Merrowvista Community and School Programs

Community building, leadership development, environmental education

Each year, thousands of New England kids and teens discover their best selves and connect with their peers at Merrowvista Community and School Programs. We facilitate transformative youth empowerment programs for kids as young as 8 through high school and college.

We welcome schools, youth organizations, scouting groups, youth with special health needs, and even adult community groups and corporate retreats to our home in the pristine Ossipee Mountains to disconnect from everyday challenges and focus on community building, leadership development, and the stunning natural world.

What makes our programs different?

Merrowvista programs offer a truly collaborative partnership. We work closely with our community and school partners to understand your learning objectives, then design an age-appropriate program that meets your goals and aligns with American Youth Foundation program outcomes.

Merrowvista staff facilitate all learning experiences and onsite activities. Partner chaperones support behavior and supervise participants after the day’s activities end and overnight.

We have two options for your school or community group's stay at Merrowvista.

Option 1

All-Inclusive Overnight Program

Includes:

Outdoor education program experience aligned with your goals

1:12 Merrowvista staff-to-participant ratio

Access to and facilitation of any activity

Onsite overnight accommodation

All meals

When:

Spring, winter, fall

Ideal for:

School or youth groups up to 150 in fall and spring, 50 in winter

Option 2

Facility Rental

Includes:

Full use of Danforth Lodge, our four-season facility with multiple meeting spaces

Dorm-style overnight lodging

All meals

When:

Spring, winter, fall

Ideal for:

Youth and adult groups up to 50

Request Info

Merrowvista

Available Activities

Community and school programs have access to all site activities, which are facilitated by Merrowvista Staff.

Archery

Arts and Crafts

Campfire Circles

Canoeing

Environmental education

High ropes course

Hiking

Challenge course

Team challenges

Lodging

Danforth Lodge
Our fully winterized lodge accommodates up to 50 individuals in primarily dorm-style sleeping arrangements. Shared bathroom facilities provide private, single-occupancy showers and toilets. There are several communal meeting spaces, a full commercial kitchen, and access to audio-visual equipment.

Cabins
Our rustic, four-season cabins accommodate up to 16 children and 3 adults. Cabins have heat and electricity. Nearby bathroom facilities also have electricity and provide private, single-occupancy showers spaces, toilets, and sinks.

Food

Merrowvista serves delicious meals made from scratch for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We provide a variety of healthy options including a balance of whole grains, fruit and vegetables.

With advance notice, the Food Program Team can provide vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options, as well as accommodate many dietary allergies. Merrowvista is a peanut-aware facility. We do not serve peanuts or tree nuts from our kitchen during meal service.

Frequently Asked Questions

At Merrowvista, we value the need to address the social issues present in a child’s daily life in order to maximize academic and social learning. Research tells us that when a child feels social anxiety, the brain’s ability to absorb new information in limited. At Merrowvista, we create a learning environment and community where young people feel a sense of belonging, safety and trust. Programs include conversations and strategies to transfer these lessons back to their school and home communities.

Merrowvista is situated within a unique ecosystem. Its volcanic mountains and lake, forests, wetlands, streams and meadows provide a rich, bio-diverse environment for students to learn about the world around them. Concepts discussed in class take on new meaning through hands-on exploration. Shared experiences such as making it to the top of a mountain, collaborating to successfully build a raft, or celebrating a discovery at the beaver dam build connections that can reshape the way students work together back at school.

We are able to accommodate certain allergies and dietary needs. Merrowvista is a peanut aware facility. We do not serve peanuts or tree nuts from our kitchen during meal service. In addition, we can provide vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free options with advance notice. We may ask families to provide certain food items for children with complex allergies or dietary needs. We are committed to making a plan that works for everyone. Please contact us if you have questions about our offerings.

We enthusiastically welcome children with diverse backgrounds, experiences and identities. We value each participant’s right to fully experience Merrowvista free from prejudice and harassment. All of our staff members are trained to supervise children and to prevent and address incidents of conflict or bullying based on any aspect of a person’s identity, including, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and religious affiliation.

Questions?

Dayna Vuksinick

Director of Community and School Programs

Email