[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1563595466893{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Whoa! What an absolute whirlwind of a week we just had over the July school holidays when our junior girls kicked off the FIRST DAY EVER of Camp Courage! Held in the stunning natural surrounds of Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens auditorium in the heart of Brisbane. These 21 girls were in for a real treat, with beautiful sunny weather across the three days and a heap of activities designed to build their confidence and courage.
The girls started off a bit nervous and quiet as most were coming in to the camp without knowing anyone there, but soon after we had cracked through the morning icebreaker activity, the first formations of friendships were well underway! Ultimately, many girls found that one of the best parts of camp was the friendships and bonds formed throughout the experience.
“Thank you for an unforgettable 3 days! It was fun and full of surprises” Sienna, Yr 7
[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://girlshapedflames.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/edm-buttons.png” image_size=”full” link=”https://girlshapedflames.com/junior-camp-courage-photo-gallery/” target=”_blank” align=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][mk_image src=”https://girlshapedflames.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/48.jpg” image_size=”full” align=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1563595671626{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Across the three days, the girls participated in a wide variety of activities that saw them get to know both themselves and each other, getting creative and crafty, and being enlightened about a range of topics from social media to survival tips. Highlights definitely included a fascinating social media talk from Channel Seven news reporter Katrina Blowers, in which Katrina discussed the positive power of social media and shared her top tools and tricks, followed by an inspiring session on emotional intelligence from Laura Hermann.
In a fun turn of events, one of the most impactful parts of the camp for many girls was a juggling exercise led by camp co-host, Hollywood stunt artist, survival expert (and secret circus hopeful?) Ky Furneaux. Ky broke down the basics of juggling three balls, demonstrating that a task that seems daunting at first can be much more manageable when broken down into simple steps. The girls got to take their juggling balls home with them to practice so watch this space: we might have some future Girl Shaped Flames performers in our midst!
“It has inspired me to try new things and step out of my comfort zone.” Ella, Yr 8
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][mk_image src=”https://girlshapedflames.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/40.jpg” image_size=”full” align=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1563596701657{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The girls got out into nature in the beautiful botanic gardens on scenic walks led by Ky, who pointed out fascinating information about the plants and animals around us while regaling fascinating tales of her survival situations and experiences as a stunt artist working in Hollywood. On the final day our walk concluded at our barbeque site, where we celebrated the end of camp with a delicious lunch and the girls swapped laughs and instagram handles with the friends they had made along the way.
“This camp showed me that I am brave and courageous. It showed me that it isn’t about how popular or pretty you are, it is about how you are in the inside and we are all AMAZING in our own way.” Natalie, Yr 8
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][mk_image src=”https://girlshapedflames.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/12.jpg” image_size=”full” link=”https://girlshapedflames.com/camp-courage” align=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1563596121157{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]On the last day, Laura Gervais’ session on Purpose ended with a powerful Courage Cord exercise, where each girl took turns to tie a coloured cord onto another girl’s wrist, telling them “I believe in you”. This was truly a lovely and powerful way to reinforce an overarching theme of Camp Courage: that even when it feels like you’re all alone, there is always someone out there who believes in you. By the end of the junior camp, every girl at Camp Courage saw something in each other—something to believe in. Every girl left the event—not only with their courage cord, autographed group photo, juggling balls, and sponsored gift bags under their arm— but also with a massive smile on her face and bag-loads of courage to take home.
“Thank you for helping me believe in myself and motivating me. I will remember this for ever!” Isabella, Yr 8
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][mk_image src=”https://girlshapedflames.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/16.jpg” image_size=”full” link=”https://girlshapedflames.com/camp-courage” align=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1564664018179{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Events like this aren’t possible without the amazing help of our sponsors, so we would love to thank:
- Caring For You Nursing Agency
- Secret Women’s Business
- Zonta Brisbane City Heart
- Collective Learning and Development Pty Ltd
- Sally Prosser Voice
Also a special thanks to our gift bag contributors:
- Caring For You Nursing Agency
- Event Cinemas
- Peppermint Magazine
- Bella Rae Magazine.
The girls were beyond thrilled with all they got to take home in their gift bags! [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][mk_button dimension=”flat” size=”large” letter_spacing=”2″ url=”https://girlshapedflames.com/camp-courage” target=”_blank” align=”center” fullwidth=”true” bg_color=”#f36b24″ btn_hover_bg=”#f36b24″ btn_hover_txt_color=”#f29b6d”]FIND OUT ABOUT OUR NEXT CAMP COURAGE[/mk_button][/vc_column][/vc_row]
