Not Your Typical Summer Camp
Background
Foghorn was created as a way to appreciate and better share the richness of the Pacific Northwest in the face of its ever changing landscape. Most people who live on the sound know how greatly our area has changed in the past twenty years. We have welcomed some of the largest companies in the world, some of the tallest buildings on the West Coast, and some two hundred thousand people into the Pacific Sound area. The benefit of this is undeniable, as we have seen Seattle become a global, rich hub of art, technology, and science.
We wondered, however, what loss was experienced in this growth. In this booming population, those who know the inner workings of our natural world, its knowledge, and the Pacific Northwest’s history have fallen into a minority. And yet, now more than ever, it is imperative that we understand how to live with the natural world around us; to build a connection with our land, in order to become responsible cohabitors with our wildlife, marine life, and native flora.
What better way to build this connection, than through education?
This is the essence of Foghorn’s ambition: to amplify, centralize, and expand the voices and knowledge of the Pacific Northwest. We aim to pass this knowledge down to a generation that can be prideful and knowledgeable of this ever unique and endlessly interesting land and water they live on.
Summer Camp Approach
A summer camp is a special place. It is a place where worlds collide –– the world of learning, the world of friendship, and the beautiful world of memories. Foghorn aims to include our landscape in this wonderful collision, to allow our campers to take with them friends, knowledge, as well as an augmented connection with the land on which they live. We aim to bring engagement and education together through activities that allow us to not only write down and listen to our lessons, but to also experience and remember them in a meaningful way. At Foghorn, our campers will learn about the Pacific Northwest through texts, packets, and stories, but will remember that knowledge through guided beach walks, art projects, workshops, and of course, lots and lots of props. Our educational approach was conceived by this saying: “when we learn with not only our minds, but our bodies, our senses, and the world around us, the lasting memory is one of a kind.”
Curriculum Approach
We believe in dedicated, rigorous research into our topics. Through research with teachers, marine biologists, historians, artists, and various forms of literature, Foghorn has created and continues to create one comprehensive, master curriculum covering topics across the arts and sciences. The master curriculum is then divided, tailored, and shaped to create an interactive, engaging experience for our campers, fitted appropriately to each camp’s age range. Through this, we aim to make each camp full of the natural world, its knowledge, and of course, full of interactive fun.
Mission
At Foghorn, we are dedicated to the art, science, and knowledge of the land and water in the Pacific Northwest. We aim to centralize the regional scientific, historical, and cultural knowledge of our area, presenting a free-spirited curriculum that allows our campers to learn and interact with the natural world around them. We aim to empower our campers with the tools to become prideful artists, historians, scientists, and admirers of this beautiful land and sound we all call home.
