellion against societal norms, assigned biology or even psychology. Youth have a role

to play in challenging boundaries from adults and society. This workshop is a chance to

get in touch with what being rebellious means to you and what’s important to you!

Art Journaling – with Rae

Do you talk to yourself? Well maybe you should! Using visual mediums can be a

wonderful way to communicate with yourself and explore your inner world, as well as

creating traces and records of past selves. Build creative confidence, see patterns in

your thoughts and stories, and help break down and express your thoughts visually.

Zine Scene – with Rae

Zines are publishing in mini, and a great way to get the word out about whatever you

have to say. Come to this workshop to see and learn about the wide variety of ways

zines can be used to tell stories, share experiences, create dialogue, and act as beautiful

artifacts. We will be making teeny-tiny zines.

Leadership Workshops:

Fundraising in Real Life – with Tony

Crowdfunding is a useful tool for raising money, but fundraising in real life puts you in

direct contact with your allies so you can build relationships with people who are as

passionate about changing the world as you are. In this workshop we’ll discuss fast and

fun ways of raising money and building relationships. We’ll also address the barriers

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that might be keeping you from organizing your own fundraiser and finding people to

help you run it. Together, we can put the “Fun” back into “Fundraising”!

Finding Your Voice & Agency at Work – with Sarah C.

In this workshop you'll have a chance to chat more about what being LGBTQ2S+ at

work is like, what unions are all about, and what rights you have! Come find out why

work should feel like a safe(r) space through sharpening up your self-advocacy skills!

Rise up! An Introduction to Rad Activism! – with Cicely-Belle

Interested in being an activist? Passionate about social justice? Curious about the Black

Lives Matter movement? This workshop will test your knowledge of social justice

history and equip you with skills to make meaningful change in the world. Come along

for some fun interactive learning and theatre-based problem solving for a better world.

Writing for Change! – with Cicely-Belle

This workshop is an opportunity for young writers who are excited about making a

change through their work. You’ll gain insight into how to write though-provoking and

opinion-changing articles, how to format them for the web and print and how to pitch

them to top publications. If you like ranting on Facebook but are looking for a bigger

platform for your anger and frustration at the world, come through!

Health Workshops:

Gender’s Journey – with Akira & Stacy

Come out to hear mentors share their gender affirming journeys in a panel sharing

discussion. You can add in questions to a question box beforehand for the mentors to

address, come with your own questions during the talk or simply stay to learn about

gender affirming options and information. Resources and information to Trans Care BC

will be available. You'll be able to ask nuanced questions as well as finding practical steps

to accessing care relevant to you. We'll also be available to ask questions about coming

out at work or school, name changes, and so many more topics!

HIV 101 – with Ghada & Stevie

What is HIV anyways? How is it different from AIDS? What do we need to know

about transmission, testing, and treatment? This workshop will cover the basics, while

also unpacking myths and stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS. Together, we’ll explore

strategies to end HIV stigma and build skills for allyship and activism!

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Sexual Health & Wellbeing – with Ghada & Stevie

When it comes to sex and relationships, there are lots of messed-up scripts we’re

expected to follow. Bummer! But in reality, sexuality is infinitely diverse. There’s no

normal!!! In this workshop, we’ll build tools to increase our sexual well-being, get in

touch with our own desires and boundaries, communicate our wants and needs, and

form positive relationships with ourselves and others.

Sexual Health Q&A – with Ghada & Stevie

Whether we're doing it, thinking about it, or couldn't care less, weall have the right to

learn about sex and sexual health. But it can be hard to get information that’s accurate

and relevant! Here's your chance! Drop your questions about sex, sexuality, and

sexual health in the box, and we’ll gather as a whole camp to learn from each other’s

questions and get information that’s non-judgmental and inclusive!

Introduction to Parkour: Opportunities for Movement – with Alyssa

Interested in a skillset that can turn any mundane structure in your environment into

hours of fun, physical engagement, and mental challenge? This workshop will teach

participants some key parkour movements with an emphasis on safe practice, but will

also go further into the parkour mindset and how to direct one's own personal

movement practice.

