Child 1 Age 9 - 10 (Female)
Program(s) focused in Leadership (multi), Empowerment
(5) Overall experience
She always was happy to go to Girls Inc.'s space every week to be with her leaders and friends and have a space to have a voice and feel empowered by those her age and those older than her. She's become more confident and a leader in helping others out. It means a lot to have this program is offered because it helps girls find themselves and feel confident in who they are and what they can do. I can't recommend this program enough to everyone who has a daughter! It really brings them out of their shells and teaches them to embrace their abilities.
(5) Reason for choosing the camp
My daughter has ADHD and had a lower self-esteem. She struggled in maintaining friendships. My friend sent her daughter to camp one summer and raved about the program and how it supported her daughter and built her daughter's confidence and self-esteem. Interested, I sent my daughter to their camp for a week last summer. Once I found out they had an after-school program as well during the year and seeing how affordable it is, it was a no-brainer to sign my child up and send her to that as well! It is worth way more than what they charge families!!
(5) Program quality and activities
My child loves art, and the camp offered lots of art activities that my daughter would engage in. She also likes meeting new people and playing lots of games and this program offered all that and more! A favourite highlight of hers is when they do big events that involve the other locations' clubs joining in. They're always so fun and create such positive memories for her.
(5) Social dynamics and experience
My child attended both the camp and the after-school program with a longtime friend of ours. However, she not only strengthened that relationship but also made new lasting friendships as well because of the program. They work very hard to make sure that everyone has a positive experience and design their groups and activities to cultivate strong and positive relationships.
(5) Skills and growth
The program helped boost her self-confidence in her own abilities and worth. She used to be very negative towards herself and would always talk about her failures as opposed to her achievements and what she does well. She's now learnt the power of the word "yet," and the program has challenged her to look for all the small and big things she CAN do as opposed to what she CAN'T.
(5) Staff/Instructors/Counsellors
How welcoming and caring all the staff are. From drop-off to pick-up, she was always greeted by name, with a smile every day and every week that she attended. There was one session where she was feeling sick, and they called me to let me know she wasn't well, and so they had one staff be with her individually until I could get there to help her not feel alone. They really care about all the girls.
(5) Advice and tips
If you're questioning if you should send your daughter, just do it! Even if you think your child has good self-esteem and confidence, they can gain leadership skills and friendship skills that set this program apart from every other camp and program my child attends. Also, it is so affordable, why wouldn't you send them? The best part is that if a certain month is busier, you don't have to register for that individual month, so it's super flexible!
My girls love this camp. It is the only camp that they have attended that has been engaging, educational, and interesting to them the entire time. In the past, we tried other camps/after-school progra...
