Special Summer Camp Helps Girls Recognize Inner and Ou...(to-school' visit to gain control of thei...),Health

My Beauty Camp offers a variety of useful workshops for girls ages 11 to 18 that address a range of adolescent issues such as fitness, self-esteem, skin care, college preparation, healthy eating, everyday etiquette, shopping sense, goal-setting, money management and more.(3) Gabrielle Thomas, a licensed aesthetician, founded My Beauty Camp in 2004 to provide a fun and rewarding experience that helps girls set and reach their highest goals.(3) The staff is comprised of an aesthetician, fashion stylist, clinical psychologist, hair stylist and peer mentor, all with whom provide hands-on workshops on their specialized subject matter.(3) Over 100 girls have attended the camp this summer.(3)

"Like most teens, I went though a very awkward stage of my life where I wasn't comfortable in my own skin," said Thomas. "Our goal at My Beauty Camp is to teach girls about how to take care of themselves from the inside-out, and provide them with the necessary tools to boost their self-esteem. The camp is a great opportunity for girls to attend right before the school year when insecurities can be at their highest."

To participate in the ELLEgirl.com contest, girls were asked to submit a visual or written representation of what beauty means to them, whether it be a collage, photograph, painting, drawing, poem, or short essay. The winners of the My Beauty Camp contest are Beatrice Ebijimi (age 13) of Chicago; Mercedes Knibbs (age 15) of Bronx, NY; Jennifer Petrucci (age 13) of Cheshire, CT and Tyler Williams (age 14) of Alpharetta, GA.

"Being beautiful is expressing yourself. You have to love yourself and other people, and you have to take care of your body and be healthy. It's knowing that you have natural beauty," says Williams. "I'm excited to attend My Beauty Camp. I think it's going to be a great way to learn about the latest beauty and health tips, discover more
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