The Spitfire Club wrapped up its second annual Camp Spitfire this week, providing 50 girls from across Alexandria with a week of reading, community building, and confidence-boosting activities at Trinity United Methodist Church.
The weeklong camp, which concluded Tuesday, centered around the organization’s core values of curiosity, resilience, empathy, authenticity, and tenacity. Campers kicked off the week exploring the question “How can we show up as our most authentic selves?”
“The most important thing girls learn at Spitfire is authenticity,” said Kaylyn Bermudez, 12, a youth counselor at the camp and six-year Spitfire alumna. “Authenticity means being yourself, being original instead of copying everyone else. We learned that the first day.”
Throughout the week, participants engaged in various activities, including water games and slime-making, designed to encourage teamwork and what the organization calls “constructive struggle.” Teen alumni served as youth counselors alongside adult community volunteers.
“The most important goal of our camp is to build a strong community – across grades, schools, languages, and backgrounds – around the joy of reading,” said Leslie Figueroa, the Spitfire Club’s program manager.
The camp addressed barriers that often prevent participation in summer programs. Many attendees don’t typically attend summer camps, and some experience food insecurity, relying on schools and community organizations for meals during the academic year. Camp Spitfire provided full-day childcare, transportation, meals and programming free of charge.
Local businesses supported the camp through in-kind donations, including Los Tios Del Ray, Benny Diforza’s, Cooper Mill, and Junction Bakery and Bistro. Additional funding came from Alexandria community members.
The Spitfire Club operates as an extracurricular book club built around children’s literature featuring strong, diverse female protagonists. During the school year, the organization serves more than 100 children across the Washington metro area through weekly reading sessions.
Founded in Alexandria in 2017, the Spitfire Club has served more than 550 girls in the region since its inception.
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