PHILADELPHIA – Girls Rock Philly (GRP), a non-profit organization presenting Philadelphia’s only rock camp for girls, will launch online registration for Camp Week 2011 on President’s Day, Monday, February 21 at www.girlsrockphilly.org. Now in its fifth summer of teaching junior rockers, ages 9 to 17, how to rock out, the week-long summer day camp will be held from August 8 – 12, 2011 on the campus of Girard College (at Girard Ave. & Corinthian Ave.) in Philadelphia.

Camp Week 2011 will culminate in an end-of-camp showcase, open to the public, this year to be held on Saturday, August 13 (location TBD), followed by a professional recording studio experience to create a compilation CD. Last year’s camp was the largest to-date and served 75 girls from the Greater Philadelphia region.  GRP expects the same number of campers this year.

For more information and to submit an application, visit www.girlsrockphilly.org or call (215) 789-4879. Applications are honored on a first-come, first-served basis. Financial aid and scholarships are available.

The Girls Rock Philly camp week provides girls with a chance to unleash their inner rock stars and to learn guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, DJ’ing and vocals. No musical experience is necessary and all needed equipment and instruments are provided. Campers form bands and write their own songs over the course of a week, allowing the aspiring young musicians a space in which to figure out what and how they want to play, while working in a team setting.

The female-only environment, a rarity in the music world, provides both campers and volunteers with a comfortable atmosphere, emphasizing artistic independence and creative ownership, as well as copyright to their own songs. The camp also features guided band practice, special guest performers, and diverse workshops including the history of women in music, non-traditional instruments, sound and recording, and band art where participants have the opportunity to create original band t-shirts and buttons.

Past camp participants have come from all parts of the Greater Philadelphia area, including South Philly, Mount Airy, Roxborough, Center City, Delaware County, Montgomery County, the Main Line, and from New Jersey and Delaware. Last year, 1/3 of campers returned from previous years, and the girls were supported by a diverse group of 40 onsite adult female volunteers, including local teachers, musicians and nurses.

About Girls Rock Philly (GRP):  Girls Rock Philly is a music and mentoring 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering girls and women from the greater Philadelphia region through music education and activities that foster self-respect, leadership skills, creativity, self-expression, critical thinking, and collaboration.

GRP presents Philadelphia’s first and only rock camp exclusively for girls.  The week-long summer day camp serves junior rockers ages 9 to 17. The organization saw record-breaking interest for their 2010 camp, held in August, as the camp expanded to serve 75 junior rockers in its fourth year.  Led by a team of all female instructors and band coaches, girls in the program learn how to play musical instruments, write songs, make their own band merchandise, discover other women in rock and finesse their on-stage jump kicks.

GRP is a founding member of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance.  There are currently 40 Girls Rock Camps across the world, including over 25 in the U.S.

For the latest updates and information, visit: www.girlsrockphilly.org and connect with the organization on Facebook and Twitter.  

About Girard College: Girard College is a private boarding school for academically capable students, grades 1 through 12, from families with limited financial resources, each headed by a single parent or guardian. All Girard students receive full scholarships to take part in the school’s strong academic program and to live safely on its enclosed 43-acre campus in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. Girard is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. It holds membership in the National Association of Independent Schools, The Association of Boarding Schools, the Coalition for Residential Education, and the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools. For information, visit www.girardcollege.com.

Girls Rock Philly is supported by individual and corporate donations as well as foundation grants from the Sara Weaver Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation, the Valentine Foundation and Women’s Way’s Community Women’s Fund.

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