Acadia University and The Black Educators Association have joined forces to host 30 African Nova Scotian students in Grades 9, 10, and 11 at Kamp Kujichagulia July 6-11 at Acadia University in Wolfville.

Kujichagulia (pronounced koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-ah) is the second of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, and means self-determination. This year, the objectives of the initiative are as follows:

• Motivate African Nova Scotian learners to attend university/college through positive exposure and participation in university campus life;

• Reflect and provide education from an Africentric perspective;

• Demonstrate the possibility of combining sports, technology, culture and academics in one’s life;

• Stimulate consideration of future employment/career options;

• Provide opportunities to interact with other African Nova Scotian learners and with African Nova Scotian role models.

This camp has been held for the past 20 years at Acadia (as a host site, not an Acadia event) for African Nova Scotian youth. It was in danger of not going forward this year and the University was asked to help. Acadia recognized this as a wonderful opportunity to support African Nova Scotian youth and to inspire them to consider post-secondary education.

The youth will experience Acadia through a variety of opportunities, including: staying in residence; visiting the Acadia Community Farm; enjoying a campfire at the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre; and sharing their talent on one of Acadia’s stages. The youth will also participate in a variety of departmental offerings, including:

• Professor Robert Seale, English and Theatre, who will lead a performance workshop – a safety-oriented overview of one of the basic knowledge areas of the illusion of physical conflict for media: unarmed/open hand techniques (falling, grappling, second-person control and the illusion of energy transfer) as used in theatre performance or film;

• Dr. Scott Landry, Kinesiology, will showcase the $860,000 Human Motion Laboratory, which provides detailed analysis of “human movement to better understand knee osteoarthritis, sporting injuries, and the impact of physical activity on the prevention of chronic disease.

 

Jasmine Parent (’12) is camp director at Kamp Kugichagulia this year. She says, “as an employee of the Black Educators Association and an Acadia University alumna, I am so proud to be working in partnership with the Association and the University to bring Kamp Kujichagulia 2014 back to campus for another exciting year of cultural immersion, education and, of course, fun. As a former camper, counsellor, coordinator and now director, I can tell you first-hand that Kamp Kujichagulia is truly a life-changing experience.”