Coastal Connection

 

Date: July 22-26, 2013

Age: Rising 6th and 7th grade girls

Tuition: $750

 

How do I connect?

 

Coastal Connection provides 6th and 7th grade girls an opportunity for exploration along the Maine coast. During their 5 days at CSG, the girls will live together in our 1840s era farmhouse. Our days will be filled with adventures in the mud flats and among the rocky intertidal zone in our backyard, as well as paddles in the bay, day hikes in nearby state parks, and visits to several of the marine science facilities that pepper the Maine coast.

These adventures provide plenty of fodder for our essential question: “How do I connect?” Through inquiry, observation and guided reflection, each girl will deepen her understanding of how she connects to herself, to others, and to the natural world.

A typical day in Coastal Connection:
6:30am - Our girls will wake up gently to a song from one of their leaders.

7:00am - After the girls have had a chance to wake up, the girls will gather outside the farmhouse and together will walk to the water’s edge for 20 minutes of “solo.” Solo is an opportunity to sit quietly, soak in the beauty of the woods, water, and fields around them, reflect, write in their journals, or set an intention for the day ahead.

8:00am - Once the girls have returned from solo, they will enjoy a healthy homemade breakfast in the farmhouse. Before each meal, a girl will select a quote or small reading to share with the community. The girls will sit together to enjoy food and each other’s company.

8:45am - After breakfast, the girls will have 15 minutes of Tidy Time, a chance to neaten their little slice of the farmhouse before the day’s activities.

9:00am - The morning adventure could take us into the fields for a team-building activity, to nearby Bradbury Mountain State Park for a hike, to Wolfe’s Neck Woods for a naturalist walk, to the mud flats for an investigation of marine life, or to a nearby science facility to meet scientists and get a taste for their work.

12:30pm - If our morning was spent near campus, we will return to the farmhouse for our midday meal. If our adventure has taken us farther afield, we will enjoy a packed lunch together before continuing with our afternoon.

1:15pm - After a busy morning, the girls will have 45 minutes to relax and unwind. If we are at the farmhouse, each girl can find her own slice of quiet space to read, write letters, journal, nap, or draw. If we are out in the field, we will find our own “sit spots” to have a few moments of solitude before the afternoon activity.

2:00pm - Our afternoon adventure may be a continuation of the morning’s activities or a new exploration of ourselves, our community, or our landscape.

5:15pm - We will return to the farmhouse in time to wash up and enjoy a delicious homemade meal. Following dinner, our whole community will take several minutes to tidy up the farmhouse from the wear-and-tear of the day.

6:30pm - In the evening, our activity will focus on ourselves and our relationships. Team challenges, games, workshops, or artistic endeavors are all potential options for this valuable community time.

8:45pm - To reflect on the day, we will wrap up each evening with “Closing Circle.” Closing Circle provides each girl a chance to share the highs and lows of her day, and an opportunity to answer an interesting question posed by one of the leaders. Closing Circle is a valuable moment to slow down, process the day, check-in with individuals, and deepen our sense of support as we share bits of ourselves with the community.

9:30pm - After winding down from the day, the girls crawl into their bunks, the lights go out, and a leader sings a lullaby as the girls settle down to rest for the big day ahead.

 

For an application or more information about applying, click here.