This week we officially got started with the camp on Tuesday, where we first got to meet the girls and got to know each other. On Wednesday, I had our very first synchronous lesson with my partner Aspen, for which I was very nervous at the beginning. It was inevitably stressful at the beginning, as we did not know what to expect. However, we were really glad with how it went and really appreciated how supportive the girls were by being engaged and participating. Even though it was the first day of camp, and not everyone might feel comfortable unmuting their microphones to speak, everyone chimed in through the chat box and participated in insightful discussions. I was also extremely grateful for how supportive the Eureka Girls Inc. staff are, which Anna and Laura were so nice as to helping us do a run-through of the presentation 20 minutes before.
I really enjoyed having insightful conversations with the girls, which I both truly appreciated and were surprised by their open-mindedness and acceptance, through the gender-inclusive language that they use. For the life skill sessions in the afternoon, I really appreciated the Girls Inc. staff actively combating the stigma around important issues and talking about them in such an honest, open and supportive manner, through which I learned a lot myself as well. For our period talk, I was truly enlightened by how open and honest the conversation went, which I think was so significant in combating the stigma around many of the issues and dilemmas facing women and girls in our times. During our Friday reflection, we read an article and discussed about child poverty in California, which I was so surprised that in a place denoted with symbols of celebrity, progressivism and wealth, so much struggling could be buried and unseen, which makes me confirm that the work we do is meaningful and necessary as to bridging the gap.