Embedded Files
Who:
All Local Middle School and High School age youth
When:
After school and on weekends, August - May, with possible days and times including:
Movie Night Mondays 5 - 8pm
Walk-about Wednesdays 5 - 8pm
Bonfire Fridays 5 - 8pm
Skillset Saturdays 12 - 6pm
Self-Care Sundays 12 - 6pm
Additional days and times could of course be added as well, in addition to regularly scheduled orientation sessions
Availability / scheduling will be on a first-come-first-serve basis, and participants will be welcome to join in for some or all available program hours
Why:
Building responsibility and independence with an underlying safety net
Interacting with different age groups, rather than only peers, and increased less-structured social interaction
Decompression space away from ongoing patterns with guardians and families, building SEL and Critical Thinking, and Motor Functioning, as well as communication and life skills that are quickly becoming part of the past
Where:
The RRNCCampus (see map below), with the possibility of local field trips
What:
In the spirit of the French literary and philosophical movements of the 17th and 18th centuries, RRNC will be hosting our own version of the concept of a Salon, as hangouts for local middle school and high school age youth to gather in a place for the exchange of ideas and knowledge.
Program participants will have access (with supervision) to most of the campus facilities, including but not limited to:
Indoor and outdoor hangout spaces
Outdoor Gym
Outdoor Classroom
Outdoor Office
Picnic table areas
Susan's She-Shed
Trailer C
Woods walks on our campus trail system
Crafts and science activity spaces and supplies
Book lending / reading (possibly both between participants and from the RRNC collections)
RRNCCampus Bike Fleet
Chandler's Sewing Studio
(future) Pottery Studio
(future) Nature Center and Classrooms
to be continued...
Learning Circles:
While a large amount of the time spent at the Salon will no doubt be unstructured, in an effort to create some kind of framework for specific topics of interest, the plan is to create Learning Circles within the Salon, starting with (at least) the following focuses:
Homework study groups / buddies / mirroring / support
Special interests research and development space / support
Pickup games (ie. ultimate frisbee, Quidditch, dodgeball, Jugger, etc.), board games and (future) videogames
Any Salon participant is welcome to instigate the creation of a new Learning Circle - so long as a simular one doesn't already exist, and they are willing to take on the responsibility of being the Facilitator of that Circle.
Why "Learning Circles" rather than "Clubs"?
A Learning Circle is a group of individuals with a common interest who meet regularly to learn from each other, and others, about a self-identified topic and in a format the group has decided upon. Learning Circles are flexible, peer-directed learning experiences. Differently from Clubs - which can tend to be more top down hierarchical - Learning Circles are built upon the idea that every member has something to contribute and that every member has something to learn.
Challenges
Insurance
Personel
Transportation
Max occupancy
Tuition and funding
Physical accessibility
Ongoing campus development
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Opportunities
For local youth to take a role in shaping the program and supporting each other
Space and time for program participants to spend time diving into their special interests, prepping for college and future careers, and discovering more about who they are as individuals
Early access to future RRNC Programming information
The sky's kinda the limit!
Rules
Be Safe
Shoes | Close toed shoes must be worn while outdoors at all times.
Hair | Any hair that comes down to your shoulders or gets in your eyes must be pulled back at all times.
Climbing | If there is a play structure that you can’t reach to climb into by yourself, then it is off limits.
Cars | As a safety precaution, when a car starts to come down our road, a staff member will call out “Car!” & all participants will go into the nearest building.
Restrooms | One person inside a restroom - while the door is closed - at a time!
Sick Policy | Stay home if you are feeling cruddy the morning of, have had a fever, or thrown up within the last 24 hours.
Off Limit Areas | When unaccompanied by a program leader, these include:
The Big House 2nd story & office
Dr. Mike’s Workshop
Bike Shop
Sewing Studio
Equipment Shed
Scrap Yard
Any & all red areas on the campus map
Be Kind
Copying | Copying the way someone colored their drawing or constructed a craft project is considered to be a compliment & a way of learning here at RRNC. However, copying someone by repeating every word they say to the point where they become frustrated, etc., is not the kind of copying we encourage.
Name Calling | Here at RRNC we know that words are powerful & that even if they aren’t meant to, sometimes they can hurt. Refrain from actively mocking others, as it might lead to termination.
Animals | We expect that all our animals will be treated with complete respect & never chased or teased. All of our pets - including the chickens - are human friendly, but mother hens can be extremely protective of their chicks, so please admire them from a distance. In addition, never directly approach or disturb wild animals, particularly ones that might be injured or have babies.
Sent Free Campus | (MORE INFO COMING SOON)
Be Helpful
One Thing at a Time | While it is more than fine to move from one activity to the next, all participants are expected to clean up / put away their activity before starting the next one.
Cleaning Up | All participants are expected to pitch in & help the staff put away game equipment & craft supplies & clean up after themselves following lunch & at the end of each day.
Disposal System | When you want to throw something away, there's one of 5 places it might go, as we divide our campus waste stream into:
Trash
Burnables
Compost
Recyclables
Upcyclables
This system will be reviewed with all participants & staff during orientations. If you are not sure where a particular item should be placed for disposal, please ask a staff member for help.
Policies
Fires | All campfires must be monitored by a staff member until fully quenched.
Knives & Other Tools | During the program, participants & staff will be using knives & other potentially dangerous tools. Their use must be monitored by a Staff member.
Drugs & Alcohol | Drugs & alcohol are both strictly prohibited during the program.
Pop Culture References | As RRNC is not a public educational institution, participants & staff are permitted to mention, discuss, or wear clothing referencing pop culture, as long as it does not include any gratuitously violent or derogatory subject matter.
Religion | RRNC is not affiliated with or teaches about any specific religion. Therefore, participants are permitted to ask the staff about their religious beliefs, staff members may answer as they see fit.
Clothing | Clothing must cover all private parts, core body & buttocks (one piece bathing suits are preferred, but not required). While clothing may contain pop culture references, religious affiliations, etc., all curse words & images of private parts or blood & gore are prohibited.
Social Media | Staff members may share their personal contact information with participants, with the participant’s guardians approval & staff may not post photos of participants on their personal social media accounts. We ask that all participants & staff wait until leaving campus to tag any related geolocations.
Personal Electronic Devices | Participants may use personal electronic devices while on campus. Digital cameras are available for nature photo journaling.
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