Services

Facilitation

Assistance, consultation, or facilitation for:

• In-person and/or virtual community/trust/relationship building

• Roundtable, forum, and other means of qualitative data collection and analysis

• Activities for themed or goal-oriented indoor/outdoor gatherings and events

“During the fall of 2020, I had the pleasure of working with Camille Powell to increase student engagement and activism in my classroom. I first met Camille at a virtual back to school event about student mental health that was led by high school students who worked with Camille in the Student Voice and Activism Fellowship (SVAF) Group. 

I was so impressed with the student leaders I asked them if they could come meet with my 6th graders to talk about their experiences as student activists. 

I was grateful that Camille and her students were up for partnering with me. We met several times and she filled me in on the work her student fellows were doing, how we could potentially structure a meeting with the 6th graders, as well as just sharing ideas with me around building community in the virtual classroom and increasing student voice. 

Camille’s students were kind enough to participate in our hour-long event on Google Meets on a day they didn’t have school - their report card pickup day. Her students had prepared slides about their identity and shared how being part of Student Voice and Activism impacted their lives. They opened it up for questions about the challenges and benefits of speaking out and being activists.”

Betty, Chicago Public School (CPS) middle school teacher

Education

• Tutoring for individuals or small groups on 2nd-8th grade reading and writing concepts

• Mentoring for 10-20-year-old youth to guide the growth of identity, confidence, and agency

• play/game-based activities for classroom, home school, and/or out-of-school settings that incorporate competition and/or dialogue

“Ms. Camille is fantastic! She's been working with my daughter Mikale since Oct, and her reading has gone up one level! She is very professional and patient with Mikale. Since working with Mikale, Ms. Camille has identified her weaknesses and build an curriculum designed to help Mikale grow. She make learning fun, and has helped my daughter build her confidence with reading. We still have work to do, but I know with Ms. Camille help my daughter is well on her way! I would definitely recommend her to anyone who needs a tutor.”

Dinah, mom of 2nd grader, Chicago

“Natalie really enjoys her Tutoring sessions with Camille very much. Camille does a really good job at incorporating lessons about what Natalie has on a test coming up on that week. Overall we are very happy with Camille and I have seen Natalie improve in her grades some as well.”

Mirela, mom of 5th grader, Florida

“My daughter started with Camille in the summer (2021), since the school my daughter attended recommended it for more help. I never experienced tutoring through Zoom, but I don’t regret it. Camille was amazing, she really went over everything with my daughter, through the short summer time. She really focused on every subject and was really patient with her as well. When the summer ended I continued to receive service since my daughter felt at ease with Camille. I like how quickly she was understanding things with Camille. Overall, I do recommend Camille to any parent that is looking for that one-on-one for your child for extra support.”

Jessica, mom of 3rd grader, New Jersey

“I am so happy that Camille is tutoring my daughter. She communicates efficiently and understands where my kid needs help and is so patient with her. My family is so happy and wishes we could have connected sooner. My daughter is so happy and looks forward to her weekly tutoring sessions.”

Jalitza, mom of 5th grader, New York

“I learned a lot during my time with Student Voice and Activism Fellowship (SVAF). Growing up in an immigrant household means I was never exposed to social issues or political discourse. Not until high school that I learn the importance of working with grassroots organizations and organizing from the ground up to address societal’s most pressing issue. And SVAF was transformative in my growth to become a more informed, socially-conscious person in my city. Specifically, interactive activities, such as the root cause tree, enhanced my critical thinking, and meetings with other youth groups, such as SAC, improved my confidence and public-speaking skills through learning and interacting with other diverse youth leaders in the city. I was able to take the knowledge I learned at SVAF and bring it back to my school’s Student Voice Committee, where I facilitated meetings and led discussions amongst students leaders. SVAF allowed me to grow as a leader in my community and allowed me to grow as a person and form my own political beliefs and social commitment. Even though I am unsure whether I would like to pursue a public service career in the future, SVAF has given me foundational skills and knowledge to give back to my community when possible.”

Tri Ho, 19, Yale University Sophomore

“Camille has been an enormous influence on me and the many students who made up the organization known as SVAF (Student Voice Activism and Fellowship). She has helped our growth as social activists as understanding our community and how much influence we as students really have. As a SVAF family member and a coordinator Camille has helped us become leaders in speaking and being able to reach out to people in many diverse groups for years. From providing mental health resources to understanding concerns in school such as policing we have set up workshops at many locations for students and adults alike. Camille has always pushed us to refine our ideas and activities to bring others together to be the best they can be. She has been available for us as a coordinator, adult ally, and as a friend. The work and dedication me and my allies have put into helping our community was made possible from our coordinator's passion.”

