Co-dean, summer camp, Eliot Institute
As a co-dean of two summer camps for Unitarian Universalist families, I volunteered to share in supporting the keynote presenter; recruiting a full staff for the camp; developing a full 7-day program with music, small groups, and activities for all ages; working with facility staff to provide an efficient, safe, and responsible environment; and managing the budget for the camp. I co-directed the following two camps: Naramata, B.C. July, 2010 (with approximately 150 campers); Seabeck, Washington. August, 2015 (with approximately 250 campers).
Children and Youth Program Director, Eliot Institute,
I volunteered to manage the children and youth programs for five winter family camps from 2011-2015. My duties included planning, implementing, and supervising a daily morning children’s and youth programs during the five days of camp. The program included a variety of stimulating, challenging and creative activities for infants through 12th graders inclusive. I recruited and supervised a full staff. In addition, I worked closely with staff, families and campers to reconcile any young campers’ discipline issues or address special circumstances that arose during programming.
“Inquiring Souls” curriculum, North Shore Unitarian Church
Sep 2015 – June 2016; Sep 2016 to June 2017. I co-created, with my husband Bill Richardson, and now volunteer to teach a weekly inquiry-based class to encourage children ages 10-12 to ask — and answer — the quirky, simple, puzzling and/or BIG questions in their lives. Children in our class ask any question on their minds while we facilitators pull together resources and interesting history that may stimulate fact-finding and critical thinking. These engaging sessions are graphically recorded by any participant who wishes to grab a marker and visually track our thinking through the chosen topic.
Example questions that children from the 2016/17 class elected to explore: What is real? What does it mean to “come of age”? Why do we need logos? Can humans go extinct? Why do we celebrate spring? What is climate change? What is destiny? Where did it all come from? What is evolution and creation? Why are people superstitious? Why do we eat candy canes? Is there life on other planets? Why do people like Pokemon? Why do people pick by brands? Why do birds fly? Why do we need entertainment? Who invented reading? Why do we like scary rides? Why do we talk about utopias? Do we have free will? Pets: why do we love them so much? Where did religion come from?
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