Noozhawk’s ParentNooz Camp Guide is officially here and we made sure to make things easy when planning your child’s summer!
To give parents the tools to help make informed decisions about Summer Camps for their kids in Santa Barbara, Noozhawk has conducted a series of interviews with representatives of local programs for this year’s Summer Camp Guide.
In this interview, Noozhawk talked with Jen Baron, Executive Director of Girls Rock Santa Barbara to learn more about their summer camps here in Santa Barbara.
Girls Rock Santa Barbara
Question: What is the name of your Summer Camp or Program and what is its mission?
Answer: Amplify Sleep Away Camp is an award-winning overnight summer camp whose missions is to empower girls through music education, the creative arts, community, and positive mentorship.
Q: Describe the activities involved in your camp or program.
A: Amplify is unlike any other sleepaway camp available for girls today. Campers choose a creative track to focus on for their mornings and then choose from over 70 electives per week for a truly unforgettable camp experience. Creative tracks include Rock Band (learn vocals, guitar, bass, or drums, form a real band, and perform on stage!), Music Production & Engineering, Photography & Film, Journalism & Podcasting, and the capstone Leadership Academy for teen LITs (leaders in training). Other daily activities and electives include open swim time, lunchtime concerts and performances, hiking, karaoke, screen printing, DJing, disco dance parties, and one-of-a-kind workshops like Rapping for Empowerment and Restorative Yoga to Acoustic Billie Eilish. Plus, every session of Amplify also includes an end-of-camp showcase where all the campers show off their accomplishments and raise the roof, as well as off-campus trips to amazing destinations like Santa Claus Beach, Hurricane Harbor, and CATALINA ISLAND! (All off-campus trips pending COVID safety.) Amplify campers follow their dreams, try incredible new things, and gain lifelong friends and positive role models in a safe and supportive environment.
Q: What is the age range for children in your camp or program?
A: Incoming 5th–12th graders (roughly 10–17 years old)
(Girls Rock Santa Barbara photo)
Q: How many years has the camp been running? Do you get a lot of return campers?
A: Girls Rock Santa Barbara has been running summer camps since 2012. Amplify Sleep Away Camp has been running since 2014. Yes, we get a huge amount of return campers. Our camper/family retention rate is ~80%.
Q: What protocols does your camp have in place due to COVID-19? What is different about your camp this year?
A: We are taking many new measures to make summer 2021 as safe as possible. Some of these measures are the following: app-based check-ins to submit daily temperature starting at least a week before camp arrival; self-administered rapid test with Ellume COVID-19 Home Test 4 days before camp arrival; drive-thru check-in process; upon-arrival fever check, symptom questionnaire, and nurse-administered rapid test; daily fever checks at breakfast and eating most if not all meals outdoors throughout camp; increased hand hygiene (handwashing and sanitizing stations posted throughout camp) and outdoor time; daily sanitizing of all high-touch surfaces, e.g., gear, doorknobs, tables; masks if activity requires people be closer than 6’ apart; closed campus (no outside guests/visitors); age-specific smaller cohorts. (These are subject to change as more data and public health recommendations become available the closer we get to summer 2021.)
Q: What goals do you have for kids participating in your camp or program?
(Girls Rock Santa Barbara photo)
A: Our ultimate goal for every camper is that they leave Amplify with higher self-esteem, fun and empowering new skills (e.g., guitar, photography, screen printing, beatboxing, teamwork, empathetic communication), and a supportive like-minded community they can depend on for the rest of their lives. So far and according to our routine family/participant evaluations, we’re achieving that goal in spades.
Q: What makes your camp or program unique?
A: Wow, where to start. We’re empowering hundreds of girls every year to realize they can and WILL do whatever they want to in this life. Our campers and all staff are literal rock stars. Our campers go on to become brave leaders in an industry (music/the arts) that’s almost entirely dominated by men—and our former campers have the signed record deals to prove it.
Q: How do you hire staff for your camp and when hired, is there a training that they have to complete before the camp begins?
A: Yes, absolutely. Our staff begin their training months before camp begins by studying pre-orientation manuals and completing online training courses and certifications. They arrive at Amplify before the season starts for a comprehensive week-long training period, learning to safely operate all activities around camp. Training includes CPR/First Aid Certification, child psychology, conflict resolution, and much more. In order to even be considered as hired staff, they must first excel at our multi-step interview process (including 3+ professional references) and pass the most sophisticated background check available. Our program directors and executive director spend the year going to conferences and trainings outside of the summer session. Amplify staff typically return year after year, and many work year-round in our non-summer camp programs. Program directors hold daily staff meetings to openly discuss and resolve incidents as they arise.
Q: What is the best part, in your opinion, about your camp or program?
A: The incredibly supportive, open-minded, talented community of both campers and staff we’ve built over the years. There’s a reason that our campers come for several years in a row and that our staff always keep their summers open to work at Amplify. This is an immersive, uplifting experience and community unlike any other.
Q: In what ways is your camp or program educational?
A: Almost every aspect of Amplify is educational. Over the session, campers take several hours of music/arts instruction (e.g., guitar lessons, Adobe Premiere Pro workshops). Most workshops/electives are also educational in that they teach skills like screen printing and music production, as well as crucial life skills like empathetic communication, teamwork, perseverance, etc.
Q: What is the price range of your camp and do you offer scholarships?
A: $1,950–$3,650 per session. We do offer both full and partial scholarships, depending on the family’s need/income level/etc.
Click here to learn more information about Girls Rock Santa Barbara’s Amplify Sleep Away Camp!