Social Justice Initiative (JEDI) Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
For a Better World
Odyssey Teen Camp has always been an ideal environment for teens who are passionate about making the world a better place. Our commitment to social justice is genuine and runs deep. At OTC, we are driven to promote imagination, questioning of authority, and critical thinking in pursuit of social justice. We encourage our campers to explore and share their ideas about how to work toward a more equitable world. Our social justice activities and programs have included:
-
Discussion classes: We create the space for teenagers to think about, discuss, and debate subjects not often talked about in school and in everyday life.
-
Protesting 101: Teens make protest signs about issues they are passionate about and march through the camp.
-
Thoughtful dialogue: Campers sit together and talk about the myriad issues troubling the world today and work together to propose solutions.
The JEDI Initiative
A crucial new component in OTC’s social justice commitment is the recently launched JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) Initiative to raise money in support of the following goals:
-
Improving diversity: We will work in partnership with a consulting group whose mission is to help us become even more inclusive and equitable for campers and staff from the top down. Our ultimate goal is to have the most diverse leadership team, staff and camper population possible.
-
Camperships: We want to expand the availability of our full and partial scholarships with the goal of never having to turn away a camper due to financial hardship.
-
Counselor recruitment and retention: We want to step up our efforts to attract the most qualified professionals to work with our campers -- and then keep them coming back, year after year.
-
Engage our counselors year-round by including them in monthly JEDI committee meetings throughout the year. Their input is essential to maintaining and building on OTC’s reputation for offering a comfortable and supportive environment for all campers and staff.
-
Staff training: We want our staff to be as well-prepared and well-rounded as possible, so we are pursuing specialized training in racial justice, restorative justice, and non-punitive conflict resolution.
