Brock Experiential Learning page
The world will be saved by curiosity and connection.
to bastardize Dostoevsky
Camp NotL is a week-long exploration for curious adults.
With a focus on nature, ethics, sustainability, and justice, it offers 'campers' the opportunity
to learn a little bit about a lot of things;
to get out of their heads and into their bodies;
to connect more deeply to nature, and to the people and the world around them.
I hope Camp NotL brings people closer to nature and self;
expands their understanding of the world around them;
ultimately makes them kinder to one another and to nature;
helps them become more engaged in sustainability, social justice, politics, and one another.
I plan to set up two unique experiences a day, for five days, for groups of 12 people (let's say).
The week's experiences will be united by a theme; folks can choose their week based on time and availability, and/or the week's focus. It's also possible I could curate programming for groups based on their interests.
Examples of possible week-long adventures are previous pages of the website.
This is a higher-end experience, for curious people seeking change, excitement, fun, learning.
Ethical always, keeping the environment in mind.
Pricing is higher-level (tbd), transparent and fair; portions go to PayYourRent and mental health supports.
Scholarships and subsidies will be available (how? through whom/what?).
Activities are as inclusive as possible, with some obvious limitations.
I'm focusing on learning experiences that are
- often unique to this town
- expert- or peer-led
- unlike the touristy offerings popularly available here (or anywhere)
- available in all seasons (for the most part)
- often engage the services of under-employed people, providing an additional source of income (ie off-season actors)
Camp NotL is a beautiful, meaningful, and ambitious project! It has many components, relies on a wide variety of people and businesses, and is almost infinitely expandable. I can see it starting as fairly self-managed for participants—organizing their own transportation, lodgings, and meals, if they're not local—and later leading into in-depth partnerships with local hotels, restaurants, and other services.
about me
I have decades of experience in writing and design, marketing, branding, and communications. I have experience in event management and curation, with a reputation for excellent curation, especially for unique and unusual experiences. My connections are legion! I have someone in mind for pretty much all of the experiences I'm suggesting, and if I don't know them, I will soon.
In the 'challenge' column, I am Autistic, and not great with interpersonal relationships. So it's best if I can accommodate my needs by running this from the background—no main character energy here.
some of what I'm hoping for
The logistics behind both the business and the IRL aspects are a bit overwhelming.
And I'm just one person running it, for now. (One well-connected, creative, passionate person.)
Where/how do I start? Where do I stop?
How do I coordinate people at each location?
How do the finances work? (Eeeek!)
The challenges:
- The organizational/administrative management of all of these moving parts (campers, partners, affiliates, etc)
- The physical management of same (get people to places; make sure experience hosts are ready and waiting; maintain high quality of all experiences; etc)
- The legal/insurance components (waivers, etc)
- Again, I am one person. I'm also Autistic, which in my case means I'm not the best at peopling. So I'd rather be the wizard behind the curtain, or Mr. Roarke from Fantasy Island—ie, more behind-the-scenes than in-your-face.
In terms of deliverables and objectives, I would be ever-grateful for
- Some kind of administrative infrastructure to hang all of it on
- Structure in general: How does this work practically, organizationally, etc
- Advice on how to start slow and ramp up in a manageable way—I can see this being a model for similar camps in cities and towns all over the world. I can see ways to make this deeply ethical and focused on a better world. I can see a lot of things... and need some guidance about how to be realistic in months 1–6; 7–12; year 2, and so on.
some inspo resources I've found
karibu travel
karibu: ‘mission-driven travel offering…. We try not to be tourists….
Our guiding principles: “The world will be saved by beauty.” So said the great Russian writer, Fyodor Dostoevsky…. we strongly believe that the more people who can experience the world’s beauty (nature and human) , the better chance we have of saving it….. Travel, not trample — All too often, travel does more harm than good. Our goal is to contribute to protecting the pristine and unique nature of the places we visit, and the cultures and communities with whom we engage. That’s why we started karibu, and we believe that if done right, we can make a difference. … Part of the beauty of travel is the opportunity to learn from and connect with people from other cultures and backgrounds. But it’s important how you do that. As a proud Canadian company, we subscribe to partnering with indigenous and local communities in the spirit of true reconciliation and economic inclusion.
See: In registering, all participants agree to the guidelines below and agree to follow them during our time together. Failure to comply will result in your leaving the paddle at your own expense. Be Respectful, Be Safe, Clean up!, Support Leadership, Follow Itinerary…. Also: FAQs