ASPYRE Youth Leadership Camp is Back!
Dark purple text spelling out “ASPYRE” with a pale green star with a light purple center and its tail curving around it on the right of the words and the words “Leadership Camp” under the tail of the star. The text is against a sky-blue background with clouds. There’s a line of cartoon-esque trees on the bottom and a rainbow flag pole reaching above the line of trees.
After the events of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASPYRE camp operations had to unfortunately be suspended. However, we are excited to announce that, in 2024, ASPYRE is back as an in-person camp experience!
For those unfamiliar with this program, ASPYRE is an in-person leadership-based camp for individuals aged 13 through 17 (or 18 and still in high school at the time of the event) intended to empower young members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies and help them achieve personal growth through advocacy and activism in their communities. Making a positive impact in one’s community is an important step in achieving leadership skills needed to make change, and ASPYRE will help young LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies to achieve just that!
This year, ASPYRE will be held within the Chestnut Ridge campgrounds in Efland, North Carolina. These grounds provide a wealth of experiences for outdoor recreation and activities. Over the course of a weekend (three days and two nights), campers will have the opportunity to engage in workshops and group activities as well as experience the picturesque confines of Chestnut Ridge. Participants in the program will be able to prioritize specific skills as numerous workshops will be available within designated time slots, allowing them to choose which workshops they’d like to attend. Whatever skills campers would most like to develop, ASPYRE wants to give them the opportunity to learn and grow as an aspiring community leader.
The standard rate for a single camper is $100 for the entire weekend or $175 for siblings. This cost includes 7 meals, camp shirts, snacks, and any additional materials for campers to participate in camp activities. While registration is not currently open, a percentage of your total balance will be due at registration to reserve your spot in the program.
If you’re interested in participating, whether this be as a camper or camp counselor, please fill out our interest form! It can be found at the following URL: https://forms.gle/ay4VGi68RMbWSVKg9. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for supporting the LGBT Center of Raleigh!
If you have any questions about the program, please refer to the ASPYRE tab under Programs on the LGBT Center of Raleigh’s website, which can be found at the following URL: https://www.lgbtcenterofraleigh.com/aspyre.