GR!GR is organized by a stellar group of women volunteers that are dedicated to providing a safe and fun experience for all attendees.
As a program of Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities (GAAH), camp takes place each year at the Cook Arts Center, which is located at 644 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids.
During the week, campers participate in instrument lessons, band formation and naming, DIY skills, workshops, logo and art creation, and work together to put on their best performance for the end of week showcase.
GR!GR is a vital program for young girls because most often we’re taught at a young age to compete and put down other girls when we really need to lift each other up, work together for a common goal, and utilize each other’s strengths.
Last year I was able to lead a workshop called Self-Care: Channeling your inner rockstar. I created a mad lib for them to fill about camp week, their goal for the week and how they are going to rock out at the showcase. I made stars and hearts with cardstock that read: I am ______ and I can ________ so each camper could share their strengths. The girls were engaged and were excited to see what each other wrote on the poster I brought for them to put up their cut out pieces. It was refreshing to see young girls sharing their what makes them unique and being there for each other as band members and friends.
It only took about 1-2 hours prep time prior to the workshop and the workshop itself was an hour session so getting involved can be as easy as dedicating a few hours of your time! This year I’ll be a camp counselor for most of camp week as I wanted to get more involved and I’m pumped for GR!GR to be right around the corner.
You do not have to be a practicing musician to get involved as I don’t think my time playing handbells as a church kid would really be helpful. Anyone can volunteer in some capacity but if you aren’t able to dedicate your time, they are currently looking for food donations for camp! Each day, they will serve approximately 60 people for lunch and 20 for dinner. Any contribution, large or small, makes an impact! If you are interested, please email us at [email protected].
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