Organization Details:

The Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls is a non-profit educational arts program serving girls ages 8-18 from a range of socio-economic, racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds in New York City. The program will offer girls the chance to learn how to play musical instruments, write songs, perform, and participate in team-building activities in a supportive environment that fosters self-esteem, self-confidence, creativity, tolerance, and collaboration.

Description and/or History:
Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls is a non-profit summer day camp serving girls aged 8-18 in New York City. The program offers girls the chance to learn how to play musical instruments, write songs, perform, learn about different types of music, and generally rock out. The goal is to bring girls from different backgrounds together for activities that encourage self-confidence, creativity, critical thinking, tolerance, and collaboration.

Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. The camp relies on support from individuals, foundations, and businesses, as well as income from tuition, to cover costs. Camp organizers hold fund raising events throughout the year, including an annual Rock n' Roll Auction, the first of which was hosted by Murray Hill at the Knitting Factory in December, 2005.

The camp is named after Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, a blues and rock performer/songwriter who was one of the first women to play the music that came to be known as "rock n' roll." The music at camp includes, but is not limited to rock n' roll. New York City is home to every kind of music under the sun, from hip hop, country, salsa, punk, reggae, jazz to exciting blends of musical and cultural traditions such as soukous, bhangra, and rai, and the camp curriculum seeks to cover as much musical ground as possible.

Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls currently operates a week-long summer day camp. Daily programming consists of instrument instruction, band practice, and workshops on a variety of topics, from sound engineering and songwriting to self-defense. Games and crafting activities are a big part of the camp day. At lunchtime, campers enjoy performances by visiting bands and artists.

On the first day of the camp session, campers form bands, and they work together throughout the week, writing songs together and practicing playing as an ensemble. At the end of the camp session, they perform the songs they have written at a recital concert.

Camp classes are taught by volunteer women musicians, who also serve as informal mentors. Counselors are present throughout the day to lead activities and provide campers with support and assistance. Campers have the opportunity to reconnect with each other and mentors at follow-up events held during the school year.

Campers pay a participation fee in accordance with their household income. The full tuition for the 2005 session was $500. In order to ensure that girls from a broad range of economic backgrounds are served, the camp has a policy of providing a minimum of 50% of participants with scholarships. Particular focus is placed on conducting outreach to minority, low-income and/or under-served communities.

Admission to camp is not limited to residents of New York City. However, Rock Camp does not provide housing, so out-of-town families need to make their own plans for accommodations. Camp organizers do try to match campers in need of housing with local families who express an interest in hosting a camper, but the families are responsible for making their own arrangements.

The program grew out of the Portland, Oregon-based program Rock n' Roll Camp for Girls, which was founded in 2000. The New York camp was started by a group of about ten women - some of whom had volunteered at the Portland camp - who planned for about a year before getting the camp up and running in 2005. Aside from one part-time office manager, it remains an all-volunteer organization.

Contact people:

Karla Schickele, Camp Director, (718) 534-3412, (email) Volunteer Coordinator, (email) Emily Moeller, Program Coordinator, (212) 777-1323, (email)

Address:

632 Broadway, 7th Floor New York, NY 10012 (See a map)

Directions:

We are located on Broadway at Bleeker.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 6 to Bleeker St.,   Walk distance (in minutes): 2