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    Twin Eagles: Summer Camps

    Twin Eagles: Summer Camps

    Details

    • Listing Type: Summer Programs
    • Program Delivery: Day, Residential
    • Destination: United States
    • Provided By: Independent Provider
    • Session Start: June, July, August
    • Session Length: One Week
    • Entering Grade: Below 6th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
    • Gender: Coed
    • Category: Outdoor Adventure
    • Sub-Categories: Animals/Nature, Hiking, Wildlife Conservation
    • Selective: No
    • Ages: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
    • Minimum Cost: <$500
    • Credit Awarded: No
    • Location:Sandpoint, Idaho
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    Overview

    Twin Eagles summer camps bring out the best in kids by connecting them deeply to the natural world, forging strong community, and developing genuine self-awareness. Since 2005 we've been offering day and overnight camps for ages 6 - 18 in Sandpoint, Coeur d'Alene, Spokane, and Priest River. Our highly trained instructors draw out kids' passions through nature based activities.

    At Twin Eagles Summer Camps, we believe that deep nature connection is critical to whole child development. The experiences we offer bring teens back to a simpler, more connected way of life where their senses are honed to once again hear the call of the wild, revel in the feeling of mud squishing between their toes, delight in the beauty of wildflowers, and listen to the music in mountain streams. Teens develop authentic resiliency through real world challenges and traditional earth based skills as they experience the deep peace of the natural world.

    As the deep nature connection journey unfolds, our learning community of teens and instructors become tightly bonded, feeling more like family by the camps end. Natural curiosity is fostered into a heartfelt passion for learning, and a love for the earth rises from deep within. Inspirational and meaningful experiences in nature serve as a doorway to powerful life lessons.

    We offer a series of themed Day Camps ranging from Wilderness Survival to Nature Ninja. 

    Once a year, Twin Eagles offers a lucky group of adventurous youth and teens this opportunity to immerse themselves in nature for a tremendous experience of living, learning, working and playing in the natural world away from the rush and din of our modern society. Twin Eagles Wilderness Adventure Summer Camp is an experience unlike any other.

    Working together within mentoring relationships, overnight campers learn wilderness skills such as building and sleeping in primitive shelters, fire by friction, wild edible plants for food and teas, crafting wooden bowls and spoons, pottery using clay from the local river, primitive cooking, making cordage, weaving baskets, and making stone tools, just to name a few. Overnight campers deepen their awareness by honing the senses through animal tracking, bird language and a variety of other possible activities.

    Community living offers these teens opportunities to experience the interconnectedness of all life - through sleeping in tipis, song, storytelling, and more. At our overnight outdoor adventure camp, tangible and intangible skills are learned such as communication & teamwork, inner stillness & patience, thankfulness & respect for all things, awareness & common sense, self-confidence, problem solving and more. In the process, participants of our outdoor adventure camp gain an unforgettable experience, make enduring friendships and develop a foundation of experiencing themselves and the earth in a whole new, yet very old way.

    Yet all this is just the beginning. Year after year, our campers tell us that their most memorable experiences are those that offer them the greatest challenge and ask the most of them. These more intensive activities are never the same and always epic fun. In the past some have included:

    • Nighttime scout games that draw forth great stealth and hone the senses to a keen edge.
    • Group wilderness survival camp outs where small groups leave our base camp to practice wilderness survival skills - we build and sleep in our own natural shelters, supplement our meals with wild edible plants, and make fire the old way with a bow and drill kit.
    • Intense action archery games using handmade wooden bows and safe, padded foam arrows.
    • For the older and more mature teens, wilderness survival solos. This is the one activity we get the most requests for, as it serves as the ultimate test and initiation for an older teen to build their own natural shelter, make fire by friction, harvest wild edible plants, and purify their own water. Beyond this, it is a quest for something much deeper that will impact their whole beings - belief in themselves, genuine competence acknowledged by their community, and an indescribable felt sense of connection and oneness with the wilderness.
     

    Testimonials(7)

    • Through my son's participation in Twin Eagles, what I have seen grow most is a tremendous amount of respect. Watching his awareness of nature, people and everything unfold is just beautiful. His excitement in everything he learns and experiences - his yearning to learn more - has grown vastly. Thank You!

      - Tamie Martinsen - July 9, 2012
    • As a parent, Twin Eagles Wilderness School fills the category of medicine for my child's soul. The magic that is created through the amazing instructors, the children, and the natural world isn't to be found easily in this fast 'developing' world. The places my child is able to explore, in relation to mentors, peers, the natural world and herself is so valuable and enriching to her developing being. She is continually being challenged in the perfect way for her, the mentors are so acutely aware of their role and so able to meet her in her true self just where she is in any given moment. I feel our lives are so blessed to have the resource of Twin Eagles Wilderness School in our community. I am truly grateful.

