July in Tucson can mean only one thing—it’s time again for Camp Snowball!
Camp Snowball is about “Building our capacity to shape the future.” We’re doing this by focusing on two powerful approaches to education – systems thinking and sustainability in education – that can provide the critical thinking skills that our kids and communities need to meet the social, economic, and environmental challenges of the future.
At Camp Snowball, students, teachers, school administrators, parents, and community members learn together, and we have fun doing it.
About the Camp
Camp Snowball is a four-day, multi-faceted learning event that features practical systems thinking and sustainability education workshops for adults and students (entering grades 7-12) that link directly to Common Core Standards and STEM and can easily be applied in the classroom, the workplace, the community, or the home.
Highlights include:
- Opportunities to learn from experienced educators who have been implementing systems thinking and education for sustainability in their schools and classrooms.
- A “train-the-trainer” program for those who will be supporting local capacity building in their school, district, or community.
- Activities and examples drawn from the environment and culture of the Sonoran desert.
- A summer camp program for young learners (entering grades 1-6) that incorporates systems thinking skill-building with fun, traditional camp activities.
- Special guest speakers and facilitators, including Peter Senge, who will challenge and provoke the way we think about education.
And, you’ll be part of the ongoing Camp Snowball Learning Community that receives coaching, support, and access to resources long after the campfire glow has faded.
To get the most out of Camp Snowball, participants are encouraged to form local, site-based teams made up of teachers, administrators, students, parents, and community members.
Since summer is vacation time for many of us, we encourage you to bring your family. We’ve got a great, relaxing location all picked out—the JW Marriott Starr Pass—so there’s lots to do for non-camper adults who want some time to kick back.
Who should attend
Camp Snowball is designed for individuals and teams. We encourage communities and school systems to put together diverse teams that include:
- Educators—teachers, administrators
- Students
- Parents
- Community Members
- Business and Government Leaders
- Staff and Volunteers from Youth-serving Organizations
By building “critical mass” in a community, the learning from Camp Snowball can be reinforced and a support system can be created that will substantially increase the chance of new approaches being adopted. We’ve added a special “Train-the-Trainer” offering this year, too!
Teams are encouraged to engage organizations and businesses in underwriting their participation, as local support creates commitment to the work for the future.
Some scholarships are also available. Apply here.
