The Our Kids review of I Dare U2 Bee

There is a lot to love about I Dare U2 Bee—the activities, the instructors, the focus—though one of the best is that it addresses itself so directly to the children themselves. The first line of the text of their website sets the tone for everything that follows: “We are so excited that you are here.” Too often, perhaps, adults only address themselves to the other adults in the room; here, the kids are, in every sense, the primary audience. I Dare U2 Bee isn’t a traditional camp in the way we think of the concept—the programs are delivered online—though the rationale reflects exactly what traditional camps have been created to do, which is to use activities to get at some bigger ideas, such as kindness and belonging, esteem and mental health. Whatever the activities are, they are in the service of helping young people appreciate who they are, and to celebrate what they bring into the world. The founders Alanna Carr and Audrey Hlembizky bring a sense of spirit, and of life, to the work of the camp, and they importantly also connect it all back out to the world through innovative programming and messaging. They talk about kindness, for example, and work with kids through the concepts that contribute to what kindness means and people who exemplify those concepts. In that and much else, the offering is a great mix of old and new, innovation and tradition, fun and learning. There are a range of program types, from summer to afterschool sessions, which allow kids to stay involved throughout the year.