Benji Project

Summer camp: Annual week-long summer camps are held for middle and high school age students to introduce mindfulness and self-compassion tools in a more in-depth context. Youth develop lifelong skills through social, physical, and outdoor camp activities. In Summer 2024, 20 students participated in our camps, each experiencing 30 hours of instruction. We also held a camp reunion during the year, allowing campers and families to reconnect and continue building community.

Community programs: We offer a variety of workshops and engagements that feature components of the Mindful Self-Compassions for Teens curriculum, with more opportunities for customizations that fit specific needs. Some of the community programs we offered this year included an after-school program (8 sessions) in partnership with the Jefferson County Public Library, and spring break drop-in sessions at the Quilcene Community Center (2 half-day sessions). Classes incorporated art, meditation, journaling, and movement practices to help students arrive in the present moment and learn to manage stress with greater ease. We reached 49 students through these and other community-based classes. Additionally, we reached approximately 727 youth and adults through booths and hands-on activities at large scale community events such as the Connectivity Summit, Jefferson County Pride Fest, Quilcene Beach Day, and All County Preparedness Day.