Camp fYrefly: a leadership camp in Edmonton

Camp fYrefly in Edmonton
Carl Swanson was no fan of summer camp when he was a young boy. It just wasn’t his thing. But for the past three summers the University of Toronto student has headed back home to Edmonton where he eagerly volunteers for a four-day stint as a camp facilitator, called pod leader, at Camp fYrefly.

So why the change of heart?  Camp fYrefly just isn’t any summer retreat. For Carl, there wasn’t anything of its kind available when he was growing up, ditto for the founders, Dr. André Grace and Kristopher Wells, who are educators at the University of Alberta.

Camp fYrefly is Canada’s only outdoor retreat in the city of Edmonton aimed at teaching leadership skills for high-risk youth. In this case, they’re lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified, two-spirited, queer and allied (LGBTTQ&A) youth between the ages of 14 and 24.

A place without fear or judgement
The four-day camp affiliated with the University of Alberta is staffed by professional adult volunteers, including counselors, teachers and social workers, and it’s jam-packed with workshops on drama, music, writing and visual art and sessions on empowerment, anti-oppression and personal growth, to name a few.

“The guiding principle,” says co-founder Kris Wells, “is to help these youth move from being at-risk to a place where they can positively address the challenges facing such adolescents and young adults in everyday life. Before you can lead others, you have to be a leader yourself.”

For the participants (there was a total of 56 in August 2007 who came from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and as far away as Ontario), it’s a place to be yourself without fear of judgement or criticism. “For many of them,” says Kris, “it’s the first, and perhaps only time in their their lives where they can be in the majority, with no worries, no need to explain or justify themselves. They are who they are – and in a safe place.”

Be yourself
Carl, as a pod leader in charge of 6 to 8 kids, says it’s incredibly emotional and rewarding to watch a youth, especially one who has been the subject of homophobia or name-calling, reach the point when they stand back and realize, “Hey, I’m just like everyone else here!”.

In addition to the self-empowering elements of the camp, Carl says one of the highlights is  the talent night which provides a sometimes hilarious venue for youth to express themselves, who they truly are, to their peers.

Camp fYrefly has received support from many groups, including the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, the National Crime Prevention Strategy, the Edmonton Police Service and the Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities, among others. In fact, one of the highlights this past summer was the arrival of Edmonton Police Chief Mike Boyd in a police hummer!

Carl’s mother, Ruby Swanson, is a firm supporter of Camp fYrefly. In fact, she billets out-of-town participants on the eve of the camp. For her, it’s heartening to know “that these kids can enjoy themselves without fear, without judgement. That’s important to a parent.” And, she adds, “it’s always chaperoned so there’s no hanky-panky!”

Kris, who has witnessed homophobia in his role as a high school teacher, underscores the element of hope engendered by Camp fYrefly. “What we aim to do is develop the leadership skills and resiliency necessary for these kids to become agents of change in their hometowns, their schools, their families. I like to think we provide these youth with the fuel to help keep their inner light shining bright during dark times.”

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