Circle Camp 2009

A fun summer adventure in Compassionate Communication for children entering grades K-6

Held June 8 –  19; Monday – Friday ~ 8 AM – 4 PM

What is Circle Camp?

Circle Camp is a new vision and focus for UUFG’s summer camp. Children and adults gather each morning in a Circle of Friends to build and nurture bonds of trust. Also, each day campers experience hands-on Compassionate Communication, as well as sports, drumming, drama and crafts.

Circle Camp is a time of coming full circle in two weeks, from beginning practices in Compassionate Communication and the arts to a complete play production where you will see all the campers on stage demonstrating their talents and Compassionate Communication skills after two weeks of fun!

This is an exciting opportunity for all children from all backgrounds and faiths, to experience a new way of communicating and enjoying life.

What is Compassionate Communication?

Compassionate Communication is part of an international movement to teach peaceful ways to live, relate and talk. It can be fun, too! Circle Camp will help us discover and practice ways to use Compassionate Communication skills at home, work and school and in the world.

Three key concepts of Compassionate Communication will be integrated into the daily camp experience:

• The intention of Compassionate Communication is to create trust and recognize the value of each person so that together we can find ways to meet all our needs.
• Conflict occurs only on the level of strategies, never on the level of needs; once these distinctions are recognized Compassionate Communication becomes part of daily life.
• We can resolve conflicts and create peace when we tune in to feelings and needs. Then we can create strategies together that meet all our needs. This is having “power with” other people, not “power over” others.

During the Day

Each morning, the children will start the day with supervised exploration of sports and movement. Children will then be participating in each of our four leader-led activity centers — hand drumming, drama, crafts, and compassionate communication play. Each afternoon, the children will end the day with supervised water sports and fun.

Previous UUFG Summer Camps

Peace Camp 2008

A Summer Camp experience in Non-Violent Communication

Peace Camp, formerly known as Chalice Camp, will be held from June 9 to June 20, 2008. The hours will extend from 8 AM to 4 PM. The cost will be $350 for two weeks. UUFG and the United Church of Gainesville (UCG) will host the camp this year, with UCG as a partner. Last year some of the kids cried when camp ended, and there were pleas to extend camp another week. We will remain at two weeks this year, but there is talk to consider extending camp in the future. Peace Camp will offer full and partial need-based scholarships.

This year’s camp will focus on peace by teaching and encouraging nonviolent communication, and on nature by exploring the children’s relationship to the Earth and animals. Terrie Mullin is preparing a grant that will support the children in writing a play about nonviolence, with influences from a play by Rev. LoraKim Joyner that is full of animals, confrontations, and resolutions. A requirement of this particular grant is that the children reach out to the larger community with their message. Terrie has contacted local school principals for invitations for the children to perform at school assemblies in the fall, and she has been met with enthusiasm. To promote their message, the children will create music, dance, costumes, and props throughout the summer. This is an exciting new component, and we hope volunteers gifted in music and drama will join us.

Chalice Camp 2007

Chalice Camp is back and it is bigger and better than ever! Chalice Camp 2007 is a two week program, June 4th to 15th and in addition to emphasizing UU values and theology, we have added Spanish language immersion for all campers (and staff!) and a strong Nature component. But enrollment is limited and camper registration forms are piling up from UUF and UCG kids, hurry and register your camper today. We have developed an incredible program for children entering grades kindergarten through sixth grade (in fall 2007).

At Chalice Camp we have three "Activity" periods a day (one hour each) during which time campers pick an activity offered by a volunteer from the congregation or community. Since the kids only pick activities they like, they are engaged, curious and well behaved. Chalice Camp runs for two weeks in early June (6/4-15). Activity periods are scheduled for 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM and 1:45 PM. Children who attend the camp also learn about how: "It's a blessing we were born, and it matters what we do, What we know about god is a piece of the truth, Let the beauty we love be what we do, And we don't have to do it alone."

Chalice Camp 2006: The UU Answer to Vacation Bible School!

This first year of Chalice Camp will run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, June 19-23 (extended care available). Children entering Kindergarten through 6th grade will be thrilled with a week of adventure and excitement in the supportive and nurturing world of UUFG! Campers will choose from a menu of activities including cooking, yoga, beading, woodworking, science experiments, basketball, debate club, chess and more! Every day features a new dramatic play, energetic worship, stories and water fun. We have a terrific team of adolescent Junior Counselors, fantastic adult volunteers and some enthusiastic UF students as Counselors. We have children from Pineridge, children from United Church of Gainesville and children from all over Alachua and Marion Counties.

Each day at Chalice Camp has a theme. Some themes are: It’s a blessing we were born; It matters what we do; and We don’t have to do it alone. Chalice Camp deepens a child’s sense of belonging to the interdependent web of Life of which we are all a part, while helping her/him understand and promote justice, equity and compassion in human relations.