NOT BACK TO SCHOOL CAMP 2002
Marey
Start your unschooling year with
high hopes,
new interests,
a big bang,
a loud splash,
and a tribe of new friends!
Don't miss the seventh annual
Not Back to School
Camp 2002
for unschoolers ages 13-18.
Camp Myrtlewood, Oregon
Buffalo Gap Community Camp, West Virginia
Session 1, August 26-September 2, Oregon
Session 2, September 5-12, Oregon
Session 3, October 8-15, West Virginia
just the facts
* what: Not Back to School Camp
* who: About 105-115 unschoolers ages 13 to 18. An
adult staff of 13-22, led by Grace Llewellyn and Taber Shadburne.
* when: Session 1, August 26-September 2, Session 2,
September 5-12, Session 3, October 8-15.
* where: Sessions 1-2, Camp Myrtlewood, approx. 120
miles from Eugene, Oregon, Session 3, Buffalo Gap, approx. 80 miles from
Cumberland, Maryland.
* how much: $485. $25 additional if you register
after March 18, 2002. An additional fee (about $25) for an optional day
trip to the coast. 12 half-price scholarships and 5 work-trade
scholarships are available. We also have some flexible, extra
scholarship money which may be used for full scholarships, possibly even
travel stipends. ***Updated Infomation: Grace and Maya need your help
in getting a lot more registrations for
<http://www.nbtsc.org/wiki/NBTSC/18> NBTSC East as soon as possible or
we will have to cancel that session. (oh no!) So we have a business
proposition for you; for every person (can include yourself) you
convince to register for session 3 of
<http://www.nbtsc.org/wiki/NBTSC/18> NBTSC in West Virginia, between
march 19th and April 7th, we will give you a $25 credit towards your
camp fee. <http://www.nbtsc.org/wiki/AND/1> AND there is no limit to
how many credits you can get. So, if you get 20 people registered, you
just paid your way to camp. If you are not coming to camp, well just
mail you $25. To qualify for the credit, make sure you tell your session
3 friend to let us know you referred them. The disclaimer: if we dont
get enough registrations to make session 3 happen, nobody will get $25
credits. Go forth and proselytize!***
* why: To change ourselves and the world, teach each
other great things, and sleep under the moon....
* how to reach us: P0 Box 1014, Eugene, OR 97440.
Phone 541-686-2315. (If you have questions, our office hours are 9a.m.
to 2 p.m. Mon and Wed., Pacific Time.) Fax 509-696-3310. Email
NBTSC@...
* web site: www.nbtsc.org <http://www.nbtsc.org/>
_____
Parents say:
"[My son] has never experienced such openness, such honesty and such
loveand he is renewed. He feels accepted, uplifted, empowered and,
above all else, valued! Y ou are working magic at NBTSC .nurturing
wings. I applaud you and thank you."
"My kids really love NBTSC and all of their new friends. It makes
homeschooling a lot less lonely for them when they meet a diverse group
of open minded homeschoolers. Thank you for your part in helping my
children achieve strength, confidence, and independence."
"I have seen so many of the Vancouver kids come back from camp with
subtle (or not so subtle) changes in maturity, confidence etc. I can't
thank you enough for what you do by giving these kids the chance to be
together and spread their wings like this."
"The camp was fabulous for [my daughter] and the kids were too -- very
different from her high school friends, in maturity, drive,
self-assuredness, openness and vulnerability."
"Just a quick note of appreciation from a very pleased parent! I know
[my son] had one of the best weeks of his life and he's had a lot of
excellent weeks in his 17 years back he comes from camp with a zillion
new friendshe promptly hooked us up to email and in the last 3-4 weeks
has written well over 100 letters!"
"My son returned from your camp with renewed enthusiasm for life and
learning! Thank you so much for having this get-together of, apparently,
some of the most gifted and interesting people on earth!"
"[Our daughter] returned to us full of self-assurance, excitement, and
positive loving energy. The revelation that there are other teenagers
out there with her unschooler ideas was a delightful awakening for her."
"I should tell you that [my son] had a wonderful time at NBTSC. It's
resulted in some significant changes in how [he] approaches life, and
he's enthusiastic about going back next year."
_____
Hello!
This booklet contains lots of information about Not Back to School Camp,
so you can make an informed decision as to whether you want to join the
ruckus. We've had a blast during our first six camp seasons and plan to
do so again in 2002! If you have questions, please check first to see
whether we've already answered them in this booklet or on our website
(www.nbtsc.org). If we haven't, feel free to phone, fax, write, or
email, and we'll get back to you ASAP.
Who
You: Unschoolers/homeschoolers from anywhere on this planet are invited,
if they speak English and are between the ages of 13 and 18. Can you
still come if you go to school part time? Or if you're not yet a
homeschooler, but are about to become one? Or if you've "graduated" from
homeschooling and now attend college or hold a job? Or if you have
smelly feet? Sure. The maximum number of campers possible is about 105
in Oregon, 115 in West Virginia.
Your staff: Your hosts are Grace Llewellyn and Taber Shadburne. Grace is
best known as the author of The Teenage Liberation Handbook: how to quit
school and get a real life and education and the founder of NBTSC. Taber
is a psychotherapist and personal growth workshop leader. He's worked at
NBTSC since 1998 and this will be his third year co-directing. We will
be joined by a terrific staff of 11 in West Virginia, 20 in Oregon.
(Non) religious orientation: NBTSC is a non-denominational,
non-religious camp. We strive to honor each person's religious beliefs
or lack thereof, and ask that all campers do likewise.
Not Back to School Camp welcomes diversity. We are open to homeschoolers
and unschoolers of all races, ethnic backgrounds, genders, religious
beliefs, sexual orientations, economic backgrounds, and physical
capabilities.
Where
Sessions 1 and 2: We meet in Eugene, Oregon. Our buses will deliver you
to our home for the week, and back to Eugene at the end of the week.
Camp Myrtlewood is near the tiny town of Bridge, Oregon. It's about 120
miles Southwest of Eugene, in the coastal mountain range.
Session 3: We meet in Cumberland, Maryland. As in Oregon, our buses will
deliver you to our camp home and then back to Cumberland again. Buffalo
Gap is nestled in the mountains near the tiny town of Capon Bridge, West
Virginia. It's about 80 miles Southwest of Cumberland. (It's also just a
few hours' drive from either Washington, Baltimore, or Pittsburgh.)
Lodging and facilities: You'll stay in a clean, simple cabin. Girls and
boys have separate cabins; all ages are mixed together. Bathrooms are in
separate buildings a few yards away. Staff generally stays in separate
cabins or rooms. Both sites have all the facilities we need for a great
week, plenty of room for eating, workshops, dances, games, sports,
hiking, and enjoying nature. Camp Myrtlewood offers a pretty creek with
a swimming hole; Buffalo Gap offers a 2-acre spring-fed lake (with a
diving platform, sliding board, and sandy beach), a sauna, and 2 big
dance halls (one is also a basketball gym).
Weather: In both Oregon and West Virginia, chances are good we'll have
warm weather with coldish nights. It may rain a bit, particularly in
Oregonit often does, but we just keep on playing anyway.
What We're Gonna Do
Swim; talk; sing; drum; dance; hike; stare at the sky; play volleyball
and softball and soccer; take creative, emotional, and intellectual
risks; encourage each other to do amazing things; have talent shows;
teach and learn from each other. Each camper will be encouraged to
contribute both creatively (teach a workshop, lead a sport or group
singing, etc.) and not-quite-so-creatively (wash dishes, cut vegetables,
pick up trash, etc.).
Daily schedule: Each day we have a morning meeting and a brief evening
meeting; everyone is required to attend both, during which important
announcements are made and campers and staff are able to raise concerns.
