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Vast Sky Project

Sharing generations of Sun Camp wisdom and know-how so that others can build camps of their own around the world

Sun Camp has run programs for young people since 1984, first in Colorado, and then Nova Scotia, and France. This project takes what we've learned and makes it freely available to people in other places and cultures who want to start or strengthen camps of their own.

  • 1984first summer of Sun Camp
  • 3countries: USA, Canada, and France
  • 5connected programs, from age 10 to adulthood
  • 3rdgeneration of campers now in the field

First, a stable Sun Camp. We can only turn outward if camp itself is on solid ground, so our first priority is the Sun Camp Endowment.

Support the endowment

What we've built

Over four decades, Sun Camp has grown into a connected path that young people can follow from age 10 into adulthood.

Each circle marks the age when a young person can begin that step.

  • age10
    Five smiling campers in Sun Camp hats and t-shirts, arms around each otherAges 10-16 · one week

    Sun Camp

    Campers live in tents in an open field, share chores, meditate, practice drill, hike, and sing around the campfire, discovering their own inherent goodness in a community where everyone looks out for each other.

  • age14
    Cadets seated in a circle among the pines while a staff member leads a sessionAges 14-16 · three days

    Cadet Command Workshop

    Returning campers train in leadership before camp begins, then use those skills to help create and take care of camp itself.

  • age16
    Rites of Warriorship participants standing in a line in an open meadow as campers look onAges 16-21 · after camp

    Rites of Warriorship

    A rite of passage into adulthood. Participants take on real responsibility at camp, leading by example and caring for younger campers.

  • age18+
    Sun Camp staff of all ages gathered for a group photo in a grassy field at duskAges 18+ · volunteer

    Staff

    Many campers come back as volunteer staff. Most of the people running camp today were once campers themselves.

  • Graduates and staff in uniform sitting on meditation cushions in a shrine roomGraduates and staff · one week

    Practice Intensive

    A retreat that trains graduates and staff in the Shambhala Buddhist view at the heart of camp.

Together, these programs give young people a place to belong, train in confidence and kindness, and grow into leaders who pass it on.

Why

Few camps rooted in a wisdom tradition have lasted as long as Sun Camp, and it has shaped the lives of thousands of young people. But our camps can only serve the young people who come to our three locations, and much of what makes them work has never been written down. It lives in the people who have done it for decades.

Sharing it openly means many more children and families can benefit, in places and communities we could never reach ourselves.

What

A three-year pilot, with clear deliverables at each stage.

  1. Year 1

    Document & Blueprint

    Capture what makes Sun Camp work

    • Map how Sun Camp and its programs work, including their history and the view behind them
    • Write the blueprint and a practical implementation guide
    • Build the online home for the resource library
  2. Year 2

    Share and train

    Open it up to others

    • Launch the free resource library
    • Run the first trainings for people starting or running camps
    • Begin advising groups in the planning stages
  3. Year 3

    Support new camps

    Help camps take root

    • Work hands-on with new camps as they launch, remotely and in person
    • Refine the materials based on what we learn together

After the pilot, the library stays online and free, so anyone, anywhere, can keep drawing on what we've learned.

How

We aren't exporting Sun Camp as it is. Every camp will look different, shaped by its own land, culture, and community. Our job is to share what's essential, from the view to the practical details, and help each group work out what fits for them.

Who

Who it serves

Anyone who wants to give young people what Sun Camp has given ours, whether that's a community starting its first camp or an existing program looking to go deeper. Our hope is to reach many more children and families, across more places, cultures, and income levels than we ever could on our own.

Who will lead it

People who have spent decades running Sun Camp, many of whom first came as campers themselves. A small team of two to five people will carry the work through the three-year pilot.

The ask

$165,000 a year for a three-year pilot, ~$500,000 in total

This funds a small team of two to five people, along with the online infrastructure that will keep the materials freely available after the pilot ends.

To support this project or talk about a gift, please contact [NAME, EMAIL].

Give to Vast Sky Project

Thank you.