“I am enough,” reads a homemade banner placed on the Adams Elementary School auditorium stage. Twinkle lights line the edges of the banner and set the stage for the young rock stars of Girls Rock SB! summer camp.
Girls Rock SB! is a nonprofit organization that has made history this summer by hosting the first rock camp for girls in Santa Barbara.
Director and founder Jen Baron said Girls Rock SB! is the first nonprofit organization in Santa Barbara that works exclusively toward the empowerment of young girls. Baron, a local musician, has worked tirelessly to make the summer camp happen.
“I’m dreaming big here, as big as I can because that’s what we are going to be teaching these girls. I want them to reach for the moon!” she wrote in a blogpost from last September.
After months of planning, which included designing a website, writing grants, gathering music teachers and volunteers, and designing branding, Girls Rock SB! has come to life.
Last week, the first summer camp session was filled with music lessons and band practice, as well as other activities, such as zine-making, self-defense and rock yoga for their first round of campers.
At the end of each session, the girls perform a showcase of their work during the week. The first part of the “I Am Enough” Summer Showcase was attended by the families of the campers and members of the community.
“I’m so proud of these girls,” Baron said of the bands.
Camp No. 2 is now in session, and there are openings available for the third and fourth weeks of camp, with the possibility of adding another week.
To see more of the work of these girls, stop by the “I Am Enough” Summer Showcase at Adam Elementary at 6 p.m. June 28. Tickets are $5, and proceeds will go toward the Girls Rock SB! after-school programs.
Click here for more information about Girls Rock SB!
— Noozhawk intern Frankie Victoria can be reached at fvictoria@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook
