Spark Retreat at Merrowvista
An AYF Adult Program | August 23 to 25, 2024
Aligning with the AYF’s value of continuous learning, adults 21 and older are invited to participate in a three-day Spark retreat at Merrowvista. Participants will experience a retreat with with tangible takeaways with opportunities to rest, recover, rejuvenate, and reconnect in a safe, fun, and welcoming environment.
Your Merrowvista Spark experience includes:
- All meals, including a waterfront dinner next to Dan Hole Pond
- A keynote session with Katie LeGrand, plusother opportunities for small and large group discussion
- Time around the campfire at the Fire Circle
- Meditation, yoga, movement, waterfall visit and other morning Go-Getters
- Optional hike up to the Ledge
- Community Evening Reflection
- Departure day picnic lunch with families, followed by optional final choices of hiking, climbing, archery, or other activities
All are welcome.
- Previous experience with AYF programs is not required. The content will be tailored for adults, and all participants ages 21 and older are welcome.
- As with all AYF programs, we believe in the power and importance of the full expression of all individuals. We enthusiastically welcome people of all identities, beliefs, life experiences, and abilities, and we are committed to reducing any barriers that may prevent your full participation.
Questions? Email Director of Adult Programs Holley Young at [email protected].
Rates and Lodging
Dates: August 23 to 25, 2024
Standard Rate: $275
A $100 deposit is required at the time of registration.
Lodging: Dormitory-style lodging will be available.
Spark Keynote
Katie Belden LeGrand
Seeing Others and Being Deeply Seen
Katie is a former high school teacher and outdoor experiential education facilitator who is currently a CrossFit trainer and wellbeing coach. She earned her master’s in education, and is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach.
Seeking balance in the mental, physical, social, and reverential aspects of our lives is a key element of developing best self. These four folds are represented in the AYF emblem and serve as another framework to encourage program participants to stretch their minds, bodies, hearts, and spirits. Every participant will experience radical inclusion as each is invited to be fully immersed in this interactive session that includes a mix of learning, listening, practicing, and simply being.
Together, the Spark community will explore how we can use the four folds as an accessible way to show up as our best selves when we listen to others. This session is inspired by the Anthropedia Foundation’s well-being coaching curriculum and David Brooks’ book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.
More about Katie
Katie attended Miniwanca and Merrowvista summer camp from 1984 to 1991 and attended Summer Seminars for Women at Miniwanca from 2008 to 2016. She attended Spark at Miniwanca in 2023 and has since reimmersed herself in the AYF.
Katie and her husband, Joe, have three children; Sandy (21), Coco (20) and Finn (17), and two dogs, Nala and Kopa.
Our Team
The inaugural Spark at Merrowvista will feature some familiar faces! Meet the 2024 team.
Matt Loper
Matt Loper returns to Merrowvista for this special three-day program. Matt has served in several roles with the American Youth Foundation during his 15 year tenure with the organization. Matt has inspired thousands of young people at Miniwanca and Merrowvista camps, conferences, and community and school programs, and he’s excited to return to the Ossipee Mountains once again.
“My hope is that this retreat will be the first of many, offering participants a recurring opportunity to recharge,” he says. “I aim for the program to leave participants with renewed clarity about their purpose and how to navigate life for the greater good, unleashing their incredible gifts.”
Holley Young
Director of Adult Programs Holley Young brings a wealth of experience running American Youth Foundation adult programs to Merrowvista. She is a long Summer Seminars for Women participant and volunteer, who stepped into the part-time role of Adult Programs Lead in 2022 and Director of Adult Programs in 2023. She helped launch Spark at Miniwanca in 2022 and is excited to bring the program to Merrowvista.
“From arrival to departure, the Spark community will feel like they are right at home,” she says. “Creating the sense of real belonging, receiving hospitality and welcome, and growing in community together is not a site-specific value of the AYF. We are thrilled to extend Spark at beautiful Merrowvista!”