The first activity of the day centered around the guiding question: “How can Camp Ayandeh be brought home?”  Rassah, Rosa, Shadi, and Mana spoke with campers about what techniques can be used for community organizing.  After the introductions, campers split into counselor groups, and without any help from their counselors, tackled a problem and how they would solve it. All of the propositions were very good.  One of them, “What we did to stop school budget cuts…” by Team Fesenjoon campers Kia, Roxanneh, Lily, Kayla, Darvin, Sohrob, Arman, Alborz, and Ava, developed a timeline of events that would help the proposition go through.  Another group, Team Ahoo, with campers Leila, Sepehr, Parissa, Marjon, Nakisa, Rodd, Mona, Ariane, and Giv, focused on the topic of current events.  They polled other campers and concluded that steps needed to be taken in the school system to allow Americans to be better informed regarding current events.  To this end, they developed a proposal for a state required current events exam.

Team Ahoo presents their idea about current events state exams.

Afterwards, camp staff went over several programs new to IAAB this year.  The first mentioned was Camp Javan, a program similar to Ayandeh, but for rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. The program is five days long, and will be at the end of August this year in Northern Virginia. Staff is offering Ayandeh campers a unique opportunity to work as counselors at this August’s camp. Another program new to the IAAB umbrella this year is known as I-CAN, which stands for IAAB Campus Action Network. The program allows Iranian organizations or representatives at schools around the nation to pool resources and plan activities.

Next the campers participated in the team challenge. This year’s challenge was particularly difficult, and required the campers to solve riddles to get further clues. Staff managed different stations, from a ta’arof station where the campers had to give up a plastic trumpet, to a Harry Potter station where campers had to chase down the golden snitch.  After each set of riddles, the groups received an alphabetical letter. Eventually, the groups were able to form words.  When the groups came together, the words combined to state the first sentence of IAAB’s mission statement.

Team Mars Kingdom pours over directions to their next clue.

Nima drinks water between activities.

-Arman C., July 4, 8:36 p.m. Photo credits: Darya M.