About our Program
Hearth is a three-year Rite of Passage program for teen girls and their parents. Each year includes a series of monthly core gatherings that lead into a six-day wilderness expedition in August. The journey is organized and led by Hearth’s Guides, Aunts, and Elders. Our mission is to support girls through a transformative threshold in their lives, rooted in nature, community, and ceremony.
Hearth provides opportunities for girls to enrich their relationships with themselves and others at a crucial time in their lives. Engaging in personal development, learning social, emotional, and practical life skills, and receiving guidance from trusted Elders in a safe, welcoming environment helps girls build a strong foundation upon which to build their futures. Learn more about our program here:
The physical, mental, emotional, and ceremonial skills participants gain over the summer culminate in a six-day ceremonial retreat in August. Participants are welcome to participate in the Hearth program each summer for 1-3 years, forming bonds with each other as they continue to grow into confident, skilled young women.
Our goal is to provide support and guidance for participants that leads to more genuine relationships with place, people, and self through preparation for and engagement in communal wilderness experiences.
Are you interested in signing up for or learning more about our programs? Fill out and submit our contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a rite of passage?: We all experience periods of transition throughout our lives. In many cultures, we mark these transitions with special events, ceremonies and celebrations. These rites of passage mark both the end of one life phase and the beginning of the next. The passage from childhood through teen hood to adulthood is a long one in our culture, one filled with intense, profound, and world-shifting transformations. So we ask the question: How do we acknowledge change as it occurs, and how can we support girls as they make the transition from girlhood to womanhood?
How do we acknowledge change as it occurs, and how can we support girls as they make the transition from girlhood to womanhood?
What does Hearth teach?: Participants are asked to imagine the person they wish to become and we help guide them towards that goal. Families and communities are asked to intentionally acknowledge and support that process, because this time is not a transformation only for the individual; often, it marks a transition for an entire family and community as a new being emerges into young adulthood full of their own ideas, beliefs, experiences, dreams, fears, wonderings, and desires. Hearth provides an opportunity for both the girls and their families to celebrate and grieve the endings and beginnings that accompany this transition. We customize practices and activities for each group to support each individual’s personal development. Participants can expect to learn a combination of emotional and tactical skills during Hearth, including:
Carving Knot tying Camp set up Outdoor cooking Fire making Singing Intuition honing Emotional processing Journaling Listening Cultivation of self
What is the Cost?: We are committed to making Hearth accessible to every family who feels called to this journey. Scholarship funds and payment plans are available, and we warmly encourage you to reach out if finances are a concern. Together, we will find a way for your daughter to be part of the Hearth circle. Here are our current yearly costs:
First year:
Sliding Scale $1800 – $2500
Second year:
Sliding Scale $750 – $1000
Third year:
Sliding Scale $750 – $1000
How long is the program?: Hearth provides a multi-year rite of passage program. Participants spend the spring and summer learning from each other and our trusted community of Guides, Aunts, and Elders in monthly gatherings and ceremonies.
Preparatory Meetings Year 1:
March 13 5-8pm
April 10 5-8pm
May 8 5-8pm
June 12 5-8pm
July 11 9am-3pm
July 24 5-8
Post Rite meeting: November 13th 5-8pm
Preparatory Meetings Year 2:
April 10 5-8pm
June 12 5-8pm
July 11 9am-3pm
July 24 5-8
Preparatory Meetings Year 2:
April 10 5-8pm
June 12 5-8pm
July 11 9am-3pm
July 24 5-8
6-day Rite All Participants: August 8 – 13
