Junior Youth Ecology Camp
Philomath, OR
July 27-29th and August 10-12th, 2007
Two highly successful junior youth “Eco-camps” were held in Cluster OR 15 (Benton County) this summer using the Ruhi Institute’s “Junior Youth Ecology Camp 1” materials. The 3-day camps began at 3pm on Friday afternoon and ended at 11:30am on the following Sunday morning. This experience included camping overnight in tents. The camp was held on the rural property of a woman whose son has been participating in a junior youth group for the past year. The plan for the camps was conceived as a response to two different needs: the need to expand junior youth groups in this cluster (expansion), and the pedagogical need of junior youth already in groups to see their spiritual life as intimately connected to other aspects of life (consolidation). After the camps, it was found that a third objective had also been pursued: the empowerment of individuals, both for junior youth and assistant animators.
At the camp, the junior youth studied material which focused on such themes as “Nature as a reflection of the Divine” and “Unity in Diversity”. They also engaged in activities which included a habitat restoration project, a bug identification project, art activities, music, drama, storytelling, quote and prayer memorization and cooperative games. The camp culminated in a BBQ for the families which included very short presentations by the junior youth using the skits they had created during the camp.
All in all, these camps were a very confirming experience for all. Junior youth and animators alike have flooded us with stories of their individual transformation, and there has been a noticeable increase in participation in junior youth groups. Three new junior youth have joined groups, and two of the assistants from the Eco-Camps are now serving as animators. The Ruhi Institute’s materials are very effective, especially when they served as guides for a camp that seeks to apply spiritual principles to the junior youth’s efforts to appreciate and care for their Earth.
Jump to pictures here