At just 11 years old, Eden Green already understands that when you look good, you feel good. She hopes to become a hairstylist one day.
"I love doing hair. I've always loved doing hair. It's really fun," Green said. "Hair boosts people's confidence, and I want that for everyone."
Now in her third summer at Amaka's Beauty Camp, Green has learned a variety of styling techniques.
"I learned how to braid and do cornrows. Now we're doing sew-ins, and I learned how to do crochet styles," she said.
Each camper receives her own mannequin, styling tools and hairstylist apron stocked with salon essentials. But the lessons go far beyond beauty.
Through daily affirmations, campers are reminded of their worth and potential. Founder Dedra Hines created the camp after seeing a need to help young girls build self-confidence from the inside out.
"What we're doing is teaching them to love the skin they're in and love the hair they're in," Hines said. "I'm teaching them how to manage their hair and embrace who they are."
The weeklong program also introduces older girls to the business side of the beauty industry, including branding and entrepreneurship.
With social media often shaping how young girls see themselves, Hines says she wants campers to recognize their own beauty before seeking validation elsewhere.
"When you're looking at social media, you only see the good and never the bad, or the prep work that goes into it," Hines said. "That's important for this camp. They're learning how to do the prep work. They're learning how to start from scratch and build the look."
For many campers, those lessons are already making a difference.
"I now realize that there's beauty in everybody and everything," said 13-year-old Jordan Collins.
For 10-year-old Nylah Brooks, the camp has provided opportunities to try new skills.
"I've never done a silk press before, and I've always wanted to, so this camp gave me a chance to do it," Brooks said.
At Amaka's Beauty Camp, confidence is built one braid, one style and one affirmation at a time. And organizers hope that lesson lasts long after the hairstyles are gone, because confidence never goes out of style.
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