Girls Leadership Camp Continues to Grow

A group of girls from the Girls' Leadership Camp.

In the era of #MeToo, there is increased scrutiny on sexual harassment, gender pay disparities and ensuring equal opportunity in workplaces. One of the answers seems obvious—promote more women into leadership roles. 

Kimball Union Academy, a private boarding school in Meriden, has been working on empowering young women to take on leadership roles for a long time.

In 2011 the admissions team at the Academy wanted to increase the number of female students on campus. Kimball Union Academy (KUA) enlisted Brooklyn Wheeler Raney, a faculty member and Dean of Community Life and Leadership Coordinator, to create Kimball Union Academy’s Girls’ Leadership Camp, a week-long sleep away camp for sixth- to ninth-grade girls.

Wheeler Raney, director of Girls’ Leadership Camp, says the camp stemmed from her passion for creating an environment that allows young women to be themselves and explore their leadership abilities.

“I started this camp to provide middle school girls with everything I wish I had experienced as a middle school girl,” she says. “The purpose was three-fold: provide current KUA female students an opportunity to lead, create an exciting one-week opportunity for middle school girls, and introduce them to Kimball Union as a possible high school opportunity.”

The camp launched in 2011 with 11 campers. By 2017, it had 70 campers with a waiting list. The camp is capped at 70 campers because Wheeler Raney believes “that is the number we can serve best.” The camp has helped the Academy attract talent and more than 40 girls, who have participated in different elements of the camp program, have gone on to attend Kimball Union Academy. She also adds that there are “strong female leaders at KUA and I believe this is partly due to the work of [Girls’ Leadership Camp]”.

The week-long camp has stayed at the same price of $1,275 since 2011. This tuition covers room and board, along with all of the activities the campers participate in. Wheeler Raney says that the model for her camp is based on “C’MON: Curriculum, Model, Obstacle and Now what?”

A future leader participating in camp activities.

She explains, “The curriculum is what we pack our workshops with: conflict resolution, public speaking, social entrepreneurship, body image, communication, passion, focus, collaboration, service, etc. The modeling comes from the incredible staff we have surrounding these girls and living the message. The obstacle is the specific activity each day where we test what we are learning. These activities include climbing a ropes course, building a picnic table, performing in a talent show, overnight camping and cooking, hiking a mountain, and kayaking. The ‘now what?’ is the reflection component.” She notes that each girl has a Leader Log that she works through during the week, which provides reflective exercises and journaling time.

Many campers have asked for longer sessions, so Girl’s Leadership Camp started a “Winter Boost,” which is a single day in the winter filled with workshops and activities for girls. Wheeler Raney says that she loves how the message of the camp has been able to spread and how interest has grown for the topics covered at camp. She says she loves how the camp allows girls to be themselves and grow as leaders and people.
Wheeler Raney says the camp is partnering with another organization to take girls who have been through the camp program to Morocco for 10 days in early summer to teach elementary school girls.

For more information, visit girlsleadership.camp.

By Morgan Sebor of the Young Reporters Project, a partnership between Business NH Magazine and the University of NH Manchester. Sebor is a student at the University of NH Manchester.