Nazy Kaviani

This week I am spending a couple of days in Belmont, attending IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh. Camp Ayandeh is a leadership camp for Iranian American high school students. The Camp is held annually in the summer in different states around the country. This year it's held at Notre Dame de Namur University in Northern California.[photo essay]

The number of participants in the camp has grown steadily over the past five years. They started with 19 campers and now they have 85 campers from over 30 US states. It lasts one week and the kids who are freshmen to graduating seniors (13 to 18) stay in dormitories.

All the Camp counselors are Iranian American college or graduate students from all over the US, some of them graduates of the camp themselves. During their week at the Camp, the group works on team building, leadership, identity, and other issues around Iranian culture. I am looking forward to watching and reporting a Camp activity entitled "Taarof Tournament!" From what I understand, history of Iranian compliments, taarof, are taught to Camp participants and the competition entails presenting a scene whereupon the campers have to taarof their way through the scenario! What a lot of fun!

The camp also works on diversity building. Cities and holidays and customs of different cities in Iran are introduced and discussed. The camp also offers workshops on music, Iranian arts, modern Iranian history, and culture. This year is the fifth anniversary of Camp Ayandeh, so there are lots of surprises planned for the participants. Well, I know a couple of them, but I can't tell you what they are yet, because it would spoil the surprise!

One of the most important things the camp tries to achieve is community building and action, showing the young Iranian Americans how they can do things in their communities. Camp Ayandeh is run by volunteers, so all the counselors and staff are volunteering their time at the Camp. From where I am sitting, quite possibly the oldest human being on the Campus grounds (!), things couldn't possibly get any better than this in the Iranian community--an exceptional event, organized by young Iranian people for young Iranian people, the hope and future of our community.

I asked Narges Bajoghli, co-founder of Iranian Alliances Across Borders and Camp Ayandeh about the language used at Camp Ayandeh. She said speaking Farsi is not a criteria. She said the Camp is open to a diverse group of Iranians from different ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds. This year over $15,000 worth of scholarships were made available to families who could not have otherwise sent their children to Camp Ayandeh. Narges was proud to say that every kid who wanted to come to Camp Ayandeh, did.
"We are in touch with people who went through previous camps. There have been many reunions. We help them with their college essays and write them recommendation letters for college admission. Many of the people who came will come back as camp counselors or IAAB staff."

The beautiful and energetic Leyla Serway, IAAB's Public Relations Director, told me that during their stay at the Camp, the participants are not allowed to use computers and video games, so naturally, there is no internet surfing, Facebook, and chatting! Though participants are allowed to keep their cell phones in their rooms and use them in the evenings to call home, they are not allowed to use them during the day, so there is no texting during the day! Of course the parents can keep up with the campers’ activities by visiting www.campayandeh.org. There is live blogging, photos, videos, and podcasts available online.

I tell you, it has been a pleasure to spend time with our community's future at Camp Ayandeh. From what I have seen so far, this is pure delight! I wish they would make camps like this for people my age, too! The idea of playing backgammon and beating every one of you guys while I enjoy a beautiful setting, cups of Persian style tea, and talking to people my own age does sound really appealing!>>> Part 2