Everyone is also encouraged, but not forced, to participate in evening
group activities. And we share mealtimes, of course. Beyond this, there
are many scheduled daytime activities, sports games, and workshopsled
both by staff and by you and your peers. You can choose among these
daytime activitiesor nap, talk with a new friend, or create your own
fun.
Evening events: are specialsometimes simple, sometimes elaborate... .a
campfire sing-along, talent shows, dancing, and other good stuff.
Workshopsa sampling: We'll have literally dozens of workshops to choose
from during the week. They'll reflect the talents and interests of all
staff and campers. At previous camps, we've had about 100 workshops per
week, including breakdancing, solar cooking, kung fu, orienteering,
yoga, cob-oven building, web-page designing, surrealist games,
co-counseling, VW engine fixing, drama, poetry, getting published and
self-publishing, origami, art booklets, swing dancing, youth rights,
tree identification, beading, and photography. You can decide each day
what you want to do. We do offer a lot of really good workshops and we
expect that each of you will go home with new skills you're excited
about. But the point is not to be frantically busy, and it's fine if you
don't want to participate in lots of these organized activities. The sun
and the forest will have plenty of suggestions of their own.
Your workshop or sport: Each camper is strongly encouraged to lead a
workshop or coach/teach a game/sport. Most workshops run 1 to 1 continue
a discussion over lunch. You do NOT necessarily have to be an expert in
your field to teach a workshop. As many NBTSC campers have discovered,
even if you are a beginner, you can be a good workshop teacher. If you
need supplies, we can provide basic art and office supplies, a boom box,
sports equipment, and a few other items, but you will need to provide
most other materials.
Sports: We typically play volleyball, basketball, soccer, ultimate
frisbee, and softball. If there's another sport you want to play,
volunteer to start a game.
Unscheduled activities: Most of the time you're free to make your own
fun if you don't feel like participating in a group activity. You can
swim whenever the swimming hole or lake is supervised, hike on trails,
talk with new friends, read, nap, swing, practice a new skill...
Show and tell nights: Talent shows are a great highlight of camp. You
can play music, balance on a ping pong ball, dance, sing, show your
artwork, do stand up comedy, turn cartwheels, juggle forks, tell us the
wildest thing that ever happened to your family, swallow a sword, read
your poetry or a very short story, or just stand up and tell us what
makes you tick. You might consider getting up and performing or sharing
something related to your workshop. You'll have up to 4 minutes if
you're going solo, or up to 7 minutes if you're in a group of 2 or more.
Staff
Our multi-faceted, caring, funny, altogether delightful staff is one of
the best things about NBTSC. They teach outstanding workshops and coach
sports, lead group singing, facilitate discussions, cook great food, and
those who aren't exhausted sometimes stay up late and join in the
after-midnight revels. For the most part, our experience is that the
staff adores the campers and the campers adore the staff.
Advisors: One staff person will be your designated "advisor" during the
week. Although you are welcome to talk with any of us about concerns or
questions, this person is responsible for checking in with you
regularly, making sure you're accounted for several times a day, etc.
You'll also meet briefly with your advisor (and about 10 other campers)
each morning as part of our meeting, to check in, discuss concerns, ask
questions.
Food
Three yummy, simple vegetarian meals each day. Vegan alternatives for
people who request them in advance, and we can usually accommodate
wheat-free diets too. People with numerous allergies or other special
diets may need to supply some or all of their own food. (In Oregon, we
prepare our own food and use mostly organically grown ingredients. In
West Virginia, the Buffalo Gap staff will cook for us, and
unfortunately, organic ingredients would knock the price tag of camp up
too high. In future years we hope to jiggle the budget in order to
provide OG food there without raising camp fees.)
money
The cost of NBTSC (including supplies, food, local transportation, staff
salaries, labor, lodging, overhead, etc.) is $485 per person. The camp
fee includes just about everything: travel from and to Eugene or
Cumberland, hearty meals, lodging, almost all activities. (Some campers
or staff may plan workshops with a small additional materials fee, and
we'll offer an optional day trip which will require a $25 transportation
fee. In Oregon, our field trip goes to the coast; we'll let you know our
West Virginia destination later.) You'll also receive a directory of all
campers and staff, and a "bliss book"a zine full of notes on workshops
and other stuff people feel passionate about.
Please register (with a deposit) by March 18. After that date, your cost
increases by $25. You may want to register much sooner to get into the
session of your choice. A $75 non-refundable deposit is due with your
registration. The balance is due 6 weeks before the start of camp, and
it is very important that you get it in on time. If your balance is not
received on time, we will add a $25 late fee, and if it's not in one
month before camp starts we'll have to drop you from the roster and give
your spot to someone else. If your plans change, the balance (if paid
early) can be refunded up until 6 weeks before camp starts. If you
prefer, you are welcome to pay the whole camp fee at the time of
registration.
About refunds: While in the past we had a strict policy of not giving
refunds of deposits at all, and not of other camp funds past a certain
date, we now charge enough money for camp that we generally cover all
our costs when all sessions of camp are full, and are therefore able to
give partial refunds in some cases. In a nutshell: we do not give ANY
refunds until after camp is over. At that point, we will give refunds in
this priority:
1. anyone who got contagiously sick enough at the last
minute that we asked them not to come to camp gets a refund of all but
$40 of their camp fees. (We may require a written and signed statement
from a healthcare provider. And, sorry, but we are talking only about
contagious diseases here, not broken legs or non-contagious illnesses.)
2. if all sessions of camp were full, then we may give
some partial refunds with priority going to people who canceled
earliest. We will always retain a $40 processing fee, but at our
discretion may refund everything else, including the initial deposit. Be
sure to make a written request (email or fax is fine) if you want a
refund; otherwise we will keep your full deposit or camp fees and use
them for miscellaneous camp expensesor, if there are none, your fees
will go into our scholarship fund.
Scholarships and work trade positions: We offer 12 half-price
scholarships for families who couldn't otherwise afford NBTSC. Also, we
have 5 work-trade positions available. These, too, are for families who
would otherwise have trouble paying for camp. If you'd like an
application for either a scholarship or work-trade, send a SASE to our
office or see our website. We may have a few additional scholarships
available also, of varying amounts, thanks to our new scholarship fund
(see below). The deadline to apply for these scholarships is March 18,
2002. However, we may also have some additional scholarship money
available after that point.
Fundraising: People earn camp money in all kinds of waysone girl sells
candy in her yard, right after the nearby school gets out in the
afternoon, while kids are walking home. Some people get jobs. One girl
earned all of her 1999 money by playing her violin on street corners.
You could also ask for a group of your friends and relativesor your
local homeschool support groupto sponsor you, spreading the cost among
lots of people.
Some people earn money by selling copies of Grace's books (The Teenage
Liberation Handbook, Real Lives, and Freedom Challenge) to friends,
relatives, school friends, local homeschoolers, whoever. (Several
campers have sold over 50 copies of the TLH to their friends.) You earn
approximately 35%, or $6-$6.60, for each copy. Contact us for more info.
(Sorry, but Genius Tribe book fairs are no longer an option, since the
Genius Tribe catalog is going extinct.)
Donating to our tax-deductible scholarship fund!!!
Thanks to the Self-Education Foundation, you or your parents or your
fairy godfathers can give money that will be in turn given to people who
couldn't otherwise afford to come to camp. This fund is in addition to
our standard practice of offering a set number of half-scholarships and
worktrades each year. With this fund, we do whatever feels most
appropriatein one case that means contributing $100 to someone's camp
fees; in another case it could mean a full scholarship plus a $200
travel stipend. Please consider giving to this fund, or asking other
people to, now or in the future. (We know a lot of you are gonna get
rich 10 or 20 years from now, and we hope that when you do, you remember
your good old alma mater in your hearts and your wills and your
checkbooks.)
