Maybe you’re starting school again and missing camp- missing the great friends you made, the fun and games, the supportive and accepting community, the hugs, the songs, the connection to something bigger that maybe you felt during vespers or morning worship. What if you could have all of that, during the school year?
More about JYM (elementary school)
More about JHYM (middle school)
More about Young Friends (high school)
Young Friends Retreat Schedule
🌟Scroll to the bottom of this page to watch a video about Young Friends!
We want to invite campers who are interested in diving a little deeper into Quaker community to try out attending Quaker youth retreats. These are weekend-long gatherings where communities of youth gather with their peers and adult staff to laugh, learn, play, explore their spirituality, and try on Quaker practices. Retreats take place in meetinghouses (Quaker houses of worship) all over New England, with 4-5 retreats per year for each program. There are three Quaker youth programs: Junior Yearly Meeting (JYM) for elementary school-aged youth, Junior High Yearly Meeting (JHYM) for middle schoolers, and Young Friends for high schoolers. Each program is a little different from the others, but they all center around Quaker values of lifting up the light in every child, building community based in love, equity, and inclusivity, and giving youth a safe space to grow in their spiritual journey and connect authentically with one another.
Retreats begin on Friday evening and end after meeting for worship on Sunday around noon. We sleep on the floor in sleeping bags, eat delicious home-cooked meals together, and all pitch in with chores. Each retreat has an age-appropriate theme that allows youth to connect Quaker spiritual practices to their own lives and learn about the world around them. We have group program when we explore the theme, we worship together, play games, sing, get to know one another, get creative, walk and play outside, and enjoy the company of our friends new and old. Sound familiar?
Registration opens online about a month or two before each retreat, and they are pay-as-led (meaning you pay what you feel you can afford). Feel free to contact us with questions about if Quaker youth retreats are a good fit for you / your camper.
We would LOVE to see you at a retreat this year!
With love,
Maggie & Gretchen
Maggie Nelson, Young Friends Events Organizer
she/her/hers – maggie@neym.org – 978-382-1850
Gretchen Baker-Smith, JYM & JHYM Coordinator
she/her/hers – hellogretchen@gmail.com – 508-287-6441
