Middle school can be an unforgettable — but also a confusing — time for young women.

With that in mind, Soroptimists International of South Whidbey decided to sponsor a free, fun and informative daycamp for teen girls.

“Middle school is where girls are just beginning to come into their own as far as being young women. There is so much media, so much pressure — to be thin, be cute, dress well, be popular — all of these things,” said Kim Allen, a Soroptimist and organizer of the event.

Allen and fellow Soroptimists wanted to make the camp fun, but also decided it should cover serious subjects as well.

“We said, ‘Are we going to sit around and sing Kumbaya, or are we actually going to make them feel like they came out of it with some knowledge, some tools, some bonding and some resources?’” Allen recalled.

The basic focus of the camp is on self expression, self esteem, self empowerment and self protection. That fits with the theme of “Live your dreams.”

Camp organizers wanted to create a camp that will get island girls thinking, dreaming, talking and connecting.

Topics will include writing and arts, nutrition and fitness, drug and alcohol information, bullying solutions, self defense and teamwork skills. Everything brought up at the camp will take a positive approach.

“We have no judgement,” Allen said.

The counselors said campers won’t hear things like, “Don’t do this,” or “You should dress like this.”

“It is more how to feel powerful, being self confident, knowing who you are, and who you want to show the world who you are,” Allen said.

The daycamp for young women follows the Soroptimists’ core values. Soroptimists International of South Whidbey is a service organization for women and girls.

“They’ve branched out to help everyone, and that is great. But now they are really trying to redirect back to women and girls,” Allen said.

Another recent Soroptimist-sponsored event was a free series of self-defense classes for high school girls. The popularity of that program led to brainstorming for additional activities, and one member suggested a daycamp.

“We just sort of took the idea and ran with it,” Allen said.

Event organizers want to make sure parents understand that the girls will be highly supervised at all times during the four-day camp. Participants will be split into four groups, and each group will have a counselor and an assistant counselor with them throughout the day. Student advocates and counselors from the Middle School and other volunteers will be present, too.

“And their T-shirt is bright green, so they can’t hide,” Allen said with a laugh.

The camp is structured to begin with wake-up activities. After lunch, the girls will tackle more serious topics. The day will end with a session called “Let’s talk about me,” so they can discuss the day’s events and share personal thoughts.

A keynote speaker will share her story about overcoming obstacles and living her dream during the first day of the camp.

DeAnna Raih is a mother who was able to get out of an abusive relationship, lose about 100 pounds, learn how to dance and become a Seahawks Sea Gal cheerleader.

Raih has been on “Northwest Afternoon,” “Good Morning America” and other shows to talk about setting goals and reaching a dream.

“She’s very cool, very approachable, and the girls are just going to love her,” Allen said. “It’s just a really cool way to kick this off.”

The Soroptimist camp was designed to include age-appropriate exposure on some serious topics.

“We have some really key elements that we want to look at,” Allen said.

Representatives from Citizen’s Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse will make a presentation. Additional daycamp sections will tackle important issues about drug and alcohol abuse and bullying.

“If any of these girls ever need serious help, we want them to know where they can get help, and there are people on this island that are all about helping them if they are ever in trouble,” Allen said.

Another daycamp topic is about health and nutrition, with a focus on making healthy choices.

Neal Mobley, from the Learning and Community Engagement Program, is going to be in charge of the food.

Each group of girls will get

a day to help Mobley make lunch. Erin Simms, a nutritionist at the hospital, will discuss nutrition with the girls while they learn to prepare a meal.

“The whole idea is that you can make healthy choices, and you can make it yourself. If mom’s not there, you don’t have to grab a candy bar. You can make something on your own,” Allen said.

The last day of the camp will be focused entirely on fun.

The girls will throw their own “Get the Look” fashion show.

Each team of girls will design an outfit during an earlier workshop; the clothes are being provided by The Star Store and island thrift shops.

Camp organizers thought the fashion show would be an enjoyable way to promote teamwork, creativity and self expression through fashion and personal style.

“I think it’s going to be a kick in the pants,” Allen said.

Other fun activities at Island Girl’s Daycamp include a spa expo, collage making, beading and journaling, as well as dancing and music-related activities.

Soroptimists are determined to make the camp a worthwhile experience.

“We can touch on all these topics and think that they will make a big difference in their lives — and maybe they will,” Allen said. “But the biggest thing every single day is, we want them to say, ‘I had so much fun, I can’t wait to get up and go tomorrow.’ And we never want them to forget that camp and what it meant to them.”