This summer camp is focused on exploring the idea of feminism. We will go all the way from the suffragettes, up to the 1950s, the big shouldered feminism of the eighties to the girl power movement of the 2000s! It won't stop there, because we will also talk about the historical moment we are living in today and what that means for budding feminists. 

I am trained as historian, so this class looks at feminism from an academic perspective - but in a fun way. Students can develop as stronger understanding of the terms history, its meaning, and its application through interactive exercises and a few pop culture references (there may be a Spice Girl song or two...). It's a fun class designed to help all budding feminists to understand what it means to identify as a feminist.

This class is explicitly focused on feminism using this definition of feminism as "the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of equality of the sexes". We start from the position that men and women are fundamentally equal and that it is our job- as feminists - to make sure that all people are treated equally. 

Here's what we will cover during the summer camp:

Day 1
During this meeting, we will discuss various definitions of feminism. We will look at statements from the U.N. that define women's rights as human rights, as well as public statements by self-confessed feminists like Emma Watson and Michelle Obama.

Day 2
During this meeting, we will explore the three historic waves of feminism using primary source readings from the suffragettes, Gloria Steinem, and Audre Loudre.

Day 3
During this meeting, we will explore questions about fourth wave feminism. What does it mean to be a feminist today in the U.S.? Who can say they are feminist? Why? What are the specific challenges facing modern feminists in the U.S.

Day 4
In this meeting, we will discuss the idea of applied feminism. If someone says they are feminist, what can they do to promote the equality of the genders. We will look at specific ways that people have advocated for change, such as Title IX, the Pink Tax, and women in STEM.

Day 5
In this meeting, we will discuss feminism as it applies to our world today. We will discuss the big challenges facing feminists today both in the U.S. and globally. Our goal will be to leave class empowered to make changes in our world to promote equality for everyone.