Local Community Action on MAD Camp

Even after two years of online learning for students there was still heaps of excitement for Secondary MAD Camp online! Along with some new faces, every one of the campers from last year’s camp returned, bringing friends with them.

The core of MAD Camp is Making A Difference. We want to help young people discover they can make a positive difference in their world, and then empower them to go out and do it. Our philosophy is that each person has strength, values, worth, and the ability to make a difference.

Adapting the community action activities to do from home was tricky, but the campers really thrived and came up with creative ways to contribute to their community despite restrictions. Two campers lived close together, so they joined up and created paper flowers with encouraging notes that they planted on the nature strip for passers-by. Other campers helped out their families, planted veggie gardens, and made chalk art on the footpaths to give people passing by an opportunity to smile.

— Sunny, Co-director