Tag Archive

Enchanted Hills Camp

Our Blind Music Academy is Going on Tour in August and You’re Invited

07/12/2017 LightHouse Staff

In its fourth year, LightHouse’s summer Music Academy continues to grow and expand, literally. Each year, Music Academy culminates with a performance by blind students from all over the world. This time around the group will take the stage at Enchanted Hills’ brand new Redwood Grove Theater, which was completed this summer and features redwood benches made at camp by blind woodworker George Wurtzel. The students will also hit the road to perform at our headquarters in San Francisco.

Experience the power of Music Academy by joining us at one of these free concerts:

Saturday, August 12 at 4:00 p.m. – Enchanted Hills Camp, with dinner following. 3410 Mt Veeder Rd, Napa, CA 94558. Suggested donation $20: RSVP here.
Tuesday, August 15 at 5:30 p.m. – LightHouse for the Blind Headquarters, 1155 Market Street, 10th Floor, San Francisco 94103. Suggested donation $20: To RSVP visit the link.

About Music Academy

Enchanted Hills Camp has paired up with Bill McCann, founder and president of Dancing Dots Braille Music Technology to craft a Music Academy for blind musicians ages 16 to 24 years old who are serious about music or might be thinking of entering the profession. Bill McCann pioneered this specialized music academy model both in Canada and the United States. The academy introduces students to using non-visual techniques to compose music, read the works of others, learn performance skills and gain the capacity to compete for and win employment in the music field.

With its specialized emphasis, our talent pool and ambition continues to grow. This year we’re excited to host students from all over the world, who will spend a week focused on not only becoming better performers but achieving fluency in braille music and other accessible forms of musical notation.

Musicians ages 18 and over who are participating in the Music Academy are invited to stay on for the extended section of our Music Academy program. The extended program starts August 13 and ends August 16 and will be held in San Francisco at LightHouse for the Blind. We will shuttle those qualifying participants to LightHouse for the Blind from the Enchanted Hills Camp. We will also provide a shuttle service to the SFO airport at the end of the program on August 16.

We still have openings in this year’s Music Academy! If you have questions about the session please contact Taccarra Burrell at ehc@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 451-694-7310.

A special thank you to our Music Academy Sponsors:

Featured, LightHouse News

Camper Spotlight: Billy Lei

06/21/2017 Andrea Ogarrio

Nineteen-year-old Enchanted Hills camper Billy Lei bubbles with enthusiasm as he describes his first session at EHC, saying, “I loved Enchanted Hills from the first moment I got there. I loved the space, the trees, the people, all of it!”

Billy moved with his family from China to Sacramento eight years ago. They moved in part to give Billy the education he couldn’t get in China, where children with disabilities are often shuttered away. It was a big change. He says, “I was just eleven when I came here. I didn’t know the language and remember having to adjust to the hotter weather and different food.” Despite these challenges, Billy began to sharpen his English, dig into academics and learn how to relate to his American peers.

And Billy wanted to do more than that. At first, he might have been mistaken for shy, but he explains, “…that’s not really my nature. I learned a lot in school, but I wanted to become more confident and push myself even more.” That is exactly what he did at Enchanted Hills.

Since 1950, Enchanted Hills Camp, sprawling across 311 idyllic acres in the redwoods of Napa, is the place where children and adults who are blind or have low vision try new things, experience the grandeur of wilderness and make lifelong friends. Each year Enchanted Hills offers more than 550 campers the chance to enjoy nature while learning all kinds of skills, from archery to tactile crafts, from campfire-building to horseback riding.

Billy jumped at the chance to go to camp. Once there he learned to navigate the undulating campus and enjoy all that the camp had to offer. He tells us, “There’s so much that I love about Enchanted Hills. I love nature – I love hiking and the feeling of open space, the sound of the birds – it’s a happy place to be and I can really relax my mind. I love all kinds of physical activity and I took my very first martial arts class there. I liked it so much that I continue to take classes here at home.”