      - Jennifer Ott - August 17, 2012
    • Twin Eagles provided a profound experience to our children. Through the guidance of their instructors they developed a more fundamental connection with nature and thus, themselves... Whether you live in the heart of the city or the remote wilderness, we would recommend their wilderness adventure camp to all!

      - Bryce Powell - July 25, 2012
    • Hands down, the summer outdoor adventure camp offered by Twin Eagles was my son's favorite experience, over and above any art camp, sports camp or other organized activity he has attended. I believe the overwhelming positive response can be attributed to the unique nature based mentoring process Twin Eagles offers children, answering some core childhood needs that too often go unmet for many of today's busy children. Particularly, Twin Eagles offers children the experience of becoming a community that shares stories, songs and rituals, and that learns through age-old mentoring practices that build on a child's sense of wonder and expand children's awareness about their place in the natural world. This experience is precious.

      - Carrie Lipe - August 22, 2013
    • The first word that comes to mind as I write about my son's experience with Twin Eagles is 'Grateful'. I, as his parent, could not be more grateful for the week he spent exploring the wilderness with you. It was such a joy to send him off each morning knowing he sincerely looked forward to the day, and likewise, to pick him in the afternoon and see the smile and look of complete satisfaction on his face. EVERY DAY was like this! You all gave to him knowledge, skills, and spirit that I, as a person, simply could not provide for him. Thank you! So, was Twin Eagles a good choice for my son? Absolutely. I believe he is changed forever, and has new and wonderful insights on the world around him because of his time at Twin Eagles Summer Camp. He looks forward to many more great days spent with the wise and wonderful people who comprise Twin Eagles Wilderness School! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

      - Amy Barberry - August 2, 2013
    • Thanks for preparing such a great week for the kids and doing such a great job mentoring human beings. We LOVED LOVED LOVED the instructors, they were all exceptional, exceptional people. The kids returned peaceful, introspective, brimming with skills (Jackie explained how to bow drill to a bunch of people walking by as he worked it on the sidewalk) and content. Jackie and I were up this morning early outside throwing sticks and fox walking. I will do my best to steward the flame which you have helped ignite. I know you will be happy to know that Isabel declared deep in the night before bed, 'Mom! I took risks and I liked it. I was outgoing and I liked it. I made so many more friends that way and got to know them in a deep way.' When I asked if Twin Eagles had pushed her to her edge even in the dark her conviction came through loud and clear, 'Mom they pushed us far over and over and over. We did things we didn't know we could do.' I hope you can hear the singing from where you are and feel the throwing sticks hitting the earth and smell the sap collected from a neighbor's tree... your work lives on.

      - Lisa Layera - September 2, 2013
    • I am happy to report that Tristan had a wonderful time at Twin Eagles summer overnight camp. I simply cannot thank them enough for giving him such an incredible life-altering experience. He learned to carve a bow, make arrows, make and use a bow drill to 'bust' embers for camp fires, track animals like a native scout, imitate bird songs and identify plants. Best of all, in his own words, he learned how to find his warrior "center", walk lightly and cautiously 'like a fox' and use his 'owl eyes' for seeing all things at once and the connectedness between the natural world and himself. In days and nights filled with activities, he also practiced sitting quietly and communing with nature in his very own "sit spot" that made him feel happy and comforted, or as he said "grounded to the earth and connected to the trees and sky". His week was filled with activities that nurtured body and soul. He played hard in all-community games that encouraged them all to be brave as self and strong as group within a very real, and living, tribal-style kinship. Overall Tristan was the recipient of so much support, love and understanding that observing it in action yesterday was almost mind and heart boggling. After a day of presentations to the families that were filled with stories and memories that honored both the challenges and freewheeling good times undertaken by all, I could not help but cry when I saw him hugging each of the campers and counselors goodbye and seeing how they were giving him, in return, genuine affection. Afterwards on the drive home I said "Tristan I have never known you to have so many friends!" And he replied, "they are not my friends, they are my other family." On the drive home he treated us with his personal stories, the rules to best conduct favorite games, his proudest moments, his best memories and his favorite songs from the week's journey. I am so grateful and so touched by how all the amazing people at Twin Eagles lovingly walked our son through what has turned out to be, perhaps, the most significant and positive learning experience he has ever gone through away from home. I can't say enough about how lucky we were to find them and have him take part in the last week of their summer program, except to say to them and the universe: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

      - Alison Barrows-Young - August 18, 2012