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Visit Our Two Coyotes Wilderness School Summer Camp Website
programs[AT]twocoyotes.org
197 Huntingtown Road
Newtown, Connecticut 06470
WINTER (OFF-SEASON) OFFICE ADDRESS:
PO Box 711 Monroe CT 06468
CAMP VIDEO LINK:
Watch Our Two Coyotes Wilderness School Summer Camp Video
CAMPER AGES: 0-5, 5-8, 9-15
TYPE OF CAMP: Day Camp. Daily 9am-3pm
CAMPER GENDER(S): Coed Campers.
BRIEF CAMP DESCRIPTION: Two Coyotes Wilderness School offers up to 9 weeklong day camp sessions at our Newtown & Granby locations for kids age 5-15. Each session is led by skilled nature mentors who introduce your child to primitive and naturalist skills by tailoring each camp day to match their natural curiosity. Campers learn how to craft handmade tools and art projects from natural materials, track animals, identify bird language, make friction fires, build forts and shelters, and forage for safe wild edibles. Our advanced sessions feature an overnight campout for kids age 9-15. Along the way, all campers learn nature-inspired games, songs, and have free time to explore streams, mountainsides, and other unexpected nature mysteries. We also offer Coyote Pup half-day "mini-camps" for little ones 5 and under, with an adult.
CAMP INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES OFFERED:
Wilderness/Nature, and more.
CAMP LOCATION: We have two locations. In Newtown, CT we run our camp out of Sticks & Stones Farm, a 60-acre privately-owned space that is open to the community. In Granby, CT we run our camp out of Holcomb Farm, 367-acre working farm and community gathering place operated collaboratively between the Town of Granby and a Board of local citizens.
CAMP FACILITIES: Both of our camp locations feature extensive hiking trails, primitive campsites for overnights, creeks for wading and catching critters, and grassy fields for playing games.
CAMP PROGRAM INFO: Two Coyotes Wilderness School is a nonprofit nature mentoring organization that connects people to nature, community, and self. We design interdisciplinary programs that provide a dynamic environment for students to face challenges, engage their natural curiosity, and cultivate an intrinsic love for learning that they bring back into the classroom and the rest of their lives.
We believe that nature connection is our birthright, and that catching frogs, muddy knees, and exploring wild places are essential to growing up strong and healthy. We believe that long-term nature mentoring can help children to thrive and navigate the many stages of their lives. Our mentors help children understand who they are, what their gifts are, and how to bring them to the world. We believe that this work is essential to creating a healthier, more connected future.
Since 2000, we have honed our innovative and transformative programs as the school has grown to employ 34 part-time instructors who provide long-term mentorship to more than 500 students (birth to 17) annually through school day, weekend, child & caregiver, rites of passage, and summer camp programs. We are committed to ensuring that Two Coyotes programming is accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of all children and families in Connecticut.
Our staff are a fun-loving bunch of adults (and a few exceptional teens) who are passionate about helping kids connect to nature. We call our teaching staff “mentors” because they help people discover their gift and power by connecting them to nature and their heart.
Our teaching style follows the "coyote mentoring" method of teaching, where lessons are indirect, yet transformational. Within this framework, our skilled nature mentors tailor each day's activities to the needs and interests of the youth, including comfort and familiarity with spending a day in a natural environment. This cultivates young people's innate curiosity and a passion for learning that will serve them when they are back in the classroom and in their future careers.
Regardless of how youth encounter our programs, all our immersive wilderness-based learning experiences challenge them to build a deeper connection to nature, community, and their own personal empowerment. We believe this results in stronger intergenerational connections, deeper community ties, greater self-awareness, and profound respect for the natural world.
CAMP LEADERSHIP CIT/LIT PROGRAMS: We offer a Mentor-in-Training program for teens who have grown up in our programs and/or are interested in pursuing a career in wilderness mentoring. The MIT program is offered during the summer in both Newtown and Granby. It includes 2 weeks of leadership training & development, plus at least 1 service week with one of our youth camps.
CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: At Two Coyotes Wilderness School, we believe that nature connection is a right, not a privilege. Scholarships are available when you register for any of our programs, thanks to the generous support of our community. More information about how to apply for scholarships is available here: Our Camp Website Link: twocoyotes.org
YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMS: During the school year, we offer weekly school day programs in Newtown, Granby, and Killingworth to children who are homeschooled and children who leave their traditional school one day/week to learn outdoors with us. We also offer monthly weekend programs based on Wildwood, our popular adventure-fantasy summer camp. Little ones (0-5) can enroll in our weekly Coyote Pups Caregiver & Child program with an adult. We offer some adult programming and also host family-friendly community events throughout the year.
OTHER CAMP INFO: We are a licensed camp registered with the Connecticut Department of Health. Each year they conduct an unannounced inspection for our camps to ensure we meet the health and safety regulations. We are in compliance with all stated rules and regulations.
Each of our camp locations is managed by an experienced camp director who works for Two Coyotes year-round in the field and has a First Aid Director onsite who is trained in adult and pediatric CPR and First Aid.
Our ratio of campers to staff is at least 6:1, with a maximum of 12 students in each camp group. This ensures groups small enough to provide a fun and intensive experience while large enough to have a diversity of kids and ample opportunity to make new friends.
Each group of campers is led by two instructors, one of which must be a Lead Instructor. Lead Instructors have hundreds of hours of field experience working in the woods with kids. These instructors are always dedicated adults who are passionate about connecting kids to nature. They are typically in their 20s or older and have a significant amount of life experience behind them.
Sometimes a camp group includes an Assistant Instructor. Assistant Instructors are typically adults who are newer to the field of wilderness mentoring but share a love for working with kids outdoors. Assistants may also be responsible teens who have grown up in our programs and have likely completed our Mentor-in-Training program over the course of one or more summers.
All of our field staff attend an intensive annual summer training that focuses on safety, emergency protocol, first aid, and our core curriculum. The majority of our instructors have received outside first aid and CPR certification, which may include Wilderness First Aid. Each camp group carries a walkie-talkie and a first aid kit to address minor health needs in the field. Serious injuries and illnesses are handled by calling parents or 911 if needed. We have a camp doctor on call to advise us on medical situations and protocol.
All staff have passed criminal and sexual offender background checks, and have provided both personal and professional references.
CAMP SESSION DATES & FEES:
Our camps run from the last week in June through mid-August. All information is available on our website here: Our Camp Website Link: twocoyotes.org
SUMMER CAMP JOBS:
We are hiring for summer camp mentors who love working with kids outdoors. We are also hiring for staff to run a pre & after care program. More information on our website: Our Camp Website Link: twocoyotes.org
Be sure to check each camp listing under INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES OFFERED for the range of Special Interest Activities and Programs provided by each Connecticut Leadership Summer Camp or Summer Leadership Recreation Program.
Many Connecticut Day and Sleepaway Leadership Camps offer professional level instruction in a wide-range of Leadership Activities.
For a complete List of Connecticut Special Interest Leadership Summer Camps & Summer Leadership Recreation Programs scroll down to the big black bar at the very bottom of this page.
You can go directly to any of our other 2024 Special Interest Camp Directories from the list in the black bar at the bottom of this page.
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