New High School Program at Summer Sessions 2023
New York Yearly Meeting Quakers are gathering for Summer Sessions between Saturday, July 22 and Thursday, July 27, 2023. We are in a new location: Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie, NY. In our new location there are a lot of excellent play fields and gathering spaces, and NYYM will be the only group on campus. We will be starting with a full weekend instead of arriving on a Sunday. The conference begins with Saturday lunch, but you can arrive any time you wish, and Sunday will very much be a full day together.
NEW: For the first time at NYYM Summer Sessions, there will be high school "cluster housing" — high schoolers can room with each other, with a parent or chaperone staying elsewhere in the same building. A lounge in the dorm will be designated as the high school lounge, providing a place to hang out and have events.
Friends who are in high school will have a program that focuses on building a solid community of Quaker teens. Activities will honor the energy, interests, and wisdom of the teens who come. Junior Yearly Meeting high schoolers will meet together from Sunday morning through Wednesday, 9:30 until noon as well as afternoon and evening sessions. High schoolers have the option to choose to join a worship sharing group with other NYYM Friends. The high school group will work with their leaders to shape their own program — expect good talks, art projects, music, indoor and outdoor games.
Special events during Sessions: the high school group will manage and emcee the Cafe night talent show on Tuesday evening and present activities at the Fun(d) Fair on Wednesday afternoon. We close daytime Junior Yearly Meeting on Wednesday with a communal sing, then present the youth epistles at an all ages gathering Wednesday evening. Campfires, singing and s’mores can be expected. On Thursday morning there will be one final community worship together, and plenty of time to say farewell over lunch before heading home.
This is the current Week at a Glance schedule (WAAG) for the High School group, it may be updated.