Episode Details

In this episode, I sit down with Kim Garrett to talk about her experience as girls camp director and how she created an incredible experience for the young women. Kim shares how she completely shifted the approach by letting the girls have as much choice as possible; from picking their committees (activities, bonding, spiritual, and food) to choosing lip syncing over traditional skits. The theme was "Daughters of Light," and instead of "stand in the light" (which felt too checklisty and rigid), she wanted every girl to know they ARE light, no matter where they are in their testimony journey.

Kim talks about the powerful way she prepped the youth camp leaders by showing them the scene from Wicked where Glinda joins Elphaba in her quirky dance and teaching them to let go of their "coolness" and status to show up for people who are different from them. She challenged them to embrace the weird, quirky girls they'd never talk to outside of church, and the girls rose to the occasion beautifully. There was no drama, just genuine sisterhood.

We also dive into the spiritual activities she planned, like a sunset hike where girls shared how they find light in their lives, and walking back in the dark with lit-up trees representing peace, hope, and goodness. It's a beautiful conversation about empowering youth, creating inclusive spaces, and trusting girls to lead their own camp experience.

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Sound bites:

"All is not well."

"This is their camp."

"There was no drama."

Chapters:

00:00 The Joy of Girls Camp Memories

03:24 Reflecting on Personal Camp Experiences

06:29 The Evolution of Camp Activities

09:30 Empowering Young Leaders at Camp

12:20 Facilitating Creativity and Choice

15:22 Balancing Tradition and Innovation

16:10 Daughters of Light: A Theme of Empowerment

19:21 Creating a Meaningful Camp Experience

23:22 Finding and Sharing the Light

29:34 Building a Supportive Community

34:19 Anticipating Future Camps