Your Body is Strong! The no-gym-pass-no-equipment-required Fitness Plan

– with Seth

Have you always had fitness goals but experience barriers like expensive gym

memberships? We will work though a beginner’s strength and conditioning workout

together that requires no gym pass and no equipment! Whether you’re interested in

getting stronger, faster, or just want to have fun, we will scale the workout so it is

suitable for any fitness level and show you how to use it to work towards any fitness

goal when you go home.

Fun & Campy Workshops/Activities:

Ocean Canoeing – with Sarah L.

Have you ever wanted to try canoeing but haven't had the opportunity?! Well here is

your chance, whether you are a beginner or have lots of experience please join me in

this adventure. We will start by getting fitted properly with life jackets, reviewing safety

steps and practising the stroke techniques on land. We will learn the J-stroke, the

Sweep, the Draw and Pry. More experienced paddlers will be paired up with new

paddlers. Canoeing can be either relaxing or exhilarating depending on your ability and

the conditions. Either way it is beautiful to be on the water with new friends.

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Swim Like a Seal! Let’s Get started! – with Sarah L.

Swimming is not only great exercise, it is also a way to unwind, relax, and feel free.

Having some basic swimming skills can really add to your safety and enjoyment in or

around water. In this amazing ocean setting we will work together as a group to

support and encourage one another. I will start by introducing floating, gliding and

exhaling under water. You can progress at your own pace. I will work on specific

strategies to help you feel more comfortable in the water. If you face challenges with

getting started or being in the water I would love to listen and can also help come up

with strategies to overcome obstacles.

Juggling Workshop – with Alyssa

Maybe you've always wanted to learn the basic pattern, or have a 3-ball cascade on lock

and want to learn more tricks? Come challenge your brain and coordination!

Thursday July 5

10:00AM Check-in @ Horseshoe Bay

11:00 AM Load Water Taxi and depart for camp!

12:00 PM Arrive – games in field

12:30 PM LUNCH!

1:30 – 2:30 PM

2:30 PM

2:45 PM

Cabin Time: Cabin Agreements

Bring any meds to Care Cabin

SNACK BREAK

3:00 PM

Orientation: Welcome to CampOUT!

Land Acknowledgment, Site History, Theme Intro, Name Game,

Community Agreements, Milling/icebreakers, and Meet the

Leadership Team!

4:30 PM Camp Tour: LGBTQ2+ Scavenger Hunt

Care Cabin, Picnic Shelter, beach access, Campfire ring, field (muster

spot), Dining Hall, Two Sisters, Breezeway, garden, forest theatre

5:30 PM DINNER

Leadership Meeting (1/2 team)

7:00 – 8:30 PM CAMP WIDE SESSION: Theme Stream (Tree of Me)

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8:30 – 9:30 PM

Thursday July 5 cont

Camp Fire & Mug Up

9:30 – 10 PM Get ready for bed & bedtime meds

10 – 10:30PM Cabin Time & morning session sign-up

10:30 PM Quiet time

11:00 PM Lights OUT!

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Friday July 6

7:00 – 7:30 AM Early wake up

7:30 AM

Optional morning activities: morning swim/smudging & cedar

brushing/physical activity

8:00 AM Wake-up: get cabin ready for breakfast

8:30 AM BREAKFAST

9:15

9:30

Cabin tidy-up

CAMP-WIDE SESSION: Theme Stream (Tree of We)

10:30 Workshops

Leadership stream

Writing for Change - Cicely

Community stream

Go Smudge Yourself - Aimee

Arts stream

Zine Scene - Rae

Paper Places - Akira

Health stream

Sexual Health & Well-Being (YouthCO – Ghada & Stevie)

Fitness - Seth

Campy stream:

Swimming Lessons – Sarah L

12:00

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12:30 – 1:15 PM

Friday July 6 cont

LUNCH

Leadership Meeting (1/2 team)

1:15-2:15 PM Free time, open waterfront, dress-up, singing, etc.

