August 8 to August 11

Sylvan Lake Junior Youth

Overnight Camp

VOLUNTEER

For Ages 15+

Purpose

The annual Overnight Sylvan Lake Junior Youth Camp, a component of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program, serves as an intensive space for junior youth aged 11 to 14. Our programs are maintained and sustained by youth who, as true friends to the junior youth, can assist them in developing their capacities. Those who perform this function are known as “animators.” This camp provides an immersive experience for young people, aged 15 to 25, to gain the practical skills, attitudes, qualities and abilities serving as an animator.  

Theme

Observation and Insight

The story of Observation and Insight opens in Jalpura, an imaginary village in India, where twelve-year-old Nanda lives with her family. Over the course of eleven readings, she is helped by Kalpana, who runs a nearby educational center for women, and Ramnik, her brother-in-law who is an ecologist, to organize the insights she is gaining as she observes the world around her. Nanda is at an age where she is starting to ask herself questions not only about physical reality but also about social reality. In this connection, she is helped to think about the kind of changes that will need to take place in her small village if it is to achieve enduring prosperity. Similarly, the junior youth, with the help of their animator, will use their powers of observation and insight to conduct various science experiments, analyze nature around them, and more.

Camp Details

  • Thursday, August 8, 2024 to Sunday, August 11, 2024

    • Thursday, August 8: Depart Rundle at 10AM

    • Friday, August 9: Full Day

    • Saturday, August 10: Full Day

    • Sunday, August 11: Arrive in Rundle at 8PM

  • Sylvan Lake Baha’i Centre (39223 Range Rd 23, Lacombe County, AB T0M 0H0)

    The facility is equipped to host overnight camps. It includes:

    • Dormitories with bathrooms and showers

    • A kitchen and dining hall, with all meals and snacks provided

    • Classrooms that can accommodate small groups of 5-10 people as well as larger plenaries of 50-100 people

    • A campus that features a scenic lake, a soccer field, a volleyball court, and ample green space

  • Bussing to and from the camp will be available at a central location in Rundle for all registrants. Parents or guardians are welcome, of course, to drive their own junior youth to the venue if they wish.

    BUS MEETING TIME & LOCATION

    Please arrive Thursday, August 8 between 9-9:30AM at Concord Learning Centre (2555 32 St NE #319). The bus will leave promptly at 10AM.

  • Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) will be prepared and provided on-site by volunteers. If parents/guardians would like to contribute to groceries and/or preparing meals, please contact the organizers.

    Accommodation will be provided. The facility is equipped with dormitories with bathrooms and showers.

Animator Training

Our programs are maintained and sustained by youth who, as true friends to the junior youth, can assist them in developing their capacities. Those who perform this function are known as “animators.” The animators help the junior youth remain hopeful and convinced that they can not only protect themselves against the negative forces in society but also contribute to the betterment of their communities. Animators are conscious to treat junior youth as equals, not as children, encouraging them to ask questions, seek clarity, and engage in the investigation of reality.

To serve as an animator, animators are required to participate in an ongoing training process that is focused on their intellectual, moral and spiritual development, as well as the practical skills needed to work with junior youth. During this camp animator training, animators will review the Junior Youth Text, “Observation and Insight,” prepare lessons, plan sports and arts activities, and reflect on the qualities and attitudes required of an animator and the environment they want to cultivate throughout the camp. Animators are required to attend all 2 sessions. Alternate arrangements can be made if sessions are missed.

Orientation

July 26 | 6PM - 8PM

Dinner will be provided

Concord Learning Centre

Animator Training

July 27 | 10AM - 5PM

Lunch will be provided

Concord Learning Centre

Camp Registration

Fee: Waived for Volunteers

Registration Deadline: July 31, 2024 @ 11:59PM