To support this fund, please make out your check to the Self Education
Foundation and mark in your check's memo line (or in an accompanying
note) that the money is specifically for the NBTSC scholarship fund.
Mail to us or to the Self Education Foundation, P.O. Box 30790,
Philadelphia, PA 19104. Thank you!!!
The Self-Education Foundation, by the way, is a fantastic philanthropic
organization. (It was founded by Billy Wimsatt, who was a NBTSC staffer
in '96 and '97 and is the author of Bomb the Suburbs and No More
Prisons, 2 of Grace's favorite books. And I, Grace, serve on its board.)
It works to build and support a cohesive movement, across cultures and
disciplines, of people initiating their own education. It funds,
supports, and networks unschoolers and education mavericks from tough
backgrounds who have added barriers to successfully educating
themselves, their kids, their communities, and the world. For more info,
check out www.selfeducation.org.
You should also know that another source of scholarship donations is our
beloved NBTSC stafferseach year one or two staffers give up some or all
of their pay, and it goes directly toward camp scholarships instead.
The Fine Print
Responsibilities: Each person contributes to the spiffiness of camp in
two major ways:
1) fun, possibly creative work which draws on your unique talents. Each
of you will be asked to coach a game or sport, lifeguard for an
afternoon at the swimming hole, teach a workshop, lead the singing
around the campfire one night, or some such.
2) You'll get to perform a few grungy, possibly even disgusting menial
chores too! We help prepare meals, clean up after them, keep the
bathrooms clean, and clean our cabins before we leave. You may have to
scrub a toilet or 2, but hey, you'll have partners and you can whistle
while you work. Each camper has about 4-5 hours of chores during the
week.
Travel arrangements: You can fly, drive, train, bicycle, or bus into
Eugene or Cumberland. (In Oregon, some people fly into Portland and then
take the bus or train down to Eugene. In West Virginia, you may find it
cheaper to fly into Pittsburgh, Baltimore, or Washington DC and then
take the bus or train from there.) In both Oregon and West Virginia, our
buses will pick campers up at the Greyhound bus depot, the Amtrak train
station, the airport, and a city park. On our last day, we'll return you
to your pick of those same locations. You should arrive by 2:30 if
possible, and 4:00 at the absolute latest. On our last day, you should
arrive back in Eugene or Cumberland by noon. You can also drive
yourself, or have someone else drive you, directly to Camp Myrtlewood or
Buffalo Gap. If you have a car with you during the week, you absolutely
may not drive itno matter how old you areand must turn your keys over
to us until camp is over.
Eugene has a small commercial airport serviced by several major airlines
including United; many campers fly into Eugene directly. Others fly into
Portland, 100 miles north, and then take the bus or train down to
Eugene. Cumberland has a smallish airport serviced by US Airways
Express, with frequent flights in from Pittsburgh. You may want to fly
into a larger nearby airport (such as Pittsburgh, Dulles, or Reagan) and
take the bus or train from there.
If you can't arrive early enough on the first day, or leave late enough
on the last day, we can make arrangements for you to stay in a hotel
room with other campers and a staff person; cost will be approximately
$35. Please do not take advantage of this offer unless your travel
schedule really requires it! It is a pain for us to supervise hotel
rooms and play taxi. Be aware that hotel rooms will probably be
supervised (at least in the past, the hotel we have worked with has
required that) and we will enforce a curfew.
A logistical note for people attending both sessions 1 and 2: You may
either ride the buses back to Eugene in between the two sessions, or for
about $80 you can stay at Camp Myrtlewood for the 3 extra nights. If you
do, you'll need to do some chores, be mellowstaff will be in long
meetings and deep comasand move temporarily into a different cabin.
You'll have a chance to do laundry and we'll feed you. If you go back to
Eugene, you're on your ownsorry, but we can't help you make hotel
arrangements or provide any transportation except for the bus ride from
and to camp.
If you have special needs: Both Camp Myrtlewood and Buffalo Gap can
accommodate wheelchairs, though like any outdoor setting they can pose
challenges to anyone (including people in "normal" physical condition).
Educate us about your needs, and we'll do our best to make your week
comfortable, safe, and exciting.
Health and safety: There is no camp nurse or other medical person on
staff. There will, however, be at least one staff person trained in
first aid and CPR. In case of emergency, you will be taken by ambulance
to the nearest hospital (approximately 45 minutes away). You must
basically be responsible for your own health, bring any (regular)
necessary medications with you, etc. Your camp fee does include
insurance for accidents/injuries that take place on the camp grounds.
What if you get sick when it's time to come to camp?
Depending on how sick you are and what you have, we may ask you not to
come. We will consider on a case-by-case basis whether people who are
already sick (and contagious) should attend. If we ask you not to
attend, we will give you a refund of all your money, minus a $40
processing fee. (Before sending the refund we may request that you send
a signed statement from a healthcare provider.)
More information later
In approximately June 2002 you'll receive a handbook which includes a
list of what to bring and plenty of other information to help you
prepare for and get the most out of camp. In the meantime, hang onto
this booklet.
Answers to questions some people ask, or are gonna ask
Why can't each session of NBTSC be longer?
1) Because that would make it too expensive for many people.
2) Because that would make it harder to find staff (many staff people
come to
NBTSC on their vacations).
3) Because the staff gets tired and needs a break.
Why is NBTSC vegetarian?
We do not intend to make any kind of moral or political statement about
diet. NBTSC staff includes vegetarians, vegans, and carnivores. Your
co-directors, Grace and Taber, have at different times in their lives
been vegetarians, vegans, raw foodists, and carnivores. But for our
purposes at camp, meat is both too expensive and too unsanitary. We are
sticklers about providing healthy, mostly organically grown ingredients
whenever possible, and organic and chemical-free meat is way expensive.
Also, because many campers are vegetarian, our vegetarian menu helps us
to satisfy the largest number of people without preparing a ton of
different dishes at each meal. You are welcome to bring your own meat
supplements (jerky, tuna in cans, dried fish, etc.) if you want. (At
Buffalo Gap, our meals will not be prepared by NBTSC staff, and will not
be mostly organic, at least not in 2002.)
How will the West Virginia camp be different from the Oregon camp?
We have a big swimming lake rather than a sweet little creek (though in
October, some of us may feel a little borderline about swimming). There
are more (and larger) indoor spaces available to us. Their staff will be
cooking for usthey'll serve vegetarian and vegan meals (they won't,
unfortunately, have much in the way of organic ingredients). Hopefully,
we'll attract more east coast folks. And, of course, there'll just be
the adventure of a new place.
Rules
For people who have attended NBTSC in the past: this year we will be
making a sincere effort to simplify our rules and agreements. No, this
doesn't mean that now it is ok for people to walk on the tables; it does
mean that we will convey some of our expectations in other ways besides
rules.
An overwhelming number of past campers have commented that with our
policies and attitudes they felt free, trusted, and yet safe and well
cared for. The rules we do have are very importantdesigned to protect
everyone's safety and peace, and to ensure that we can continue to have
NBTSC, yet without limiting freedom unnecessarily. Please do be aware
that for any serious rule infractions, we always contact parents. Our
past experience has been that for the most part, we get along superbly
and people respect each other and the rules.
Our rules are relatively lax compared to those of most other camps and
youth activities. In particular, we have very few required activities on
the schedule, and we do not have a set bedtime or require you to sleep
in your assigned bed. Instead, we ask you to use your time well
according to your own values, and we ask you to create, and then use, a
"bedtime policy" that serves your own particular needs and goals at
camp, and regardless of where you sleep, we expect you to honor our "no
sex at camp" rule.
