Summer camp brings to mind thoughts of weenie roasts, canoeing and tearful goodbyes to parents – but for 17-year-old Patrick Dunn, camp has a very different meaning.

For the last couple of years, Dunn has participated in Camp fYrefly, an Edmonton camp for LGBTQ youth aged 12-25.  The camp aims to teach leadership skills to empower youth to help themselves – and others –fight homophobia.  It’s the largest camp of its kind in Canada.

Dunn, who will attend the camp for the third time this July, says the camp has been an illuminating experience.

"It was like pulling the blinds open in a dim room: I was suddenly exposed to all these people who were like me, and suddenly I realized that dim room wasn’t as empty as I’d previously thought," he said. "I always felt so alone, whether it was at school - I was the only openly gay person in my entire school for about a year and a half - or at home, or anywhere, really.  [Camp] fYrefly gave me a reason not to feel lonely anymore."

Now in its fourth year, the camp was started by University of Alberta education professor Dr. André Grace and educational policy studies PhD student Kris Wells.

In a world where being gay is still stigmatizing and often dangerous, the camp works to make youth aware of their rights.

"Too often for sexual minority youth, they feel marginalized and alienated...and we know the suicide rate is two to three times higher than their heterosexual peers," said Wells.

This is a sad statistic and must be changed says Wells, who hopes the camp will inspire campers to work on themselves, so that they can make a difference in their community.

"I think of the phrase that Ghandi uses – to paraphrase –be the change that you seek in the world.  And I think that’s one of the mandates of the camp, to empower youth to be that change," said Wells.

And while Canada – even Alberta – may be moving in a more progressive direction, youth regularly encounter hate, and need to develop a "resiliency tool box" to deal with homophobia.

"I’ll never forget the one youth in a session who said, ‘I wish I’d known about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and how it protected me when my teacher said I was going to burn in hell,’" said Wells.

Two important resiliency factors are a sense of belonging and attachment.  Feeling like a part of something can keep queer youth connected, despite the social climates they may go back to when the camp is over.

"That’s why we see so many people in the community organizations donating their time and financial resources to help the camp, because they want to see the youth live happy, successful lives," said Wells.

He’s optimistic that things are changing, as community support for the camp is growing. This year, Telus signed on as the camp’s first corporate sponsor.

Ultimately, it’s the "phenomenal support" from organizations and individuals that makes the camp possible. Wells explains that Camp fYrefly tries to keep costs low for campers who hail from across the province and even parts of Canada.

Of course, the LGBTQ community has understood the camp from its inception.  "They get it, they get the message. They intuitively get the power of the camp," said Wells.

Many of the adult donors remark that the camp would’ve made a huge difference to their lives if it had existed when they were young, says Wells.  But, by supporting the camp, people are empowering the next generation of LGBTQ leaders.

"It’s often said that homophobia is the last acceptable form of prejudice in our society, and that’s something these youth are changing by being visible and being vocal."

For more information, or to contribute to the camp, check out www.fyrefly.ualberta.ca.