Black Lives Matter: A Statement from Colleen Hagan Egl and Erika Schlichter

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*** Adapted from social media post June 2, 2020 ***

At Camp Carysbrook, we strive to provide a social and physical environment that promotes, develops and enhances the emotional, social, and spiritual potential of each camper and assists them in the discovery and enjoyment of themselves and the richness of life as they grow and develop.

We believe that Black lives matter and we are overwhelmed with grief and anger at the systemic racism that led to the murder of George Floyd last week along with countless Black men and women across this country.

We at Camp Carysbrook acknowledge the systemic racial barriers that people of color have faced when it comes to accessing outdoor spaces and recreation, including summer camp, and we are committed to challenging ourselves to be better listeners, partners, and advocates in changing that.

We will stand and be brave together with you, and if we get it wrong, we will apologize and do better. We are dedicated to modeling the change we want to see in the world outside our gates. This is our power, and it is imperative that we each find a way to replicate the safety and space for everyone to be able to thrive.

At Camp Carysbrook, we are finding hope in the outcomes we seek to instill in our campers such as:

· learning how to use our influence to empower ourselves and those we care about

· leading with empathy and awareness

· staying curious and asking questions to find deeper meaning and connection

· finding value and worth in every member of the community

· recognizing that our differences are but a part of the fabric that blankets us and makes us whole

· finding our voices to speak up when we need to do better and change things

“Everything we need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be” is right here at Camp Carysbrook. And it is up to all of us to take that out of the gate and down the gravel road to wherever it is that we find ourselves to make this world a place we want to live in the rest of the year.

In the spirit of Carysbrook,
Colleen & Erika