We often refer to our rules as agreements. Camp is not something we, the
government, your parents, or your friends require you to doit is
something you choose to do. (In fact, our first and most important rule
is that you cannot come to camp unless it is your own free choice to do
so.) In choosing to be there, we expect you to agree to act in the way
that we ask you to, in order to help co-create the best possible camp
for you and everyone else.
an important note for parents and campers
on bedtimes and sleeping arrangements
We want to clarify a few things in light of some questions and concerns
expressed by parents, and in light of some (rather different) questions
and concerns expressed by campers. We have carefully considered and
reconsidered our goals for camp, and at least for 2002, this is where we
stand:
As in the past, we do not plan to enforce a bedtime at camp. We will
continue to require lights out/quiet in cabins from midnight to 8 a.m.,
but allow people to stay up later in the lodge, at the campfire circle,
etc.
We do, however, ask each camper to write up a personal policy that they
will use to determine when to go to bed each night, based on what they
understand about themselves and what is important to them during the
camp week. This is a new program, which we started in 2001; it was very
effective at Session 1, and somewhat effective at Session 2. (We didn't
work so hard to convey its importance at Session 2, largely because it
went so well Session 1 that we wrongly assumed we didn't need to work at
it for Session 2.) We do this because while we don't want to
unnecessarily limit freedom, we do want campers to take good care of
themselves and get enough sleep. And, we want to encourage more
participation in daytime workshops and activities.
Also (and as in the past), we do not plan to require campers to sleep in
their assigned beds. (We don't allow girls in boys' cabins or vice
versa, though.) Most campers sleep in their beds most of the time. Some
campers, however, sleep in groups (which are often mixed-gender) in
public spaces or outside. Sometimes these groups are affectionate and
cuddly. To be a little more blunt, at times they are just heaps of
peopleto those of us on staff, they sometimes look quite uncomfortable.
While we firmly expect campers to observe our "no sex at camp" and "no
nudity" rules (and initiate plenty of dialogue when that seems called
for), we do not police these groups. Our observation (borne out by many
candid reports from individual campers) is that while occasionally there
is some mildly sexual behavior, by and large these "people piles" are
innocent. We feel that while they do make it possible for people to bend
the rules, there are other ways for people to bend the rules who have
decided to do so, and that to tighten our policy in this regard would be
more of a detriment than a benefit to camp and campers.
Because we know that some campers may not be fully ready to make their
own healthiest choices about this (and other) matters, and because as
parents you know your kids better than we do, we suggest that you talk
about this subject as a family, and perhaps clarify your own
expectations or agreements independently of camp rules and policies. In
other words, we do stand behind the rules that we set, and take
reasonable steps to ensure that they are followed, but we cannot be
responsible for making sure that your kids behave the way that you think
is best for them.
In the past, we have swung to different sides of the pendulumtightening
things up at parents' requests, then seeing (and hearing from campers)
that we've caused more harm than good, preventing innocent affection
more than anything else, and so swinging back to a looser stance. We're
hoping to strike a better balance, in part by asking youthe parentsto
get involved by having your own family discussions. (It might also be
helpful for you to talk, as a family, about what kind of a bedtime
policy might work best. In our spring mailing we will include some
examples of policies that worked well in 2001.)
Grace says: If your family runs into road blocks in negotiating this
territory (or any other, for that matter), or you simply want some help
in creating a win-win agreement, I'd highly recommend a phone
consultation with Taber Shadburne, my co-director. He's a
psychotherapist and family counselor who specializes in this sort of
thing and I think he's about as skilled and insightful as they come. If
money is an issue, he may be able to work out a discount or partial
trade or some such. You can reach him at 510-336-3391, or
HeyTaber@....
One more note. Our experience at camp has always been that most campers
are extremely maturethat is, cooperative, beyond the need to rebel for
rebellion's sake, and kind and empathetic to staff as well as to each
other. When we envision our policies at future camps, it is always with
this kind of maturity in mind. In the unlikely event that we ever find
ourselves with a different quality of camp community, we will need to
shift the way we do things. We are committed to creating the best
possible balance of freedom and caretaking, given the particular group
of human beings that we find ourselves serving.
_____
Campers say:
"I feel genuine kinship and community here. I'm going back to my usual
home with feelings of hope and inspiration and a clearer vision for my
horizons."
"Wonderful people, and everyone following their bliss. Camp is an
energizing bath of joyful energy that left me full of awe and
inspiration for my own life."
"Camp was one of the most inspiring and purifying experiences I've ever
had. It makes me hungry for life again."
"This camp was by far the best thing that ever happened to me."
"The only thing I don't like about camp is leaving at the end. I mean I
know that we have to leave at some point, but I wish we didn`t. I just
love camp that much."
"I had never been in such a big group of people that were so open,
nonjudgmental, loving, honest, and just wonderful to be around! The
energy of it all was so incredibly awesome! It was the best experience I
have ever had."
"I will definitely be coming back next year and for both sessions!!! I
had the time of my life at NBTSC!"
"1 just want to let you all know how much of a great time 1 had at camp.
I really think the people at camp were the most open, loving, fun and
supportive group of young adults. Thank you all for the things I learned
at camp. I really, really, really want to be there next year!"
"Overall, I think this was the best week of my life. The energy of
vibrant, thinking, life-loving people is the most intensely powerful
thing I can imagine."
"Camp is good for me. It's good for my spirit. It totally rejuvenates
me, and inspires me. This is partly who Jam, camp affects everyone a
little differently, of course. Don`t send your kid here thinking they'll
come home some kind of superkid. Camp isn`t for the parent. It`s for the
kid. It's an experience they won`t forget. But everyone processes
differently, and every kid may NOT come home totally inspired. The
majority will, I suppose...."
"Never before has a camp had such an effect on me as this one. I was so
at peace with myself and others, it was incredible. I never wanted to
leave."
"This camp gives you the feeling that no matter who you are or wherever
you re from, you will always be welcome!"
"Camp has been the best three weeks of the last three years of my life.
Some of my very favorite people are the people I've met here in the last
three years."
"Every year it continues to amaze me how so many wonderful, accepting
people there really are. I've made more lasting friends at camp than in
the whole rest of my life put together."
"I'm writing to say again how thrilled lam with camp. You get together
such a great group of wonderful, talented people. I'm really amazed at
your ability to make it work so well." "I feel like a different and
better person! I haven`t even fought with my sister who also went to
camp. Or my other siblings for that matter."
"Camp is the high point of my unschool year. Each time I make new
friends, learn new things, and leave with a beautiful feeling."
"To be at NBTSC is a life changing experience. It sounds like a cliché
but it's never been more genuine than in this case."
"This was the funnest camp I've ever been to and everyone was so nice!"
"Not Back to School Camp has consistently and persistently demanded that
I try new things and challenge the way I look at the world. I have come
across so many amazing people with amazing talents, I think I have a new
family of 120 people!"
"I was thrilled by everything: the idea, the staff the campers, the
openness, the inspiration that lasts all year. Thank you."
"Like last year, I came home totally inspired. 1 feel like the days are
not long enough for all the things I want to learn/study now. 1 feel
like I can change the world. I know I can change the world. 120 campers
and advisors felt the same way that week, I think, and many of them have
carried that feeling home. It was worth every bit of money and time, I
love camp. I highly recommend it, especially to those who are wondering
if they're doing the right thing and to those who feel apathetic and
unenthusiastic about learning, life, whatever. There is a joy in life at
camp. A warning however: you can't get much out of camp if you don't put
much in. The more you participate in things, try talking to new people,
and explore, the better time you will have. And personally, I find that
by the end of camp, what energy I put into being there has come back,
multiplied, a hundredfold."
