5 Elements - Giving Girls the Edge

That's what 5 Elements is all about. And, just in case you don't believe us, use the navigation buttons to find out about our programs, how we spend our days and what other 5 Elements girls think about us.

No, we're not teaching auto mechanics nor is it anything like school … because after all this is supposed to be fun time, right?

Our workshops are all lead by incredible women and yes, even a few men. They include a professional dancer who has been in movies and countless music videos, a documentary film maker who has won tons of awards for her amazing work, a clamation artist (think Wallace and Gromit) whose students have gone on to win all sorts of creative awards, a professional actor whose face you might have seen in commercials and a make-up artist who is on television all the time and that's just some of our creative leaders.

Our workshops are interactive, challenging and did we mention fun! You'll discover amazing things about being a girl today and how to excel in all the important parts of your life - friends, relationships, what to wear, how to act in different situations (like meeting your boyfriend's parents for the first time), how to deal with the roller coaster of emotions that hit you everyday and yes, even how to cope with "mean girls".

You'll start to take risks, trust yourself and speak up in ways that you never thought possible. We'll give you the tools to use today and for the rest of your life. You'll have the EDGE over all the other girls who haven't discovered just how fantastic 5 Elements is… even if it was your mother's suggestion!!!

Emotions are reactions to things that happen in the world; and because the world of a teen is constantly changing with new, exciting and often frightening events, it's only natural that their emotions are changing too! One minute they may be on the top of the world and the next minute fall stuck in the mud. Sometimes, the emotions are new and they can't even describe how they feel. The better they are able to identify their feelings, the more they'll learn about themselves. This workshop will give the girls the tools to identify their feelings; the body's reaction to situations (such as having "butterflies in their stomach") and how to effectively deal with the negative and positive emotions that affect a girl's world every single day!

"I believe makeup should be used to enhance - not hide - our natural beauty. The key to any makeup routine is to keep it real… Learning to apply makeup is like trying to

perfect a new dance step - you've got to get all of the basic steps down before you move on to the flashy stuff. (Tyra Banks)

With the experience and hands-on training that our professional make-up artist will provide, and with plenty of practice, girls will be able to apply (and buy) make-up like a pro; and in particular, they will learn to accentuate their own individuality.

"If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you'll get the best". Relationships with family, friends, classmates and boys have all been identified as important stressors for girls. In our relationship workshops, we'll discuss important questions such as what makes a healthy relationship, how to deal with problems in relationships, gender and age differences. The girls will have a forum to discuss specific relationships they may be in and brainstorm solutions to ensure that all their relationships are healthy and fulfilling.

We have all been in the middle of a difficult situation with a friend, family member, teacher or someone you may have never met before. As the girls grow, they'll be in many new and often troubling situations. We'll brainstorm ways to deal with these situations gracefully and talk about how the choices we make can impact our relationships and our lives.

"But all my friends are …" is a phrase that makes parents crazy and usually doesn't result in the answer that girls are looking for. In this workshop, girls will learn to think for themselves, value and celebrate their own choices and give them the tools to resist falling into the "peer pressure" trap.

8:45 - 9:00	Morning wake-up and improv
9:00 - 10:30	Workshop - Dealing with "mean" girls.
10:30 - 10:45	Snack
10:45 - 12:15	Expressive Arts - Make-Up.
12:15 - 1:00	Lunch/Free Time/Games
1:00 - 2:30	Workshop - Dealing with those "crazy" emotions.
2:30 - 2:45	Snack
2:45 - 4:30	Fitness/Theatre Arts
4:30 - end of day	Free time/Prep time for Family Night

And if you think that every moment of every day is structured … well, you would be wrong. The environment is easy going and flexible. If we've done a workshop early, there's time for preparing for Family Night, relaxing and chatting with our amazing counsellors or just having fun. If you're having such an amazing time in one of workshops and don't want it to end … well, we'll just keep going until you're hungry! It's as simple as that. This camp is your camp and we're there to meet your needs.

Life is all about the choices that we make along the way. So, why not choose happy over sad, courage over fear, extraordinary over ordinary.

If you don't have a good sense of yourself then, "you always feel like you're nothing and you don't matter."
Stacy

"It is important to have high self-esteem because everyone should have the opportunity to live their life the way they want to and to have fun".
Mizzú

"It is important to like yourself, because no one else can do it for you … if you don't like yourself, it only makes life harder."
Audrey

"It's important to feel good about yourself so you feel comfortable about the way you look, and you know that you're beautiful even if someone insults you."
Anna

"If you don't feel good about yourself, you're going to be miserable and you need to get whatever you can out of life".
Tamara