Summer Camp

Session one: July 8-13 | Session two: July 22-27 | Session three: August 5-10

summercamp

Apply online here or download a pdf or word version of our paper application.

Tuition is $400 plus a $10 per camper nonrefundable application fee. Financial aid is available upon request — download an application here or fill one out as part of the online application process. Need the Express Yourself Piece cover sheet? Download one here – and don’t forget to attach it to your camper’s piece!

This year, Summer Camp will be held at Southwest Charter School, 0640 SW Bancroft St., Portland, OR 97239. 

Public Transit: The Portland Streetcar stops at SW Lowell and Bond one block from the school, and the 35 or 36 bus stops two blocks away. Check out www.trimet.org to plan your trip and get stop ID numbers and transfer times.
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By Bike: From whichever part of town you are coming, ride toward the Waterfront Bike Trail and enjoy the scenery until it turns into Moody Ave., which will take you right to the front door! To plan your route down to the last turn, visit http://ridethecity.com.
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By Car: If you are heading southbound via I-5, take exit 299A, merge onto OR-43 S/SW toward Lake Oswego, take a quick left onto SW Bancroft St., and you’re there. Driving northbound on I-5, take exit 299A for Macadam Ave., go right onto SW Curry St., and then right on Moody Ave. For more nuanced driving directions, check your favorite mapping site.

Please email [email protected] or call 503-445-4991 if you have any questions. Thanks!

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We offer three sessions of our summer day camp each year for girls ages 8 to 17. Monday through Friday, campers participate in instrument instruction, workshops, and band practice, where they write original songs. The showcase performance is held at a local music venue Saturday evening. No musical experience is necessary! Girls of all skill levels can take lessons on guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, vocals or learn about DJing, MCing, and beat producing.

Play rock, punk, hip-hop, country, pop, indie, lounge, blues, reggae, jazz, ska, metal, experimental, hardcore, R & B, screamo, alternative, classic, or any other musical genre you can think of!

Attend workshops like zine making, self-defense, songwriting, screen printing, positive self-image, and more!

Catch a live lunchtime band or DJ every day! Past performers have included the Gossip, the Donnas, the Decemberists, Peaches, and Kaia Wilson.

Our mission is to help girls build self-esteem through music creation, performance, and workshops. In a supportive community of peers and mentors, we provide positive role models, hands-on experience, and access to technical and creative resources. Classes, workshops, and events are designed to foster self-esteem and life skills development in every camper while having fun, creating music, and making friends.

Instructors, band managers, band coaches, and other mentors come from all over to volunteer at Summer Camp. Many are female musicians with years of experience in writing, performing, recording, and touring with their bands or as solo artists. Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls was founded in 2000 and held its first Summer Camp in 2001. Nearly 250 girls participated this past summer, and many campers go on to become interns, volunteers, and run many of the 40+ Girls Rock Camps worldwide — among other amazing things, of course!