The Rock and Roll Camp for Girls is a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States which gives girls ages 8–18 the opportunity to learn rock instruments, form bands, write songs, and perform. The mostly volunteer and female staff strives to inspire self-esteem and mutual support among diverse campers within this rock band framework. The camp was first held in August 2001.[1]
The camp grew out of founder Misty McElroy's 2000 project as a women's studies major at Portland State University.[2]
Inspired by the Portland project, Girls' Rock Camps now take place in more than two dozen American cities including New York City, Austin TX, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Athens GA, as well as in Canada and Sweden. Each camp is independently run, but organizers exchange ideas and share approaches by way of the international Girls' Rock Camp Alliance.