DREAM has had a partnership with The Farm Between for the past few years, bringing campers there to work once a week throughout the summer. The hands on experience helps build awareness of local food systems, connects them to the things they eat, and offers the chance for them to give back to the community. In return, the Farm provides the camp with some meat and produce through out the season.

Around 11:30 am we all headed back to Camp DREAM headquarters in Fletcher. The camp is on a rustic swath of forest near a pond with a network of footpaths connecting the lean-tos where the girls sleep with the camp kitchen (a portion of which is creatively housed in a converted bus), privies, and open air pavilion where they gather for meals and activities. The group gathered in the pavilion to discuss the morning’s activities... the challenges, the new experiences, the lessons learned. “It felt good to be productive, to care for things, and the blisters from the hoe are a reminder of our hard work.” “It was fun to work together as a team.” “Everything grows better in the dirt, including us.” They talked about the other activ-ities in their lives that make them feel empowered and healthy—reading, swimming, learning, playing music—and emphasized the importance of cultivating a diverse mental and physical climate in which to grow.

We asked the group why it’s important to have programs like Camp DREAM and what they gain from it. A girl who had been sitting quietly throughout the discussion, intent on weaving colorful threads into a bracelet, raised her hand. “Some of us are just used to the city”, she said. “It’s a chance to get outdoors and learn about nature. I would never have known how to camp or build a tent. I’m more confident now. It feels awesome.” “It’s a chance to get away from all the stress at home,” said another. “It’s in the middle of nowhere, with no worries, and I can just focus on myself.” Other girls started to chime in. They shared that there’s never a dull moment, they’re always learning, pushing themselves to try things they’ve never done before which makes them even more curious about the world. “And the memories we leave with are really good.”