"This camp totally changed my life. I feel confident and proud to walk
the path I chose."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
high hopes,
new interests,
a big bang,
a loud splash,
and a tribe of new friends!
Don't miss the seventh annual
Not Back to School
Camp 2002
for unschoolers ages 13-18.
Camp Myrtlewood, Oregon
Buffalo Gap Community Camp, West Virginia
Session 1, August 26-September 2, Oregon
Session 2, September 5-12, Oregon
Session 3, October 8-15, West Virginia
just the facts
* what: Not Back to School Camp
* who: About 105-115 unschoolers ages 13 to 18. An
adult staff of 13-22, led by Grace Llewellyn and Taber Shadburne.
* when: Session 1, August 26-September 2, Session 2,
September 5-12, Session 3, October 8-15.
* where: Sessions 1-2, Camp Myrtlewood, approx. 120
miles from Eugene, Oregon, Session 3, Buffalo Gap, approx. 80 miles from
Cumberland, Maryland.
* how much: $485. $25 additional if you register
after March 18, 2002. An additional fee (about $25) for an optional day
trip to the coast. 12 half-price scholarships and 5 work-trade
scholarships are available. We also have some flexible, extra
scholarship money which may be used for full scholarships, possibly even
travel stipends. ***Updated Infomation: Grace and Maya need your help
in getting a lot more registrations for
<http://www.nbtsc.org/wiki/NBTSC/18> NBTSC East as soon as possible or
we will have to cancel that session. (oh no!) So we have a business
proposition for you; for every person (can include yourself) you
convince to register for session 3 of
<http://www.nbtsc.org/wiki/NBTSC/18> NBTSC in West Virginia, between
march 19th and April 7th, we will give you a $25 credit towards your
camp fee. <http://www.nbtsc.org/wiki/AND/1> AND there is no limit to
how many credits you can get. So, if you get 20 people registered, you
just paid your way to camp. If you are not coming to camp, well just
mail you $25. To qualify for the credit, make sure you tell your session
3 friend to let us know you referred them. The disclaimer: if we dont
get enough registrations to make session 3 happen, nobody will get $25
credits. Go forth and proselytize!***
* why: To change ourselves and the world, teach each
other great things, and sleep under the moon....
* how to reach us: P0 Box 1014, Eugene, OR 97440.
Phone 541-686-2315. (If you have questions, our office hours are 9a.m.
to 2 p.m. Mon and Wed., Pacific Time.) Fax 509-696-3310. Email
NBTSC@...
* web site: www.nbtsc.org <http://www.nbtsc.org/>
_____
Parents say:
"[My son] has never experienced such openness, such honesty and such
loveand he is renewed. He feels accepted, uplifted, empowered and,
above all else, valued! Y ou are working magic at NBTSC .nurturing
wings. I applaud you and thank you."
"My kids really love NBTSC and all of their new friends. It makes
homeschooling a lot less lonely for them when they meet a diverse group
of open minded homeschoolers. Thank you for your part in helping my
children achieve strength, confidence, and independence."
"I have seen so many of the Vancouver kids come back from camp with
subtle (or not so subtle) changes in maturity, confidence etc. I can't
thank you enough for what you do by giving these kids the chance to be
together and spread their wings like this."
"The camp was fabulous for [my daughter] and the kids were too -- very
different from her high school friends, in maturity, drive,
self-assuredness, openness and vulnerability."
"Just a quick note of appreciation from a very pleased parent! I know
[my son] had one of the best weeks of his life and he's had a lot of
excellent weeks in his 17 years back he comes from camp with a zillion
new friendshe promptly hooked us up to email and in the last 3-4 weeks
has written well over 100 letters!"
"My son returned from your camp with renewed enthusiasm for life and
learning! Thank you so much for having this get-together of, apparently,
some of the most gifted and interesting people on earth!"
"[Our daughter] returned to us full of self-assurance, excitement, and
positive loving energy. The revelation that there are other teenagers
out there with her unschooler ideas was a delightful awakening for her."
"I should tell you that [my son] had a wonderful time at NBTSC. It's
resulted in some significant changes in how [he] approaches life, and
he's enthusiastic about going back next year."
_____
Hello!
This booklet contains lots of information about Not Back to School Camp,
so you can make an informed decision as to whether you want to join the
ruckus. We've had a blast during our first six camp seasons and plan to
do so again in 2002! If you have questions, please check first to see
whether we've already answered them in this booklet or on our website
(www.nbtsc.org). If we haven't, feel free to phone, fax, write, or
email, and we'll get back to you ASAP.
Who
You: Unschoolers/homeschoolers from anywhere on this planet are invited,
if they speak English and are between the ages of 13 and 18. Can you
still come if you go to school part time? Or if you're not yet a
homeschooler, but are about to become one? Or if you've "graduated" from
homeschooling and now attend college or hold a job? Or if you have
smelly feet? Sure. The maximum number of campers possible is about 105
in Oregon, 115 in West Virginia.
Your staff: Your hosts are Grace Llewellyn and Taber Shadburne. Grace is
best known as the author of The Teenage Liberation Handbook: how to quit
school and get a real life and education and the founder of NBTSC. Taber
is a psychotherapist and personal growth workshop leader. He's worked at
NBTSC since 1998 and this will be his third year co-directing. We will
be joined by a terrific staff of 11 in West Virginia, 20 in Oregon.
(Non) religious orientation: NBTSC is a non-denominational,
non-religious camp. We strive to honor each person's religious beliefs
or lack thereof, and ask that all campers do likewise.
Not Back to School Camp welcomes diversity. We are open to homeschoolers
and unschoolers of all races, ethnic backgrounds, genders, religious
beliefs, sexual orientations, economic backgrounds, and physical
capabilities.
Where
Sessions 1 and 2: We meet in Eugene, Oregon. Our buses will deliver you
to our home for the week, and back to Eugene at the end of the week.
Camp Myrtlewood is near the tiny town of Bridge, Oregon. It's about 120
miles Southwest of Eugene, in the coastal mountain range.
Session 3: We meet in Cumberland, Maryland. As in Oregon, our buses will
deliver you to our camp home and then back to Cumberland again. Buffalo
Gap is nestled in the mountains near the tiny town of Capon Bridge, West
Virginia. It's about 80 miles Southwest of Cumberland. (It's also just a
few hours' drive from either Washington, Baltimore, or Pittsburgh.)
Lodging and facilities: You'll stay in a clean, simple cabin. Girls and
boys have separate cabins; all ages are mixed together. Bathrooms are in
separate buildings a few yards away. Staff generally stays in separate
cabins or rooms. Both sites have all the facilities we need for a great
week, plenty of room for eating, workshops, dances, games, sports,
hiking, and enjoying nature. Camp Myrtlewood offers a pretty creek with
a swimming hole; Buffalo Gap offers a 2-acre spring-fed lake (with a
diving platform, sliding board, and sandy beach), a sauna, and 2 big
dance halls (one is also a basketball gym).
Weather: In both Oregon and West Virginia, chances are good we'll have
warm weather with coldish nights. It may rain a bit, particularly in
Oregonit often does, but we just keep on playing anyway.
What We're Gonna Do
Swim; talk; sing; drum; dance; hike; stare at the sky; play volleyball
and softball and soccer; take creative, emotional, and intellectual
risks; encourage each other to do amazing things; have talent shows;
teach and learn from each other. Each camper will be encouraged to
contribute both creatively (teach a workshop, lead a sport or group
singing, etc.) and not-quite-so-creatively (wash dishes, cut vegetables,
pick up trash, etc.).
Daily schedule: Each day we have a morning meeting and a brief evening
meeting; everyone is required to attend both, during which important
announcements are made and campers and staff are able to raise concerns.
