Give Youth a Play in the Wild! Experience

  • US$11,000
    raised of $10,000.00 goal goal
110% Funded
77 Donors
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The Play in the Wild! International Youth Intensive in Nonviolence brings youth from around the world into a supportive community where, together, they learn the skills and consciousness required to become peacemakers and leaders of social change.

This unique program offers global teens an experience of deep connection to themselves, each other, and the world. Training in Nonviolent Communication, Mindfulness, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Storytelling, and Conflict Transformation gives practical tools for the youth to carry that deep connection back out into their homes, schools, and wider communities.

Your generosity makes it possible for youth from around the U.S. and abroad to come to Play in the Wild!

 who might not otherwise ever get this opportunity.

Since 2006, hundreds of young people from six continents, and all over the United States have participated in this life-changing experience. This year, youth from Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, Canada, the USA, and the U.K., among others, have applied to come to the October Play in the Wild! International Youth Intensive in North Carolina. To make this journey, they need our help. These particular students have limited financial resources and need support to cover their tuition and, in some cases, travel expenses, including visas and airfare.

Know that your contributions match the efforts that these youth make to get themselves to Play in the Wild! for this unique learning opportunity. During the time of this fundraiser, one student will be traveling by boat and foot so she can get her passport and visa in her country of origin paying with her own resources and fundraising effort over a $1,000USD in expenses. We would love to say we have her airfare from Thailand and her tution covered when she returns from her journey!

Our $10,000.00 goal will help cover:

  • Full Tuition and paritial tuitions for 11 students who need financial assistance
  • Airline tickets for 7 students who would not otherwise be able to attend
  • Team support for students back home to create their own peace building projects and share what they learned at Play in the Wild!

 

Here is just one of the incredible stories of a youth sponsored by generous donors like you!

This young man recieved a full scholarship his first year at Play in the Wild! and here is what he wrote in his thank you letter:

"Play in the Wild! has taught me to connect with myself  when my needs are not being met and to connect with others when their needs are not being met through Nonviolent Communication consciousness. Through our adventures I witnessed the facilitators fierce love for us, which was confusing at first but now I have more understanding. I've learned the difference between less fear and fearlessness as I view it. Less fear is blocking somebody out when conversation becomes "too difficult" or when you view others differences as a threat. Fearlessness is diving straight into our differences and tearing down our emotional walls, like attempting to connect with someone who you might feel scared around. I wish that I can someday find the fearlessness that Catherine and Jesse displayed. Play in the Wild! has changed my whole outlook on living with myself, I now have the communication tools to empathize with myself and others. I've learned to accept the feelings of suffering as a need or needs that have not been met, and to search out in me what I am needing. My experience at Play in the Wild! was full of Love and Support and aided my self-discovery and self-realization, it was probably the place where I've actually felt the safest. We were encouraged to knock down walls and our defences to see each one of us in our own light. It's been two days now that I've left Play in the Wild! and all I want to do is empathize with everyone near me. Today I drove in the same car as my mother, and even though it was the littlest of things I was able to translate her intense need for my Safety and Well-being. I'm now an "Empathy First-Responder" and can somewhat see everyone in their own light, and past all the jargon. I'm Grateful for you. :). Thank you for your financial support."

This student returned the following year paying his own way entirely and continued on to meet the Play in the Wild! team in Japan to assist them at their family camp! Thank you for your contributions that make stories like this happen. Every little bit ripples out!

Rewards

Receive a copy of hand-signed card in the mail with photos of the sponsored youth from the October 2012 Play in the Wild! camp

10 Backers

Receive a copy of hand-signed card in the mail with photos of the sponsored youth from the October 2012 Play in the Wild! camp and a Play in the Wild! 2012 organic tshirt

0 Backers

Receive a copy of hand-signed card in the mail with photos of the sponsored youth from the October 2012 Play in the Wild! camp, a Play in the Wild! 2012 organic tshirt, and a signed copy of Play in the Wild! co-founder Catherine Cadden's book, Peaceable Revolution Through Education.

