Start Your Own Club or Camp

How does Club or Camp operate?

The set-up for both Club and Camp is designed to be extremely flexible. The one absolute is the use of the standardized curriculum provided in the Director training session for both work with girls and the mentor training since it has been evaluated for effectiveness. Deviation from the curriculum or using parts of the trademarked curriculum means you cannot call your program “Club Ophelia” or “Camp Ophelia.”

• Club runs from 10-12 weeks, and most schools offer sessions once a week after school for 90 minutes. Many variations to accommodate specific situations have been adapted: during lunch time, for one hour and more weeks, etc.

•     Camp has traditionally been offered as a five full-day program during the summer, but again, depending on resources and needs, other models have been used (once a week, half days, etc.).

•     The junior version of Club Ophelia for elementary school girls is designed to run for six weeks, once a week afterschool, 90 minutes per session. Again, this format has been tailored to meet the needs of each school and organization.

How many girls generally attend a session of club or camp?

Usually, we accept 30 girls in the program and have 5–6 high school mentors trained to work with them. Since there is a mix of large and small group activities, each mentor is specifically assigned to work with 5–6 girls throughout the program.

What other staff are needed?

One trained Director is required, but if you have a larger program, two Directors are a must. Community volunteers with a background in counseling, nursing, or teaching and college students may also help out, but only with supervision and guidance from the Director(s).

What is mentoring like?

Club and Camp Ophelia use a multi-mentoring model, developed by Dr. Dellasega and described by former Club Ophelia mentor Jennelle Martin in the December 2004 issue of Prevention Researcher. Simply put, there are multiple levels of mentoring, from middle school girl to middle school girl, high school girl to middle school girls, and now, middle school girls to elementary school girls through junior Club Ophelia. An intensive training program provided through the Director kit is required prior to being a mentor, and the Director is always present for supervision and guidance, but mentors are empowered to share their leadership skills with girls in unique ways.

Can I talk to someone who has already run a club or camp?

Absolutely! Many of the Club Ophelia Directors have volunteered to help spread the word, and Club Ophelia has been featured in numerous local newspapers as well as the Wall Street Journal and Philadelphia Inquirer. Television coverage has also been extensive, including a segment on WABC affiliate in California. If you want the name of a director, contact opheliasmother@aol.com.