halifax camp introducing young women to first-response careers paying dividends after 20 years
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alivia marsman, 19, performs chest compressions as she learns skills at camp courage in burnside on tuesday, july 7, 2026.
ryan taplin
/
the chronicle herald
for the past 20 years, the first responders society and camp courage have introduced groups of girls and gender-diverse youth from the ages of 15 to 19 to careers and skills they never thought themselves capable of, putting them into the boots of emergency responders.
the camp was built with intentions far beyond only teaching skills like starting ivs and rappelling down walls. it had the goal of empowering youths and building their confidence for much more than an emergency.
finding confidence
for kaydyn soo woo, one of this year’s participants, camp courage represents a step toward something she’s wanted since she was 10 — a step following a major bump in the road.
her journey with the program started following scoliosis surgery, when she believed her life was pretty much over.
at the encouragement of her physiotherapist, in addition to a co-op experience at the kentville firehouse, soo woo decided to give camp courage a try.
“she’s like, ‘yeah, you can do whatever you want, even skydive’ . . . . then she’s like, ‘have you heard about camp courage?’” soo woo said.
just two days into the week-long program, campers have learned a variety of skills related to emergency response. in that time, soo woo has surprised herself with what she’s learned, despite previous fears.
“the iv, because i hate needles,” she said when asked about what experiences surprised her so far. “not as scary as getting it on you; it was really fun doing it.”
the incoming grade 12 student had already planned on joining the canadian armed forces as a firefighter following her co-op experience, but camp allowed her to see another possible pathway for her future as a combat medic.
“i can do anything like this. . . . i can do anything i want,” she said. “it’s not just, ‘oh yeah, boys can do this’; no, girls can do it too. . . . anybody could do it if they wanted to.”
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across camp, fellow 12th-grader faith koudoufia was having a similar experience.
faith koudoufia, 17, works on her suturing skills during at camp courage in burnside on tuesday.
ryan taplin
/
chronicle herald
even before coming to camp, koudoufia was considering a future fighting fires. being in the program affirmed that goal and made her feel like it was possible.
“i feel like i can become a firefighter,” she said, explaining that the training so far seemed a little unreal and “wowed” her.
even with boarding coast guard vessels and taking part in simulated births, what has stood out to koudoufia so far has been the people.
she’d come into the camp expecting something a lot stricter, more similar to a boot camp. however, in just a couple of days, she discovered friends and mentors who have supported her through every new challenge.
“everybody will, like, come to you. if you’re sitting alone, people will walk up to you, ask if you want to hang or sit with them,” she said. “they will very much encourage you . . . into doing what you want to.”
for both campers, the experience and the people have empowered them in a short time to see their dream careers as possibilities.
more than the training
empowerment was the goal andréa speranza had for camp courage participants when she founded it in 2006, a goal that has expanded with camp courage calgary.
while, on the surface, campers spend a week learning firefighting, policing and other emergency response skills, speranza said the actual point of camp is pushing youth beyond what they thought they’d be capable of and to discover more about themselves.
“the camp is about learning about emergency service careers, but really it is about building character and helping young people become future leaders and community-minded people,” she said.
over the course of the week, campers are challenged to push past their limits and fears under the guidance and encouragement of mentors and friends, the goal being to show them what they are capable of even outside of emergencies.
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“when they get to that cusp where they go over that obstacle or face that challenge, and then they’re successful, it’s that feeling right there that is the crux of the program,” she said. “they can apply that to the rest of their life.”
girls participating in camp courage use their hazardous materials and firefighting skills while taking part in an exercise in front of family and friends at the lakeside fire hall in july 2015.
ted pritchard
/
the chronicle herald / file
unlike most summer camps that end after one week, speranza emphasized a key part of camp courage is that the connections go beyond those few days. once campers finish, the program connects graduates with mentorship, bursaries and training supports to prepare for future careers.
many former campers return to the program years later as volunteers, mentors and instructors.
“we are family now, we have our own community, and it is huge,” speranza said.
full-circle moments
one of those campers turned mentors is christie webb.
webb’s journey with camp courage started as a fire department volunteer when she saw a poster advertising the program.
“i didn’t know what it was about so i applied, and i got accepted and i quickly realized that it was the best week of my entire life,” webb said.
by the time her week as a camper ended in 2013, webb was convinced she wanted to become a firefighter.
unfortunately, that didn’t come easily. webb said that before starting her career as a firefighter she faced rejection from multiple departments but found the resilience to keep going.
“they were just like, you know, ‘just go try something else, try something easier,’” webb said. “i’m like, ‘no, i want to, this is my dream.’”
she credited camp courage and the mentors and friends she made in the program for the resilience to keep pushing.
now a firefighter and mentor of over a decade, she’s spent years watching campers find a similar drive, experiencing what she called a full-circle moment.
maria is seen during their fire attack training for camp courage at station 7 in halifax in july 2025. mentoring at her back is halifax firefighter olivia skinner.
tim krochak
/
the chronicle herald
“i love the opportunity to give back to these young campers because, you know, i had the same opportunity as they do,” she said. “i just want to make them believe that they too can do anything they want to do.”
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camp paramedic director emmalee harvey had a similar experience, starting as a camper, then returning as a mentor in 2023 for two years before moving to her current role.
remembering her arrival as a camper in 2019, she recalled being a shy teenager who lacked confidence but also that, in the end, it didn’t take her long to find her footing among her peers.
“when i was a camper, i was very much quieter than i am now, but it was definitely very intimidating at first, a lot of new people,” she said.
“it didn’t take very long to kind of get into the swing of things and start warming up to all the other campers, and a lot of the mentors, too.”
camp confirmed for harvey what she’d known about herself since about 13 years old: she wanted to be a paramedic.
“my mom picked me up from the second day, and i was like, ‘i’m going to be a paramedic’; like, ‘this is exactly what i want to do.’”
the impact of that week seven years ago pushed her to graduate as a paramedic in 2023 and return to camp with the goal of giving a similar experience to the next generation of emergency responders. it’s something harvey hopes she’ll be doing for years to come.
“seeing them with a smile on their face is just — it means a lot to me. i’ll be here until i can’t.”
a legacy 20 years in the making
as it marks 20 years, success for camp courage isn’t measured by the number of youths they have inspired toward careers on the frontlines of emergencies. instead, speranza said, it is the confidence instilled in campers and the family they form. she said the current group of campers is an example.
“they are very close, very competent. they are wonderful. i cannot wait to see what the future holds for them,” she said. “it’s going to be great.”
for those campers, being there for just a short time has already affirmed what they want for their future careers and pushed them to achieve it.
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“i pretty much think i’m gonna be a firefighter,” koudoufia said. “i think i’ll look back at this and be like, ‘there’s no way i made it all the way here.’”
former campers like webb, who return years later as instructors, get to see themselves in the next generation, providing the same mentorship that helped them.
“i love my career choice. i’m a proud firefighter, and it’s just great to see that other people, like my younger self, want to be a firefighter, too.”
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