-Leviticus 19: 34
-Mrs Kramer (newcomer middle school teacher)
SLAQ as a non-profit program has the mission of helping youth from diverse backgrounds encounter life as adventure. Towards that goal, in 2023, we began to offer Adventure Club as a program for middle school newcomer youth (recently arrived immigrants and refugees). This program combines outdoor recreation with educational opportunities for language learning, as well as fun community building activities. Through Adventure Club youth are exposed to the beauty of our valley, as their new home, with trusted guides sharing with them why we love where we live in hopes that they will too.
Adventure Club, as an act of hospitality, welcomes newcomer youth to a process of discovery & belonging by combining a variety of outdoor experiences with team building activities, while also facilitating a growing sense of confidence through developing basic outdoor skills.
Typically Adventure Club includes multiple field trips throughout the year, with the potential of a summer Adventure Day Camp for those youth who would like more opportunities involving a little bit more adventure.
Adventure Club functions by having a Serving Leader from SLAQ partner with a newcomer teacher/youth minister/non-profit leader to guide the field trips. The Serving Leader being familiar with the activities and the area, is equipped with the tools and skills needed to develop the itinerary. Having been trained in wilderness first aid, the Serving Leader is also equipped to prevent or handle emergencies, so that the group is always safe! The teacher/youth minister/non-profit leader develops lesson content in order to give the students a fun, meaningful, and welcoming learning experience!
For three days in the late spring/summer SLAQ hosts the Newcomer Adventure Camp. A long weekend of exploring the Shenandoah National Park, doing fun team building activities, playing nature bingo, and simply connecting together amidst the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley.
Launch Location: Corhaven Retreat Center
2024 Dates: June 12th, 13th, 14th
Updates, photo highlights, quotes, and musings on Instagram & Facebook
To learn more about our parent organization visit inthecoracle.org