Young people under the age of 18 make up more than a quarter of Nigerian population, yet their potential as a generation to contribute to a better society is systematically ignored. Our nation is suffering economically, creatively and civilly as a result. Youth Empowerment Camp & Adventures work on local policy, system and environmental change, and then train other teams of youth and adults to replicate the work in their own communities.

 

YECA CAMP IS A CAMP FOR SOCIAL CHANGE.

YECA Camp was founded on the belief that youths are naturally idealistic and compassionate and instinctively wants to make the world a better place.

Yet, most youths do not learn skills, have role models, or receive encouragement in school to address some of the biggest problems in our society. Without these things, people can become resigned or cynical about having the power to impact the world around them. But we have too many problems in our world to let that happen. That’s why we started YECA Camp!

YECA Camp has worked with hundreds of inspiring youths to help them get active on a cause they care about. Campers consistently share that YECA Camp was one of the most impactful and life-changing experiences they have had.

Our campers have gone on to do amazing things to make their schools, communities, and world a better place, and many tell us they would never have done these things without YECA Camp.

We are honoured and thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such inspired and inspiring young change-makers.

Are you 12-17 and want to make our world a better place? Join us this summer!

Our staff is not your typical group of camp counselors. YECA Camp is run by a dedicated team of experienced educators and activists, credentialed teachers, and community leaders with many years’ experience working with youth and toward social change for a more peaceful and sustainable world.  YECA Camp is committed to a world in which people and the planet are treated with respect, and where everyone is empowered to take action to bring about the change they wish to see in the world.

We believe in positive, non-violent approaches to improving our communities and changing the world, and because we recognize that so many of the social justice issues we face are interconnected, YECA Camp is not about any one issue. We encourage our campers to “share about what they care about,” learn from each other, and get active in ways that inspire them on the cause of their choice.

 

The safety of our participants is our top priority, and we take our in loco parentis responsibility very seriously. Every staff member is thoroughly vetted, including a full criminal background check.

YECA operates an Annual Camp that provides hundreds youths with a fun, and engaging experience. During the three-week camp, youth participate in a variety of field empowerment programme. They receive three hot meals daily through self-prepared meals; they enjoy classroom lessons; they work on different arts and crafts projects; they take part in music, dance and computer literacy programmes and they benefit from an array of age appropriate groups that focus on important issues like self-esteem, bullying and anger management. In addition, campers take part in daily educational learning activities to ensure that they are prepared to begin a new academic year in the school and do not lose the academic gains that they made during the preceding school year.

 

An external evaluation of our Camp found that 100 percent of parents and participants surveyed were satisfied with the camp and 96 percent of camp participants indicated the camp had helped them. Our Camp served several youths and according to surveys, 100 percent of campers said the camp provided a safe environment and would recommend the camp to their friends and family. Finally, 60 percent of campers demonstrated an improvement in behaviour, as evidenced by YECA's internal behavioural monitoring database.