Sitting around fires, crafting with their hands, bonding with friends, building leadership skills, and spending time with their feet on the earth – within a safe and supportive community.

Wayfinders Spring Pilot includes 2 bi-weekly (choose either Wednesday or Thursday) fire circles and one monthly Sunday retreat (which everyone will attend). There will be 2 gatherings for parents/guardians.

Currently accepting applications for Wayfinders

Spring 2022 Pilot Program

Wednesday Group

Bi-weekly Fire Circles from 4-5:30pm
Wednesday, March 9th
Wednesday, March 23rd
Wednesday, April 6th
Wednesday, April 20th
Wednesday, May 4th
Wednesday, May 18th
Wednesday, June 1st
Thursday Group

Bi-weekly Fire Circles from 4-5:30pm
Thursday, March 10th
Thursday, Match 24th
Thursday, April 7th
Thursday, April 21st
Thursday, May 5th
Thursday, May 19th
Thursday, June 2nd
Retreats

The Wednesday & Thursday fire circle groups will come together for one Sunday monthly retreat. Each retreat includes deep nature connection, and activities in each of the passion paths - CREATE, SPIRIT, WILD, AND ALIGN, in addition to embodied learning that draws from the rhythms of the seasons.
March 27th (11:30-3:00)
April 24th (10:00-3:00)
May 22nd (10:00-3:00)
June 12th (10:00-3:00)
Service Project

The Wayfinders service project will bring to life the activities and exploration of themes that take place during retreats and at bi-weekly gatherings.
Possible Projects
Tree Planting
Building a Community Garden
Building a Compost Project
Woods Clean Up
Connecting with a school community to bring nature connection to student-body
Parent/Guardian Gatherings

Cultivating family community and involving parents/guardians in the experience is essential to Wayfinders. The parent/guardian track begins at the start of the pilot with a gathering to help set the stage for the experiences ahead, and ends in a closing session to capture lessons learned and plan for the fall session.
The parent track provides exposure to nature connection, explores how to best support adolescents during this critical rite-of-passage time, and builds community amongst Wayfinders families.
May 12, 2022 4-5:30 @ Lenoir Preserve
June 2022 (In Person, Time TBD)

Nuts & Bolts

2021 Program is Launched!

Wayfinders on the Hudson is currently in its inaugural year and we welcome your participation and feedback in this exciting journey.
We are hosting Community Gatherings to share our vision and solicit your feedback.
The First Two Years

The first two program years are truly "wayfinding" - your child will participate in retreats focused on nature guided youth mentoring, social and emotional learning, leadership development, exposure to the "passion paths", and community service.
The Final Year - Rite of Passage

During the third year, your child may choose to be part of a Passion Path, in which they will be paired with a mentor who will guide them in planning and implementing their group & individual coming of age rite of passage.
Participation Options

Whether they participate in one or multiple years, they will develop a deep connection with nature, self, and their community, while exploring leadership development and service. Programming includes support for parents through this formative, challenging, and transitional time.
Mentors

Participants will be supported by a hand selected group of highly experienced leaders for their selected passion path.
Peer Mentors

Upon program completion, participants can apply to become peer mentors to younger program participants to provide ongoing support and guidance, and continue the cycle of Wayfinders community building.