August 5th- 9th, 2013
Camp Akili is a nationally recognized, personal transformation program that provides a “breakthrough” experience for teens ages 14 to 18 that is transformative. “It changed my perspective on the African-American community and my role in it,” says a past participant.
Camp Akili offers interactive exercises that teach participants about the root causes of social inequality, cultivating their abilities to identify and solve problems in their communities. It is an annual, five-day residential camp that takes place out of the city. At camp, teens are assigned to “nations” that facilitate peer learning, youth leadership opportunities, and conflict resolution. The teens form strong bonds with each other and their counselors as they experience psychological, emotional, and spiritual healing on such topics as racism, sexism, internalized oppression, and economic disenfranchisement.
Through film, print media, and hip-hop music, Camp Akili encourages young people to critically examine the conditions in their community.
One participant calls Camp Akili the best program he’s been in, and says he hopes to lead LE one day so that he, too, can help young people and show them things they may not have otherwise experienced or learned.
It changed my perspective on the African American community and my role in it.”
– Camp Akili participant