0 Backers

Receive a copy of hand-signed card in the mail with photos of the sponsored youth from the October 2012 Play in the Wild! camp, a Play in the Wild! 2012 organic tshirt, and a signed copy of Play in the Wild! co-founder Catherine Cadden's book, Peaceable Revolution Through Education. AND a Handwoven 24 x 42 Rag Rug which supports FABMRON as well! This handwoven, machine washable, 24 x 42 rag rug was made with pride from recycled fabric by Juana Rios, member of FABMRON (Futuras Artesanal Blackmore de Mujeres Rurales Organizado en Nicaragua) a weaving cooperative of 15 women who live and work together in the small village of El Ocotal, in the mountains above Matagalpa, Nicaragua, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Each woman of FABMRON is now a technically skilled weaver free to develop and express her own sense of color and design. Profits provide the women with income independent from marginal agricultural surplus and fund otherwise unaffordable health care, school fees, and basic tools. FABMRON was founded in 2009 by Peace Corps volunteer Ivy Blackmore, and her mother, Carol Blackmore, a professional rug weaver who provides looms and training.http://www.fabmron.org/

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Donors

  • Antoje Brent-Harris
  • Posted On Jan 24, 2013
  • Wow! This is great! I wonder if mom would let me sign up?

  • Guest
  • Posted On Oct 02, 2012
  • Thank you for your work with the youth through this unique program. - Blessings

  • Guest
  • Posted On Sep 28, 2012
  • honoring Catherine and Jesse, their love, marriage, and their work

Sep 28

Wow! Thank you to all our donors!

Update posted by Baba Tree International Youth Programs at 11:50 pm

We thought we'd be writing today with celebration of meeting our matching gift challenge of $1000 in 72 hours, but instead, all of you who donated blew past our challenge and completed our entire goal of $10,000!  Thank you for all your generous support.  We look forward to celebrating with

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Sep 25

New $1000 matching gift: Double every donation between now and 4:30pm Friday the 28th (U.S. Eastern time)!

Update posted by Baba Tree International Youth Programs at 03:30 pm

We have a new generous donor from the U.S. who has offered to match, dollar-for-dollar, every donation made to this fundraiser, until 4:30pm on Friday the 28th, and up to $1000!  This is a great time to make your donation because every dollar you donate will be effectively doubled.  We're

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Sep 15

$1000 matching gift matched!

Update posted by Baba Tree International Youth Programs at 08:07 am

Thanks everyone for helping us reach our latest milestone of effectively raising $2000 in 72 hours!  

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Sep 11

New matching gift: Every donation doubled, until 7pm on September 14!

Update posted by Baba Tree International Youth Programs at 06:28 pm

We just received a new matching gift from a donor in the UK.  They're willing to match, dollar-for-dollar, any donation that comes in within the next 72 hours, until 7pm on September 14th (U.S. Eastern time), up to $1000. This is a great time to get your donation in -

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Sep 07

$500 Matching Gift challenge surpassed!

Update posted by Baba Tree International Youth Programs at 10:13 am

For those following our progress on Facebook, you saw that we had a donor offer a $500 matching gift, for all donations offered by 3pm today.  Well, it's 11:12am on the East Coast of the U.S. and we far surpassed that $500!  Thank you so much to all of you

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Donors & Comments

77 donors
  • Antoje Brent-Harris
  • Posted On Jan 24, 2013
  • Wow! This is great! I wonder if mom would let me sign up?

  • Guest
  • Posted On Oct 02, 2012
  • Thank you for your work with the youth through this unique program. - Blessings

  • Guest
  • Posted On Sep 28, 2012
  • honoring Catherine and Jesse, their love, marriage, and their work

  • Guest
  • Posted On Sep 28, 2012
  • with all my heart!

  • Guest
  • Posted On Sep 28, 2012
  • For Salah

  • Guest
  • Posted On Sep 28, 2012
  • Scatter kindness!

  • Guest
  • Posted On Sep 28, 2012
  • Giving financial support to such a worthwhile project is the least I can do.

  • Guest
  • Posted On Sep 27, 2012
  • Happy to support this!

  • Guest
  • Posted On Sep 26, 2012
  • Sending you much love and gratitude for all that you are & what you are doing to make a difference, Catherine & crew! Ken Becker

  • Guest
  • Posted On Sep 20, 2012
  • NVC in public schools please! Still there are idealist and altruist people in the world. Thanks Isa and Jason!

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Rachel Blain
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US$11,000
raised of $10,000.00 goal
110% Funded
77 Donors