2:15 PM Gather at Jubilee Hall

2:15 - 3:45 PM

Workshops

Leadership stream

Finding Your Voice & Agency at Work – Sarah C

Community stream

Fundraising in Real Life – Tony

Arts stream

Textual Healing - Harpreet

Releasing the Rebel - Akira

Health stream

HIV 101 (YouthCO – Ghada & Stevie)

Campy stream

Forest Walk – Alyssa & Seth

3:45 SNACK BREAK

4:00 – 5:15 PM COMMUNITY BUILDING THROUGH UNDERSTANDING: Affinity

& Allyship Spaces

QTBIPOC Community Building & Resource Sharing

Indigenous Space

Witnessing Whiteness: Anti-racism workshop for white folks

5:30 – 6:30 PM DINNER

6:30 – 7:30 PM Free Time / Optional Activities

7:30 – 8:30 PM

CAMP WIDE SESSION: Theme Stream (Co-Creating Time and Space)

8:30 – 8:45 Mug Up (Hot chocolate)

9:30 – 10:30 PM Cabin Time & morning session sign-up

10:30 PM Quiet time

11:00 PM Lights OUT!

______________________________________________________________________

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Saturday July 7

7:00 – 7:30 AM Early wake up

7:30 AM Optional morning activities: morning swim/smudging & cedar

brushing/physical activity

8:00 AM Wake-up: get cabin ready for breakfast

8:30 – 9:15 AM BREAKFAST

9:15 AM Cabin tidy-up

9:30 AM CAMP WIDE SESSION: Theme Stream – Trees of Change!

10:30 – Noon Workshops

Leadership stream

Rise Up! Intro to Rad Activism - Cicely

Community stream

Tarot Toolkit - Harpreet

Arts stream

Art Journalling - Rae

Health stream

Gender’s Journey – Stacy & Akira

Campy stream

Parkour – Alyssa

Ocean Canoeing – Sarah L

12:00 Free Time / Family groups

12:30 – 1:15 PM LUNCH

1:15 – 2:30 PM Q&A: Let’s talk about Sex & Relationships!

2:30 – 3:00 PM Optional continuation of Q&A / field games / Arts & Crafts

3:00 – 4:00 PM FREE TIME: Open Waterfront / Cabin Celebration preparations

4:00 – 4:15 PM SNACK

4:15 – 5:15 PM FREE TIME: Celebration rehearsal in Jubilee Hall, Happy Notes, open

waterfront

Leadership Team Meeting 1/2 team

5:30 – 6:30 PM DINNER

6:30 – 7:00 PM Community Celebration Prep

7:00 – 9:00 PM Community Celebration!!!

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9:00 – 9:30 PM

Saturday July 7 cont

SNACK/BREAK

9:30 – 10:30 PM Dance!!

10:30 PM Stargazing or Night walk

11:00 PM Cabin Time

11:30 PM Lights OUT!

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Sunday July 8

7:00 AM Sleeping

7:30 AM Wake up & pack up

8:00 – 9:00 AM Cabin & Camp Clean up

9:00 – 9:45 AM BREAKFAST

10:00 – 10:15 AM Group Photo! / Lost & Found

10:15 – 11AM Cabin Circle (and camp evaluations)

11AM – 12 PM Camp Closing

Continuing to build connections and explore healthy relationships beyond

camp!

12:00 – 12:30 PM QUICK LUNCH

12:30 – 12:45 PM Walk to dock

1:00 PM

1:30 – 2:00 PM

Boats Depart Gambier Island

Arrival in Horseshoe Bay…campers going home with new friends

and resources and spreading the camp love all over BC!

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Strategies for Self-Care at Camp & Beyond!

1. Do art – pencil drawings, paint, sculpt, anything you enjoy.

2. Curl up on a couch with a book from the CampOUT! library.

3. Write – keep a journal with poetry, art, and thoughts which help to process

and release strong feelings.

4. Humor – read a funny book, watch a comedy, or listen to a podcast.

5. Cuddle something – like a blanket, pillows, or a favorite stuffed toy.

6. Exercise – walk, go dancing, or try yoga.

7. Recall what positive coping strategies have been helpful before. Put

them in your phone, with a daily alarm to remind you to use them.

8. Do things as it feels OK, and feel empowered to say “no” if it feels like too

much.

9. Check in with a safe person at camp when you need to talk.

10. Relaxation techniques – such as focusing on your breathing or visualization

(thinking about a magical place that makes you happy).

11. Sleep! Come to camp well rested and take advantage of quiet hours to

recharge with the wonders of sleeping!

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Notes:

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Name: Cabin #:

http://campout.ubc.ca/