Everyone is also encouraged, but not forced, to participate in evening
group activities. And we share mealtimes, of course. Beyond this, there
are many scheduled daytime activities, sports games, and workshopsled
both by staff and by you and your peers. You can choose among these
daytime activitiesor nap, talk with a new friend, or create your own
fun.
Evening events: are specialsometimes simple, sometimes elaborate... .a
campfire sing-along, talent shows, dancing, and other good stuff.
Workshopsa sampling: We'll have literally dozens of workshops to choose
from during the week. They'll reflect the talents and interests of all
staff and campers. At previous camps, we've had about 100 workshops per
week, including breakdancing, solar cooking, kung fu, orienteering,
yoga, cob-oven building, web-page designing, surrealist games,
co-counseling, VW engine fixing, drama, poetry, getting published and
self-publishing, origami, art booklets, swing dancing, youth rights,
tree identification, beading, and photography. You can decide each day
what you want to do. We do offer a lot of really good workshops and we
expect that each of you will go home with new skills you're excited
about. But the point is not to be frantically busy, and it's fine if you
don't want to participate in lots of these organized activities. The sun
and the forest will have plenty of suggestions of their own.
Your workshop or sport: Each camper is strongly encouraged to lead a
workshop or coach/teach a game/sport. Most workshops run 1 to 1 continue
a discussion over lunch. You do NOT necessarily have to be an expert in
your field to teach a workshop. As many NBTSC campers have discovered,
even if you are a beginner, you can be a good workshop teacher. If you
need supplies, we can provide basic art and office supplies, a boom box,
sports equipment, and a few other items, but you will need to provide
most other materials.
Sports: We typically play volleyball, basketball, soccer, ultimate
frisbee, and softball. If there's another sport you want to play,
volunteer to start a game.
Unscheduled activities: Most of the time you're free to make your own
fun if you don't feel like participating in a group activity. You can
swim whenever the swimming hole or lake is supervised, hike on trails,
talk with new friends, read, nap, swing, practice a new skill...
Show and tell nights: Talent shows are a great highlight of camp. You
can play music, balance on a ping pong ball, dance, sing, show your
artwork, do stand up comedy, turn cartwheels, juggle forks, tell us the
wildest thing that ever happened to your family, swallow a sword, read
your poetry or a very short story, or just stand up and tell us what
makes you tick. You might consider getting up and performing or sharing
something related to your workshop. You'll have up to 4 minutes if
you're going solo, or up to 7 minutes if you're in a group of 2 or more.
Staff
Our multi-faceted, caring, funny, altogether delightful staff is one of
the best things about NBTSC. They teach outstanding workshops and coach
sports, lead group singing, facilitate discussions, cook great food, and
those who aren't exhausted sometimes stay up late and join in the
after-midnight revels. For the most part, our experience is that the
staff adores the campers and the campers adore the staff.
Advisors: One staff person will be your designated "advisor" during the
week. Although you are welcome to talk with any of us about concerns or
questions, this person is responsible for checking in with you
regularly, making sure you're accounted for several times a day, etc.
You'll also meet briefly with your advisor (and about 10 other campers)
each morning as part of our meeting, to check in, discuss concerns, ask
questions.
Food
Three yummy, simple vegetarian meals each day. Vegan alternatives for
people who request them in advance, and we can usually accommodate
wheat-free diets too. People with numerous allergies or other special
diets may need to supply some or all of their own food. (In Oregon, we
prepare our own food and use mostly organically grown ingredients. In
West Virginia, the Buffalo Gap staff will cook for us, and
unfortunately, organic ingredients would knock the price tag of camp up
too high. In future years we hope to jiggle the budget in order to
provide OG food there without raising camp fees.)
money
The cost of NBTSC (including supplies, food, local transportation, staff
salaries, labor, lodging, overhead, etc.) is $485 per person. The camp
fee includes just about everything: travel from and to Eugene or
Cumberland, hearty meals, lodging, almost all activities. (Some campers
or staff may plan workshops with a small additional materials fee, and
we'll offer an optional day trip which will require a $25 transportation
fee. In Oregon, our field trip goes to the coast; we'll let you know our
West Virginia destination later.) You'll also receive a directory of all
campers and staff, and a "bliss book"a zine full of notes on workshops
and other stuff people feel passionate about.
Please register (with a deposit) by March 18. After that date, your cost
increases by $25. You may want to register much sooner to get into the
session of your choice. A $75 non-refundable deposit is due with your
registration. The balance is due 6 weeks before the start of camp, and
it is very important that you get it in on time. If your balance is not
received on time, we will add a $25 late fee, and if it's not in one
month before camp starts we'll have to drop you from the roster and give
your spot to someone else. If your plans change, the balance (if paid
early) can be refunded up until 6 weeks before camp starts. If you
prefer, you are welcome to pay the whole camp fee at the time of
registration.
About refunds: While in the past we had a strict policy of not giving
refunds of deposits at all, and not of other camp funds past a certain
date, we now charge enough money for camp that we generally cover all
our costs when all sessions of camp are full, and are therefore able to
give partial refunds in some cases. In a nutshell: we do not give ANY
refunds until after camp is over. At that point, we will give refunds in
this priority:
1. anyone who got contagiously sick enough at the last
minute that we asked them not to come to camp gets a refund of all but
$40 of their camp fees. (We may require a written and signed statement
from a healthcare provider. And, sorry, but we are talking only about
contagious diseases here, not broken legs or non-contagious illnesses.)
2. if all sessions of camp were full, then we may give
some partial refunds with priority going to people who canceled
earliest. We will always retain a $40 processing fee, but at our
discretion may refund everything else, including the initial deposit. Be
sure to make a written request (email or fax is fine) if you want a
refund; otherwise we will keep your full deposit or camp fees and use
them for miscellaneous camp expensesor, if there are none, your fees
will go into our scholarship fund.
Scholarships and work trade positions: We offer 12 half-price
scholarships for families who couldn't otherwise afford NBTSC. Also, we
have 5 work-trade positions available. These, too, are for families who
would otherwise have trouble paying for camp. If you'd like an
application for either a scholarship or work-trade, send a SASE to our
office or see our website. We may have a few additional scholarships
available also, of varying amounts, thanks to our new scholarship fund
(see below). The deadline to apply for these scholarships is March 18,
2002. However, we may also have some additional scholarship money
available after that point.
Fundraising: People earn camp money in all kinds of waysone girl sells
candy in her yard, right after the nearby school gets out in the
afternoon, while kids are walking home. Some people get jobs. One girl
earned all of her 1999 money by playing her violin on street corners.
You could also ask for a group of your friends and relativesor your
local homeschool support groupto sponsor you, spreading the cost among
lots of people.
Some people earn money by selling copies of Grace's books (The Teenage
Liberation Handbook, Real Lives, and Freedom Challenge) to friends,
relatives, school friends, local homeschoolers, whoever. (Several
campers have sold over 50 copies of the TLH to their friends.) You earn
approximately 35%, or $6-$6.60, for each copy. Contact us for more info.
(Sorry, but Genius Tribe book fairs are no longer an option, since the
Genius Tribe catalog is going extinct.)
Donating to our tax-deductible scholarship fund!!!
Thanks to the Self-Education Foundation, you or your parents or your
fairy godfathers can give money that will be in turn given to people who
couldn't otherwise afford to come to camp. This fund is in addition to
our standard practice of offering a set number of half-scholarships and
worktrades each year. With this fund, we do whatever feels most
appropriatein one case that means contributing $100 to someone's camp
fees; in another case it could mean a full scholarship plus a $200
travel stipend. Please consider giving to this fund, or asking other
people to, now or in the future. (We know a lot of you are gonna get
rich 10 or 20 years from now, and we hope that when you do, you remember
your good old alma mater in your hearts and your wills and your
checkbooks.)
