EmpowHer Camp FAQs

General FAQs​​

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What are the dates for EmpowHer Camp?​​

• The application deadline for the Class of 2027 is February 18th at 11:59pm ET

• A camp application info session will be held on January 7th at 7pm ET.

• Class of 2027 - Wilderness Camping Trip: August 1 - August 7

• Class of 2026 - Yearlong Mentorship & Project: August 2026 - July 2027

• Class of 2026 - D.C. Leadership Trip: mid to late July 2027

Who can apply?

• Applicants must be age 13-18 years old when they apply.

• Applicants must not have started college/university by the summer of EmpowHer Camp.

• Our program is for disabled girls and feminine-aligned youth, and we welcome cisgender, transgender, agender, bigender, non-binary, and genderfluid youth. Applicants do not need to use "she/her" pronouns to participate in EmpowHer Camp!​​

• We invite applicants with all kinds of disabilities to participate in EmpowHer Camp. ​​​​

 

Is EmpowHer Camp free?​

EmpowHer Camp is free to participants, but we do require participants to fundraise. ​Disability EmpowHer Network raises most of the funds needed to run camp through donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships. We require participants fundraise so they can demonstrate their commitment to attending EmpowHer Camp & practice their communication skills. We help with all fundraising efforts!​

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We also provide up to $500 of travel reimbursement for each of the summer trips.  We never want finances to prohibit anyone from participating in EmpowHer Camp.​​​​​​

 

What parts of EmpowHer Camp are required?​

All participants will:

• Attend the Wilderness Camping Trip in the first summer of the program.
• Attend the D.C. Leadership Trip in the second summer of the program (a year later)
• Meet with their mentor at least once per month during year in-between the Wilderness Camping Trip and the D.C. Leadership Trip.
• Create and complete a yearlong community project with the support of their mentor.​​​

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What disabilities are okay at camp? Am I “too disabled” or "disabled enough" to participate?

Disability EmpowHer Network is dedicated to creating inclusive cross-disability opportunities for disabled women, girls, and non-binary folks. Any young women, including cis or trans girls or other feminine aligned people that are disabled are welcomed to EmpowHer Camp. Any and all disabilities are valid, including but not limited to: physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, visual disabilities, Deafness or hard of hearing, mental illnesses, chronic pain & illness, Long Covid and any other disabilities. We understand that disability is expansive and constantly changing, so if you identify as disabled then we welcome you to apply.

 

We work with each young leader to make sure camp is accessible to them. Our mentors and allies at camp work together with participants to provide any personal care or physical assistance needed.

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Why EmpowHer Camp?

EmpowHer Camp empowers girls and feminine-aligned youth with disabilities to live to their fullest potential and have the confidence to lead. We do this by bringing together youth with disabilities each summer to learn new skills and connect with successful disabled women mentors.

 

Each year, a group of 8-10 disabled young women (which we call Young Leaders) are are invited to the Wilderness Camping Trip for one week to have fun and learn about survival and life skills while connecting with mentors. After the camping trip, each Young Leader will work on a yearlong community project involving. Young Leaders will meet with their mentors monthly to get support on their projects and anything else they want to talk about. Once their projects are complete, Young Leaders and mentors will reunite in Washington, D.C. the next summer to explore how they have grown as leaders.

 

Young Leaders must commit to working on their community project throughout the year and talk with their mentor monthly. Projects will be as unique as each Young Leader in our program because projects are designed around each Young Leader’s interests!  Mentors will help Young Leaders with the yearlong project and with anything else they want to talk about.​

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Wilderness Camping Trip FAQs​

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What is the Wilderness Camping Trip like?

Each new class of EmpowHer Camp Young Leaders begin their journey by attending the week-long camping trip in the Adirondacks! During this week Young Leaders and mentors:

 

• Sleep in the great outdoors

• Learn survival skills such as building fires, plant identification, and compass reading

• Practice independent living skills such as cooking, meal preparation, and decision making

• Explore emergencies scenarios and how to prepare for and respond to them

• Connect with peers and mentors from across the country

• Build lifelong friendships around the campfire

• Have fun​

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How do participants get to camp?​​

Participants can travel to EmpowHer Camp trips with or without their parent(s)/guardian(s). Some participants choose to have their family drive them to camp, other participants fly to Albany, NY, and our mentors pick them up from the airport to drive them to camp. 

 

Disability EmpowHer Network reimburses up to $500 in travel expenses for young leaders for the each of the summer trips with EmpowHer Camp.​​​​​​

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What equipment and supplies are provided?​

​We provide participants with all of the camping supplies they will need, including:

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• Sleeping Bag

• Sleeping Pad

• Emergency Go-Bag Supplies

• Backpack

• Headlamp

• Flashlights

• Mosquito Candles

• Bug Spray

• Sunscreen

• Hand Sanitizer

• Reusable Water Bottle 

• Cooking Supplies

• Food

• And More!

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Closer to the dates of the summer trips, we share more detailed lists of what to pack and what we provide.​​​​

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Community Impact Project FAQs​

 

What is the Community Impact Project?

EmpowHer Camp starts with a camping trip in the Adirondacks, but it is so much more! During the year after the camping trip, young leaders work on a yearlong Community Impact Project focused on emergency preparedness and disaster response.

 

Through this project, young leaders will:

• Work with and learn more about their local community.

• Address an issue people with disabilities face in emergencies and disasters.

• Present their project to leaders in Washington, D.C.

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Community Projects can be artistic, educational, and collaborative. Here are some examples:

• A comic about a disabled character getting ready for a natural disaster

• A website that shares emergency resources important for people with disabilities

• A community rally to bring attention to how climate change impacts people with disabilities​​

• Advocating to their school to develop inclusive emergency response plans

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​Who is responsible for completing the Community Project?

Each participant is responsible for completing their Community Project. They may receive help from their mentor, friends, family, and others, but the participant is responsible for leading and completing the project. ​Participants should make progress on their project every month and be prepared to talk with their mentor about their progress during the monthly mentor meetings. 

 

When do Young Leaders meet with mentors?​

Participants first meet all of the mentors during the Wilderness Camping Trip. During that trip, each participant will be paired with a mentor who will help them for the following year. When the camping trip is over, participants meet with their mentors at least once per month. Meetings take place virtually through Zoom unless the participant and mentor live close enough to meet in person. 

Participants are welcome to call or message their mentor in between meetings! ​​​​​​​

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D.C. Leadership Trip​

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When is the Leadership Trip in Washington, D.C.?​

The D.C. Leadership Trip happens the summer one year after the wilderness camping trip. This allows the Young Leader to have one year to work with their mentor, complete their community project, and practice their leadership skills. 

What is the D.C. Leadership Trip like?​​

The D.C. Leadership Trip is an exciting time to get together in person with friends and mentors from EmpowHer Camp. We learn new skills, present our final projects to leaders in the Disability Community, meet with members of Congress, practice job skills, and have so much fun! All mentors and participants stay together at a hotel in the heart of Washington, D.C.

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​How do participants get to Washington, D.C.?

Participants can travel to the D.C. Leadership Trip with or without their parent(s)/guardian(s). Some participants choose to have their family drive them to Washington, D.C. and other participants fly or take a train to Washington, D.C. and our mentors meet them at the airport or train station. 

 

Disability EmpowHer Network reimburses up to $500 in travel expenses for young leaders for the each of the summer trips with EmpowHer Camp.​​​​​​