Program
Summer revels is a summer day camp presented by The New School Camp Corporation. The program gives campers a taste of the freedom and responsibility of attending The New School. In addition to the usual New School program, Summer Revels offers structures and pre-planned activities to help campers who are only with us for a short time enjoy their experience of liberty-based schooling. These structures are designed to support the inexperienced camper, while allowing the experienced Members of The New School to extend their use of the School through the Summer.
Each morning begins with the Morning Meeting of the campers and staff.
The Morning Meeting, as with most activities of Summer Revels, is
optional. Each camper is free to attend or not, as he or she sees
fit. On Monday this meeting lasts about 90 minutes and on other days about 30 minutes. At the Morning Meeting,
announcements are made about the pre-planned activities that will be available that day and for
the rest of the week. Then a brainstorming technique called
"Open Space Technology" allows the participants to pool their ideas and develop consensus on other activities that might be arranged for that day or proposed for later.
The Morning Meeting has a budget line for incidental expenses. A majority vote of those at the Morning Meeting can spend that day's allotted money on any of the activities planned for that day. If the proposed activity is a bigger project, like a major field trip, or requires a larger expense than the Morning Meeting budget allows, then the idea can be reduced to a proposal and presented to the Camp Meeting.
The Camp Meeting is the managing
forum of Summer Revels. It consists of all campers and the members of the Staff. It meets at Noon on Tuesday. Within the limitations of the Summer Camp Law, the Camp Meeting may make new
rules for that session of Summer Revels, approve projects which require expenses beyond the Morning Meeting's authority or which require allocation of Staff or the hiring of outside instructors or facilities. The Camp Meeting also hears and decides Appeals from the Dispute Committee.
Except for attendance at the Dispute Committee, all of these meetings and activities are optional. A camper can take them or leave them. Each child is free, in an environment of vibrant activity and opportunity. He or she can go and go and go, or just laze through a Summer afternoon.
It is the way Summer should be!