To support this fund, please make out your check to the Self Education
Foundation and mark in your check's memo line (or in an accompanying
note) that the money is specifically for the NBTSC scholarship fund.
Mail to us or to the Self Education Foundation, P.O. Box 30790,
Philadelphia, PA 19104. Thank you!!!
The Self-Education Foundation, by the way, is a fantastic philanthropic
organization. (It was founded by Billy Wimsatt, who was a NBTSC staffer
in '96 and '97 and is the author of Bomb the Suburbs and No More
Prisons, 2 of Grace's favorite books. And I, Grace, serve on its board.)
It works to build and support a cohesive movement, across cultures and
disciplines, of people initiating their own education. It funds,
supports, and networks unschoolers and education mavericks from tough
backgrounds who have added barriers to successfully educating
themselves, their kids, their communities, and the world. For more info,
check out www.selfeducation.org.
You should also know that another source of scholarship donations is our
beloved NBTSC stafferseach year one or two staffers give up some or all
of their pay, and it goes directly toward camp scholarships instead.
The Fine Print
Responsibilities: Each person contributes to the spiffiness of camp in
two major ways:
1) fun, possibly creative work which draws on your unique talents. Each
of you will be asked to coach a game or sport, lifeguard for an
afternoon at the swimming hole, teach a workshop, lead the singing
around the campfire one night, or some such.
2) You'll get to perform a few grungy, possibly even disgusting menial
chores too! We help prepare meals, clean up after them, keep the
bathrooms clean, and clean our cabins before we leave. You may have to
scrub a toilet or 2, but hey, you'll have partners and you can whistle
while you work. Each camper has about 4-5 hours of chores during the
week.
Travel arrangements: You can fly, drive, train, bicycle, or bus into
Eugene or Cumberland. (In Oregon, some people fly into Portland and then
take the bus or train down to Eugene. In West Virginia, you may find it
cheaper to fly into Pittsburgh, Baltimore, or Washington DC and then
take the bus or train from there.) In both Oregon and West Virginia, our
buses will pick campers up at the Greyhound bus depot, the Amtrak train
station, the airport, and a city park. On our last day, we'll return you
to your pick of those same locations. You should arrive by 2:30 if
possible, and 4:00 at the absolute latest. On our last day, you should
arrive back in Eugene or Cumberland by noon. You can also drive
yourself, or have someone else drive you, directly to Camp Myrtlewood or
Buffalo Gap. If you have a car with you during the week, you absolutely
may not drive itno matter how old you areand must turn your keys over
to us until camp is over.
Eugene has a small commercial airport serviced by several major airlines
including United; many campers fly into Eugene directly. Others fly into
Portland, 100 miles north, and then take the bus or train down to
Eugene. Cumberland has a smallish airport serviced by US Airways
Express, with frequent flights in from Pittsburgh. You may want to fly
into a larger nearby airport (such as Pittsburgh, Dulles, or Reagan) and
take the bus or train from there.
If you can't arrive early enough on the first day, or leave late enough
on the last day, we can make arrangements for you to stay in a hotel
room with other campers and a staff person; cost will be approximately
$35. Please do not take advantage of this offer unless your travel
schedule really requires it! It is a pain for us to supervise hotel
rooms and play taxi. Be aware that hotel rooms will probably be
supervised (at least in the past, the hotel we have worked with has
required that) and we will enforce a curfew.
A logistical note for people attending both sessions 1 and 2: You may
either ride the buses back to Eugene in between the two sessions, or for
about $80 you can stay at Camp Myrtlewood for the 3 extra nights. If you
do, you'll need to do some chores, be mellowstaff will be in long
meetings and deep comasand move temporarily into a different cabin.
You'll have a chance to do laundry and we'll feed you. If you go back to
Eugene, you're on your ownsorry, but we can't help you make hotel
arrangements or provide any transportation except for the bus ride from
and to camp.
If you have special needs: Both Camp Myrtlewood and Buffalo Gap can
accommodate wheelchairs, though like any outdoor setting they can pose
challenges to anyone (including people in "normal" physical condition).
Educate us about your needs, and we'll do our best to make your week
comfortable, safe, and exciting.
Health and safety: There is no camp nurse or other medical person on
staff. There will, however, be at least one staff person trained in
first aid and CPR. In case of emergency, you will be taken by ambulance
to the nearest hospital (approximately 45 minutes away). You must
basically be responsible for your own health, bring any (regular)
necessary medications with you, etc. Your camp fee does include
insurance for accidents/injuries that take place on the camp grounds.
What if you get sick when it's time to come to camp?
Depending on how sick you are and what you have, we may ask you not to
come. We will consider on a case-by-case basis whether people who are
already sick (and contagious) should attend. If we ask you not to
attend, we will give you a refund of all your money, minus a $40
processing fee. (Before sending the refund we may request that you send
a signed statement from a healthcare provider.)
More information later
In approximately June 2002 you'll receive a handbook which includes a
list of what to bring and plenty of other information to help you
prepare for and get the most out of camp. In the meantime, hang onto
this booklet.
Answers to questions some people ask, or are gonna ask
Why can't each session of NBTSC be longer?
1) Because that would make it too expensive for many people.
2) Because that would make it harder to find staff (many staff people
come to
NBTSC on their vacations).
3) Because the staff gets tired and needs a break.
Why is NBTSC vegetarian?
We do not intend to make any kind of moral or political statement about
diet. NBTSC staff includes vegetarians, vegans, and carnivores. Your
co-directors, Grace and Taber, have at different times in their lives
been vegetarians, vegans, raw foodists, and carnivores. But for our
purposes at camp, meat is both too expensive and too unsanitary. We are
sticklers about providing healthy, mostly organically grown ingredients
whenever possible, and organic and chemical-free meat is way expensive.
Also, because many campers are vegetarian, our vegetarian menu helps us
to satisfy the largest number of people without preparing a ton of
different dishes at each meal. You are welcome to bring your own meat
supplements (jerky, tuna in cans, dried fish, etc.) if you want. (At
Buffalo Gap, our meals will not be prepared by NBTSC staff, and will not
be mostly organic, at least not in 2002.)
How will the West Virginia camp be different from the Oregon camp?
We have a big swimming lake rather than a sweet little creek (though in
October, some of us may feel a little borderline about swimming). There
are more (and larger) indoor spaces available to us. Their staff will be
cooking for usthey'll serve vegetarian and vegan meals (they won't,
unfortunately, have much in the way of organic ingredients). Hopefully,
we'll attract more east coast folks. And, of course, there'll just be
the adventure of a new place.
Rules
For people who have attended NBTSC in the past: this year we will be
making a sincere effort to simplify our rules and agreements. No, this
doesn't mean that now it is ok for people to walk on the tables; it does
mean that we will convey some of our expectations in other ways besides
rules.
An overwhelming number of past campers have commented that with our
policies and attitudes they felt free, trusted, and yet safe and well
cared for. The rules we do have are very importantdesigned to protect
everyone's safety and peace, and to ensure that we can continue to have
NBTSC, yet without limiting freedom unnecessarily. Please do be aware
that for any serious rule infractions, we always contact parents. Our
past experience has been that for the most part, we get along superbly
and people respect each other and the rules.
Our rules are relatively lax compared to those of most other camps and
youth activities. In particular, we have very few required activities on
the schedule, and we do not have a set bedtime or require you to sleep
in your assigned bed. Instead, we ask you to use your time well
according to your own values, and we ask you to create, and then use, a
"bedtime policy" that serves your own particular needs and goals at
camp, and regardless of where you sleep, we expect you to honor our "no
sex at camp" rule.
