Camp Common Ground
School and Youth Groups
School and Youth Groups
Discover the Magic of Camp at Common Ground Center!
Camp isn't just for summer vacation!
We offer year-round programming to school groups at Common Ground Center. School leaders and educators are invited to contact CGC regarding:
- Day-long programs
- Overnight Mini-Camps (two-day to week-long options)
- Trail days, hiking only
- Weekend Staff Retreats
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Over the years since our founding in 1994, we’ve developed and refined enriching programs that emphasize nature, arts, music, wellness, movement, and community-building for young people and adults. We would be delighted to create programs catered to the specific needs of your students!
We have had the pleasure of hosting students from the following schools and afterschool programs:
- Ferrisburgh Central School (Ferrisburgh, VT)
- The Schoolhouse (S. Burlington, VT)
- Beeman Elementary (New Haven, VT)
- Mount Abe (Bristol, VT)
- Champlain Valley Union (Hinesburg, VT)
- Monkton Central School (Monkton, VT)
- Putney School (Putney, VT)
- Robinson Elementary School (Starksboro, VT)
- Bellwether School (Williston, VT)
- The Riverside School (Lyndonville, VT)
- Part Two After School Program (Richmond, VT)
- Shelburne Imagine (Shelburne, VT)
- Hinesburg Imagine (Hinesburg, VT)
- Hinesburg Summer School (Hinesburg, VT)
- South Burlington School's Out (South Burlington, VT)
- Addison Central School (Addison, VT)
- F.H. Tuttle Middle School (South Burlington, VT)
- Vergennes Elementary School (Vergennes, VT)
- Hinesburg Community School (Hinesburg, VT)
Mix and match from our menu of options available for youth groups:
Click to download and print this menu.
Natural History and Ecology Programs
Incorporate some nature and science into your visit at our site. We have an extensive list of offerings that take advantage of our fields, forests, pond and stream. Our science programs can easily be aligned to state standards and will seamlessly fit into your curriculum. Everything from “Bugs” to “Stream Ecology” to “Wilderness Living & Natural Skills” and everything in between! Contact us for our full list of titles and descriptions!
Guided Astronomy Sessions (overnight option only)
Through a relationship with the Vermont Astronomy Society, CGC is able to offer students the chance to star gaze through the lens of a giant telescope. With a 12’ mirror, the scope gives students an incredible view of the cosmos. This feature can be accompanied by an indoor lecture with slide show.
Team Building Activities and Field Day Events
We've got a ton of team building activities up our sleeves to puzzle and challenge your students. Or come and have them participate in more fun focused activities such as scavenger hunts, field day games, sports, obstacle courses, etc. all with or without a thematic goal. We’ll handle the schedule and facilitation of stations or your educators can opt to help out with a program we’ve put together.
Archery
Our USA Archery Certified instructors will give students a chance to take aim at a new sport or refine skills in one they’ve already tried. Archery works best as a station so as to keep the numbers and waiting time to a minimum.
Quidditch (minimum 16 participants)
This is not a typo! Owing to a great partnership with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, CGC has been granted access to a set of muggle Quidditch equipment as well as a trained referee. With 16 participants, students will be sorted into two teams. With 32, all four Hogwarts houses will be represented!
Arts and Crafts
We can provide supplies, demos and instruction for group art projects, individual crafting or our favorite, recycled materials art.
Swimming
We can help arrange lifeguarded swimming in our private two-acre pond, or bring your own lifeguards. For students who may want to opt out of swimming, the pond is also a great place to check out tadpoles, frogs, fish, and other wetland wildlife.
Campfires
Some groups use these for meeting time; others for closing ceremonies and still others prefer to pig out on s’mores…we think these are all good options!
Farm Tours (Spring and Fall only)
Common Ground has cultivated a partnership with Footprint Farm, a small scale organic farm, to provide guided farm tours. Students can see where their food comes from and maybe do some harvesting for a meal later in the day, all within walking distance of CGC.
Guided Nature Hikes
CGC has 17 natural plant habitats to explore. Want to leave the trail map behind? Worried about your group moving at different paces without adequate coverage? Common Ground staff can help bridge the gap or lead a separate hike for a separate age group.
Guided Sustainability Tours
Our facility has many ecological design features including solar panels that provide CGC with 100% of its electricity. The Eco-Lodge is itself a lesson in sustainable building with solar tubes, a green roof and passive solar design (recommended for high school students.)
Service Projects
With 700 acres of trails, over 20 buildings and a garden to maintain, there is plenty of work to go around, if you’re group is looking to give back, Common Ground can find a project to fit your students’ interests and skills.
Free Play
Sometimes kids just need to be kids! We provide a safe environment for youngsters to enjoy our facilities, including tennis courts, baseball/soccer fields, castle playground, tetherball, basketball court, and more.
Testimonials
"Thanks so much for hosting MCS at Camp Common Ground this year. Our students were so engaged in all of the activities thayou had available for them to participate in and it was so great to see them cooperating with each other, relaxing, and having fun!"
-Sharon Primo, Monkton Central School
“The Quidditch game was a favorite, but we felt all of the activities we did were well executed…We really want to come back next year!”
-Robin Shalline, Beeman Elementary School, New Haven VT
“Lovely space and location! Staff is very easy to work with.”
-Sharon Koller, Mount Abe Union High School, Bristol VT
“From the first communication with CGC I felt the care for our needs. The accommodations and atmosphere combined for an amazing space for our retreat!”
-Byron Murray, University of Vermont Hillel, Burlington VT
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Facilities and Accommodations
Our 700 acres are home to miles of hiking trails, a stream, a wetland, a pond, and much more that can offer endless teaching tools and nature exploration. Our 20 rustic cabins can sleep up to 85 people and our seven tent sites offer even more accommodation options. Our unique indoor spaces offer ideal settings for community bonding, teaching, and communal meals.
For more information, contact Emily Gibbs, Program Coordinator, at 802.453.2592 or emily[at]cgcvt.org.