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PHOTO BY NICHOLAS FRIESEN Enlarge Image

Camp coordinator Patrick Skene (aka Pip Skid), left, coaches campers Peggy (centre) and Saad (right).

When I first meet Peggy, a sweet, Katy Perry-loving 15-year-old girl who came to Winnipeg from the Democratic Republic of the Congo less than a year ago, she’s a bit shy, but her eyes light up when I ask her if she’d like to work in radio one day.
   
"All I’ve ever wanted, I wanted to be a journalist. I would like to try it a lot," she says.
   
Peggy is a camper at 95.9 CKUW’s Radio Camp, a free, three-week program open to kids 10 to 13 years of age (although that’s flexible) from the inner-city Spence community and other core areas. Partially funded by the Spence Neighbourhood Association, the camp’s purpose is to teach kids how to plan, produce and broadcast their own radio show. On the final day of each one-week session, the kids showcase their work over campus airwaves.
   
Most of the kids in the second-week session are newcomers to Canada, coming from war-afflicted countries such as Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
   
Ivan is a quiet 11-year-old boy who arrived from Uganda a few months earlier. Two of his siblings are also among the week’s campers. He is well-spoken and I’m struck by how good his English is for having been in Canada such a short time. "We learn English at school," he says. When asked if he likes being in Winnipeg, a big smile spreads across his face. "It’s good," he says.
   
Jumping up and down behind me is a boisterous 11-year-old girl named Jadzia, who is trying to get my attention. It’s Jadzia’s second year at the camp and she loves it. By Wednesday, when most of the kids haven’t even begun to think about what they might like to contribute to their one-hour broadcast, Jadzia already has a gazillion ideas.
   
"Can I show you something?" she asks, before handing me a notebook littered with potential topics: Scooby Doo, their recent field trip to the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Selena Gomez and saving the environment are just a few. "If we cut all the trees down, all of the animals and bugs will die," her notebook reads.
   
Camp counsellor Mat Klachefsky, who is also frontman of the local indie-rock group Boats, is typing away at a nearby computer when he overhears me talking to Jadzia and informs me that she likes to do on-air reviews. Then camp coordinator Patrick Skene (aka Pip Skid) pipes in.
   
"Remember last year when you did the craziest rendition of Peter Pan and you reviewed a movie that you had never seen? That was cool," Skene tells Jadzia. The movie in question was The Smurfs (Jadzia gave it 10 out of 10) and she’s thinking about reviewing it again for the newscast at the end of the week. (FYI: She still hasn’t seen it.)
   
Skene has been the coordinator of Radio Camp for the past three years and has worked with youth through a number of projects for even longer. He has taught kids in schools how to rap and runs a hip hop program for teens called Freestyle out of the University of Winnipeg. He also oversees an art program at the Graffiti Gallery.
   
When Skene talks about the kids, he sounds like a proud father.
   
"Friday, when the show is done, the kids are always super excited and happy, and they are so proud of themselves and it’s hard not to cry during the show," he says. "It’s really hard not to hold your tears in at some parts during the show when the kids are doing so well.
   
"In the past, we’ve had kids tell these intense stories about why they had to leave their countries and there’s moms outside, listening and crying, and everyone’s crying and then, two minutes later, there’s a Nigerian love song and everyone’s just dancing."
   
In addition to making radio, kids learn about other media skills, such as interviewing. When local rapper Sadie from Streetz FM came by to perform and hang out with the campers, Peggy got a chance to talk to her.
   
"She’s cool. She’s so nice. She told us how you can be brave when you are interviewing them, because I get a little shy," Peggy says.
   
The camp isn’t just about radio, however. It’s also a place for kids to make friends and, as Skene says, bridge the gap "between different communities who might not get a chance to hang out."
   
Skene says he hopes the program inspires kids to pursue careers in radio.
   
"You know when you’re a kid and you’re open to new experiences? Later on in life those can come back and you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, that was fun.’"
   
And fun is really what the camp is all about. Just ask Jadzia, Radio Camp’s unofficial PR person, who yells out as I’m getting ready to leave, "Making radio is fun and cool!"
   
CKUW’s Radio Camp will run an additional week this year. The next session takes place Aug 2 - 5. For more info or to register, call 786-9782 or email info@ckuwradiocamp.ca. If you would like to make a donation to Radio Camp or sponsor a camper, contact the station.