We often refer to our rules as agreements. Camp is not something we, the
government, your parents, or your friends require you to doit is
something you choose to do. (In fact, our first and most important rule
is that you cannot come to camp unless it is your own free choice to do
so.) In choosing to be there, we expect you to agree to act in the way
that we ask you to, in order to help co-create the best possible camp
for you and everyone else.
an important note for parents and campers
on bedtimes and sleeping arrangements
We want to clarify a few things in light of some questions and concerns
expressed by parents, and in light of some (rather different) questions
and concerns expressed by campers. We have carefully considered and
reconsidered our goals for camp, and at least for 2002, this is where we
stand:
As in the past, we do not plan to enforce a bedtime at camp. We will
continue to require lights out/quiet in cabins from midnight to 8 a.m.,
but allow people to stay up later in the lodge, at the campfire circle,
etc.
We do, however, ask each camper to write up a personal policy that they
will use to determine when to go to bed each night, based on what they
understand about themselves and what is important to them during the
camp week. This is a new program, which we started in 2001; it was very
effective at Session 1, and somewhat effective at Session 2. (We didn't
work so hard to convey its importance at Session 2, largely because it
went so well Session 1 that we wrongly assumed we didn't need to work at
it for Session 2.) We do this because while we don't want to
unnecessarily limit freedom, we do want campers to take good care of
themselves and get enough sleep. And, we want to encourage more
participation in daytime workshops and activities.
Also (and as in the past), we do not plan to require campers to sleep in
their assigned beds. (We don't allow girls in boys' cabins or vice
versa, though.) Most campers sleep in their beds most of the time. Some
campers, however, sleep in groups (which are often mixed-gender) in
public spaces or outside. Sometimes these groups are affectionate and
cuddly. To be a little more blunt, at times they are just heaps of
peopleto those of us on staff, they sometimes look quite uncomfortable.
While we firmly expect campers to observe our "no sex at camp" and "no
nudity" rules (and initiate plenty of dialogue when that seems called
for), we do not police these groups. Our observation (borne out by many
candid reports from individual campers) is that while occasionally there
is some mildly sexual behavior, by and large these "people piles" are
innocent. We feel that while they do make it possible for people to bend
the rules, there are other ways for people to bend the rules who have
decided to do so, and that to tighten our policy in this regard would be
more of a detriment than a benefit to camp and campers.
Because we know that some campers may not be fully ready to make their
own healthiest choices about this (and other) matters, and because as
parents you know your kids better than we do, we suggest that you talk
about this subject as a family, and perhaps clarify your own
expectations or agreements independently of camp rules and policies. In
other words, we do stand behind the rules that we set, and take
reasonable steps to ensure that they are followed, but we cannot be
responsible for making sure that your kids behave the way that you think
is best for them.
In the past, we have swung to different sides of the pendulumtightening
things up at parents' requests, then seeing (and hearing from campers)
that we've caused more harm than good, preventing innocent affection
more than anything else, and so swinging back to a looser stance. We're
hoping to strike a better balance, in part by asking youthe parentsto
get involved by having your own family discussions. (It might also be
helpful for you to talk, as a family, about what kind of a bedtime
policy might work best. In our spring mailing we will include some
examples of policies that worked well in 2001.)
Grace says: If your family runs into road blocks in negotiating this
territory (or any other, for that matter), or you simply want some help
in creating a win-win agreement, I'd highly recommend a phone
consultation with Taber Shadburne, my co-director. He's a
psychotherapist and family counselor who specializes in this sort of
thing and I think he's about as skilled and insightful as they come. If
money is an issue, he may be able to work out a discount or partial
trade or some such. You can reach him at 510-336-3391, or
HeyTaber@....
One more note. Our experience at camp has always been that most campers
are extremely maturethat is, cooperative, beyond the need to rebel for
rebellion's sake, and kind and empathetic to staff as well as to each
other. When we envision our policies at future camps, it is always with
this kind of maturity in mind. In the unlikely event that we ever find
ourselves with a different quality of camp community, we will need to
shift the way we do things. We are committed to creating the best
possible balance of freedom and caretaking, given the particular group
of human beings that we find ourselves serving.
_____
Campers say:
"I feel genuine kinship and community here. I'm going back to my usual
home with feelings of hope and inspiration and a clearer vision for my
horizons."
"Wonderful people, and everyone following their bliss. Camp is an
energizing bath of joyful energy that left me full of awe and
inspiration for my own life."
"Camp was one of the most inspiring and purifying experiences I've ever
had. It makes me hungry for life again."
"This camp was by far the best thing that ever happened to me."
"The only thing I don't like about camp is leaving at the end. I mean I
know that we have to leave at some point, but I wish we didn`t. I just
love camp that much."
"I had never been in such a big group of people that were so open,
nonjudgmental, loving, honest, and just wonderful to be around! The
energy of it all was so incredibly awesome! It was the best experience I
have ever had."
"I will definitely be coming back next year and for both sessions!!! I
had the time of my life at NBTSC!"
"1 just want to let you all know how much of a great time 1 had at camp.
I really think the people at camp were the most open, loving, fun and
supportive group of young adults. Thank you all for the things I learned
at camp. I really, really, really want to be there next year!"
"Overall, I think this was the best week of my life. The energy of
vibrant, thinking, life-loving people is the most intensely powerful
thing I can imagine."
"Camp is good for me. It's good for my spirit. It totally rejuvenates
me, and inspires me. This is partly who Jam, camp affects everyone a
little differently, of course. Don`t send your kid here thinking they'll
come home some kind of superkid. Camp isn`t for the parent. It`s for the
kid. It's an experience they won`t forget. But everyone processes
differently, and every kid may NOT come home totally inspired. The
majority will, I suppose...."
"Never before has a camp had such an effect on me as this one. I was so
at peace with myself and others, it was incredible. I never wanted to
leave."
"This camp gives you the feeling that no matter who you are or wherever
you re from, you will always be welcome!"
"Camp has been the best three weeks of the last three years of my life.
Some of my very favorite people are the people I've met here in the last
three years."
"Every year it continues to amaze me how so many wonderful, accepting
people there really are. I've made more lasting friends at camp than in
the whole rest of my life put together."
"I'm writing to say again how thrilled lam with camp. You get together
such a great group of wonderful, talented people. I'm really amazed at
your ability to make it work so well." "I feel like a different and
better person! I haven`t even fought with my sister who also went to
camp. Or my other siblings for that matter."
"Camp is the high point of my unschool year. Each time I make new
friends, learn new things, and leave with a beautiful feeling."
"To be at NBTSC is a life changing experience. It sounds like a cliché
but it's never been more genuine than in this case."
"This was the funnest camp I've ever been to and everyone was so nice!"
"Not Back to School Camp has consistently and persistently demanded that
I try new things and challenge the way I look at the world. I have come
across so many amazing people with amazing talents, I think I have a new
family of 120 people!"
"I was thrilled by everything: the idea, the staff the campers, the
openness, the inspiration that lasts all year. Thank you."
"Like last year, I came home totally inspired. 1 feel like the days are
not long enough for all the things I want to learn/study now. 1 feel
like I can change the world. I know I can change the world. 120 campers
and advisors felt the same way that week, I think, and many of them have
carried that feeling home. It was worth every bit of money and time, I
love camp. I highly recommend it, especially to those who are wondering
if they're doing the right thing and to those who feel apathetic and
unenthusiastic about learning, life, whatever. There is a joy in life at
camp. A warning however: you can't get much out of camp if you don't put
much in. The more you participate in things, try talking to new people,
and explore, the better time you will have. And personally, I find that
by the end of camp, what energy I put into being there has come back,
multiplied, a hundredfold."
"This camp totally changed my life. I feel confident and proud to walk
the path I chose."
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