Northwest Sufi Camp Teens 2023

Dear Northwest Sufi Camp Teens Camp & Parents/Guardians,

Welcome all! We are looking forward to another year of Northwest Sufi Camp, especially in the Teen Program! If you are new to camp or to the Teen Program, we want to thank you for being curious and interested in adding the unique energy you bring to our sweet community. To those who are returning, here we go again! We look forward to seeing you all! We are ever grateful for the quality of community that you have helped create by showing up and just being yourselves.

The Teen Program is open to all camp participants aged 13-18 years.  Our designated teen center is an ideal place for us to create a container of safety
where we can learn about ourselves and others and connect through an experiential program that we will co-create! As co-teen camp leads, we will be
working to help make the program fun, engaging, and respectful of each teen. We will be offering a 1-1½ hour structured activity each day, followed by two
hours of unstructured teen time where we can relax and hang out together! Examples of the possible structured activities include discussions on consent and gender, guided journaling, and guest teachers to answer questions the teens have about Sufism, mysticism, and spirituality. Examples of the unstructured activities to follow include music, arts and crafts, yoga, nature excursions, and board games.

For those returning after the years away due to covid, this format may feel a little different. We are adapting as best we can to our collective new circumstances and we want you to be a part of creating something new together! Feel free to reach out to us beforehand if you have any questions or ideas you’d like to share and, as always, bring your drums, guitars, board/card games and any other favorite activities!

PLEASE NOTE:
1. The teen center is not a sleeping area. While teen activities may run late, teens are not allowed to sleep in the teen center, and parents/guardians are responsible for their teens during all hours the teen center is not open. Therefore, parents/guardians – please make arrangements during registration for tenting or cabin accommodations for your entire family.

2. All able-bodied campers aged 15-75 need to sign up for karma yoga, a one- time activity that assists with the camp and helps keep costs down. Signing up online and early is the best way to get your first choice of job; otherwise, a more limited choice will be available when you arrive at camp and register. Jobs range from helping out at kids’ camp or helping set up and tear down the main hall decorations to sweeping and wiping down tables in the dining hall after meals. Make sure you choose a time slot that fits into your own daily rhythm – you’re only asked show up once during the week, but it’s important to the camp that you do!

3. There is a mandatory orientation meeting on Sunday evening, immediately following the all-camp meeting. All teens and their parents/guardians should stay in the main tent, and we’ll spend about 15 more minutes introducing the staff, sharing important announcements, and collecting signed forms. The Teen Program is contained within the entire camp and has special considerations that need to be communicated to both the teens and the parents/guardians. Teens will not be admitted to the Program until staff has met in person with their parent/guardian and the appropriate parent/guardian forms have been turned in.

Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!
Excitement, Elation and Blessings!

In Gratitude,

Miriel Waldman & Nina Matthews