-Matheno Metcalf-El, 18, DePaul University Freshman

“As a previous member of SVAF, I had the enormous honor of being able to work with Camille Powell. As the program coordinator, she empowered me and my fellow SVAF members to share our ideas and put forth our best work. I remember feeling shy when I first joined SVAF, but Camille’s innate ability to create a warm and welcoming space helped me feel comfortable with opening up to others, thus increasing my ability to contribute, too. During our meetings, not only is she able to quickly adapt to different situations but also make the most out of a given one. Outside of SVAF, she has been a considerate confidante, checking in on me and others, making us feel appreciated and loved. As a result of meeting her and being in SVAF, I now know how to better use my voice to empower myself and others, facilitate sessions with diverse groups, connect with people from varying backgrounds, and develop deeper bonds with the people in my life. From the bottom of my heart, I’m truly grateful for Camille!”

Lisa Gao,18, Harvard University Freshman

“When I first joined SVAF. I never thought I would have a close connection with Camille. She never made us feel like we were being supervised or treated us like children. She treated us like colleagues and peers. Not only that she became someone I could talk to. She kind of became the big sister I never had. Anytime I needed someone to talk to I knew i could count her to listen. She was always respectful of our boundaries. She taught me the importance of taking my after work hours seriously. Camille always made sure to tell us about programs even if they were outside SVAF. When she found out I write poetry she connected me with poetry programs. Camille also did check-in with us outside of work. Overall she made SVAF feel like it wasn't work. It felt like safe haven.”

Grace Ayena, 18, Steinmetz College Prep Senior

“Although people usually count “safe spaces” as places, I would say that Camille fits that description. During my time as a freshman heading into sophomore year I had anxiety when talking to people and doing presentations, but Camille was so supportive of me and all the other members of SVAF. She is such an empathetic person who always takes time out of her day to understand what others are going through. This is not a trait you can see in many people, but this clearly shows how beautiful of a person she is. She is also so strong and not afraid to speak her mind, which I saw when we worked together in SVAF. Although she is not afraid to speak her mind, she is still respectful towards others’ opinions, which is so admirable. She is honestly my role model with her perseverance and how she’s always determined to be a better ally and also create change in the world. Although I no longer have the pleasure of working with her, I still strive to be involved with social justice because of the impact she had on me. She pushes me to be a better person everyday and also pushes me to do things that are out of my comfort zone like presentations because she showed me that, no matter how scary it can be the impact will make it worthwhile.”

Lucy Robbins, 16, Lindblom Math and Science Academy Junior

Writing

• storytelling, interviewing, and short bios

• Creative writing, journal, and goal-setting prompts

• blogs and podcasts

I faithfully believe that God sends us messengers, whether it's through people, known and unknown, or something in nature. We just have to be very attentive to receive them because the message can come and go in seconds. Camille is a messenger in my life. She arrived just as I was about to turn the page on my first career and move on in this chapter of my life. We somehow instantly bonded over sharing quotes; something I'd never done with anyone else. We would text each other different quotes and share how they were resonating in our lives at the time. I loved asking her interpretations of some quotes that I couldn't make meaning of myself. Since meeting Camille, I've appreciated her open point of view on life and her example of living in a way that honors who you are in the present: There's ease off the pressure to go at society's pace and figure it "all out"--what matters is taking care of yourself and what feels right for you right now. By being present with yourself now, you will be better able to discern what you need tomorrow. In essence, she taught me how to build and grow my resilience. Her example and deep affirmations helped me to slow down and allow myself the freedom to focus on honoring my true self; not everyone's expectations. I love her podcast stories and the sweet small packages of quotes and affirmations. They're beautifully powerful and help ground me in my present and connect me with my highest and truest self.

Camille is fearless. I love the claim she makes in her podcast of not trying to do a "perfect" podcast or something in line with what's already out there. Her approach is inspiring and authentic. Simply pursuing a passion to share her soul's wisdom and bring light through it. She does this beautifully and as a listener, I have no expectations but to receive her as her self. She goes on this intense journey tent-living all the way to Georgia because that's the kind of soul she is: more willing to experience life in the ways she feels called to do than to stick to what mainstream society advocates we should be doing. Camille is an inspiration to me and I am strongly grateful for her example to explore my self and my life in a fearless and unregretting manner as she is doing. It starts with being present with your self -- Camille and all the resources she's provided have helped set my focus inward--that's a lesson I am consistently trying not to unlearn. Thank you, Camille, for being your authentic self, a true friend, and diligent messenger.”

Melissa Hernandez, Friend and Listen or Leave Podcast listener

“In spring 2019, while working as a photojournalist team leader at City Bureau, I joined reporting fellow Camille Powell for multiple assignments related to maternal health. Specifically, Camille was looking at mother's and couple's birth journey and mental health. Being present for her interviews with parent support groups and couples I noticed how closely she listens to her interviewees. Sometimes reporters have a tendency of having the answers they want in their mind and nudge their sources to get to those responses. Not Camille. She asked questions with the intention of really learning about her interviewees' mental health and created a space for folks to share their story while not feeling rushed. Camille rarely interrupted or interjected as people spoke. She made sure that those she spoke with had the time to breathe and process their thoughts, as did she. Interviewing folks about such personal subjects is not easy and Camille did/does it with a tremendous amount of care and curiosity.”

Max Herman, Photojournalist