Young girls who took part in the Urgent, Inc. Yes! Camp.

PHOTO COURTESY OF URGENT.INC

Staff Report

MIAMI – This summer Urgent, Inc. will join forces with some of Miami’s most notable women to offer a special mentoring opportunity for 60 girls throughout Miami-Dade County. At their YES! Camp, the youth development organization will work to counter many of the troubling issues young girls are bombarded with daily – including shaming, mixed media messages, and a counter culture that devalues the contributions of women in society.

The six-week camp aims to build the esteem and skills of girls ages 5-13 to equip them with the confidence and value they need to excel in life.

Being held at the University of Miami from June 19 through July 28, the camp will provide girls with the opportunity to dream, explore, reflect and find their voices so they can express the person they are becoming.

Every Monday through Friday, campers will explore these themes through STEM activities, visual and performing arts like dance, drama and cultural music, fitness and exercise including yoga and Pilates, reading, etiquette and mentoring. The program is funded by The Children’s Trust.

Cari Hernandez, an Urgent, Inc. board member and executive producer at CBS4 Miami said she is excited about the camp.

“It’s an honor to be able to bring together professional women to mentor girls this year.We want our young girls to see their potential as they hear and share with their mentors,” Hernandez said.

Each week, campers will study the life, education and experiences of a prominent local woman as part of the reading literacy sessions.

So far, Stephanie Sylvestre, Chief Programs and Operations Officer of The Children’s Trust; Connie Kinnard, Vice President, Multicultural Tourism & Development at the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau; Dr. Guerda Nicolas, School of Education and Human Development Professor at the University of Miami; and Urgent, Inc.’s resident quadruple threat: dancer, actor, playwright and director, Shedia Nelson have signed on to be a YES! Camp mentor.

“I love the arts in all of its forms. It’s my passion and has been a means of expression since the day my mentor introduced me to it. I’m humbled my journey could be an example to girls who dream a life beyond any they could ever imagine,” said Nelson.

Tuition for the YES! Camp is $300. Scholarships are available and grandparents raising grandchildren can enroll their children tuition-free after paying a registration fee.

Tuition includes a T-Shirt, before camp care, after-care, lunch, snacks and field trips.

For more information aboutYES! Camp or to register online, visit www.urgentinc.org. Use the coupon code ‘PR2017’for two weeks free through May 15.

Contact Stephanie van Vark at stephanie@stephaniecreates.com to become aYES! Camp mentor.