Family HEART Camp changed my life! I relish my memories and all the growth and look forward to future camps each year. The dedication of the volunteers and program team is way beyond what I expected. NVC is an awareness practice that has affected every single relationship in my world - including the relationship with myself. Onward!
Family HEART Camp has been a completely transformative experience in our lives. We've found a second family, learned how to grow deeper into community and communication with those we love, and we've had so much fun in the process. I cannot recommend it enough.
Previous Stories
This camp has become so special to our family. We attend every year, and the experience has greatly influenced us as individuals and as a family unit. We have formed deep friendships with other camp members, and we have learned to communicate with one another and the world more clearly and compassionately. We look forward to it all year long.
We’ve been attending Family Heart Camp in West Virginia for 3 years! We love the beautiful woods and creek, and of course the kind people who organize and volunteer at the camp. It’s a hard-to-describe heartfelt experience for families of all types. We look forward to returning again!
Previous Stories
What a fun and unique experience we had last year at our first year of Family Heart Camp in West Virginia. I loved the location and the people. There was time to learn and time to just relax. It was a mix of workshops, communication games, sports, nature, and fun! I liked the relaxed pace and many choices about what to do there. I also appreciated that my 4-year-old could stay with me in the adult workshops or go with the kid's group for activities - and change her mind whenever she wanted. The leaders and volunteers were so helpful and kind. Highly recommend!
Last year I was co-host of Family HEART Camp - New York for our maiden voyage and I am still enjoying the current of that experience. We bring multi-generations together with the intention of living with compassion and learning nonviolent communication. Within a week, the energies of trust, respect and choice create a safe, caring and supportive community. While we engage in activities that are fun, nature-based, stimulating and relaxing in a beautiful wilderness setting, all sorts of discoveries are made and hearts become more whole! We return to our respective lives with hope, dreams and skills to carry out the good work we do in the world.
I love the experiences; the love; and the community. It is very inclusive and unique. I would give this camp 1000 stars if I could.
I love Family HEART Camp! We play fun games and make amazing friends. My favorite activity is the night before we leave when the whole camp comes together to share in a NO talent show.
We have attended Family HEART Camp since 2011. We are a large family with a variety of ages and interests so finding a place where we could all have fun and engagement can be a challenge. Every year on our trip home from camp, my kids say, "next year at camp...." They cannot imagine a summer without Family HEART Camp and neither can I!
I've been to Family Heart Camp in West Virginia and Virginia for the last 6 years in a row. It's always been a great experience. Spending time in a quiet and peaceful setting with my family and with other families looking for a break from usual complications of life is something I look forward to every year. The training in nonviolent and compassionate communication has been excellent. The food is always wholesome and delicious. And I always return home feeling relaxed and with new ideas and perspectives.
Family Heart Camp (FHC) has been a strong force in our family, throughout the years since we have started attending in 2015. The camp not only helped us develop our communication (and compassion) skills, it connected us to a wonderful community of people with whom we stay in contact throughout the year. When a hard communication challenge arises at home, we often call a friend we made at camp to discuss and get empathy. So the camp has reached far beyond just the wonderful experience of one week in the summer.
FHC has created a space for children and parents to practice and learn new communication skills within the context of play and daily activities (such as cooking or cleaning up together). There are also many educational classes for exploring new skills. The camp provided a relaxing and fun environment where we could learn something new and then try it out in the coming days and have friends and staff to discuss it with as we observed what worked and didn't quite work.
I would recommend FHC to anyone who is interested in putting attention into how we communicate, how we love and support our children, how we embolden our children to tell us what they need... and ultimately how we can change the world for the better.
Travis Wanner
Sensing that a key to a peaceful future is young people growing into compassionate adults, I attended a HEART Camp with some reservations. The question for me was; 'Is it really possible to 'teach' nonviolence to young people?' By the time I left the camp, I saw how we learn nonviolence together, and witnessed parents sharing what a huge difference that HEART camp made in the family life. I am sold!