Camp Director Tony Fletcher says, “Billy is a great role model for the younger campers and he always takes advantage of the opportunities offered to him. We’ve seen how EHC can be a gateway to the deep learning of the rest of the LightHouse. Billy has run with this. He really threw himself into camp life. Now he’s getting ready to take on the working world as an active member of LightHouse’s Youth programs. He is learning how to do a great job interview.”

This summer, hundreds of young campers will set up their cabins and meet blind friends, old and new. Together they will gain confidence and a sense of pride in who they are. Please donate to help us continue to make camp a place for blind kids to discover themselves.

View the full list of our camp sessions here. We still have spaces at our STEAM Camp, the special tech track in our youth camp session, from July 12 to 15 — learn more about this dynamic and educational session on our website.

LightHouse News

Cycle for Sight: Join Team LightHouse in Napa on April 22!

03/29/2017 LightHouse Staff 1 Comment

“She’s game for things that a lot of people aren’t,” says Marc Sutton of his fitness partner Ginger Jui. “She’s willing to go on dirt, she’s willing to go down steep stairs. The more you ride with someone, the more you have that built trust. I feel safe with her, but I feel like it’s not an overcautious safe — it’s just like, alright, let’s go have fun… something exciting is going to happen here. Let’s see what it is.”

Marc and Ginger have been riding tandem together for going on eight years. For Marc, who is blind, riding with Ginger creates a physical outlet that gets him out of his mind and into his body. For Ginger, it’s a pedaling meditation and a chance to catch up and talk about life. Both have gained a lifelong friendship. Get to know their story in the video below.

Every spring, LightHouse rallies a team of blind and sighted cyclists like Marc and Ginger to ride and train together for Napa Rotary’s Cycle for Sight and raise funds for Enchanted Hills Camp. You can ride on your own or join a tandem team for the 15, 25 or 50 mile routes through wine country with more than 2,500 other cyclists. This is also great opportunity for Anthem and USABA’s National Fitness Challenge to set new and different fitness goals!

Start by signing up for Cycle for Sight and select Team LightHouse at signup. Then contact Tony Fletcher at tfletcher@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7319 if you’re interested in being part of a tandem team. Check out the existing members of our team!

If you’re curious about riding tandem but haven’t done it before, don’t fret — we’re offering free trainings in early April, so you can join the event with confidence. Mark your calendars for these upcoming training sessions at Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) at 3075 Adeline St #200 in Berkeley. Tandem bikes will be provided onsite, so contact Dagny Brown at events@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7333 to reserve your spot.

April 6 – 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

April 13 – 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

April 15 – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Members of Team LightHouse get a snazzy biking jersey and the opportunity to help raise vital funds for Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. All participating cyclists will receive an individual rider profile on our Cycle for Sight page, with a built in donation form. If you’re interested you can crowd fund via your individual rider page after you sign up and answer a few questions about yourself.

Raise $300 or more to receive a free stay the evening before the ride at Enchanted Hills, including meals! We also offer a prize for the person or tandem team who raises the most contributions. All proceeds support Enchanted Hills Camp. We hope you’ll join us!

Visit www.cycle4sight.com for route information, start times and more info.

Uncategorized

Enchanted Hills Camp Counselor

2 Comments

POSITION: Enchanted Hills Camp Counselor

REPORTS TO: Director, Enchanted Hills Camp and Retreat

STATUS: Daily

WC CLASS: Camp

JOB PURPOSE:

As a residential camp for the blind, counselors are responsible for the overall provision of a traditional camp experience to all blind and visually impaired campers. This includes but is not limited to: inventing new blind-friendly programming, motivating campers to use non-visual techniques, adapting all activities so that all campers can participate fully regardless of their level of vision. Counselors should encourage active participation in camp meals, clean-up and other daily functions through fun activities. Counselors provide supervision to recreational activities, create educational experiences, promote independence and supervise the health and safety of children and adults. Applicants must also have the ability to work with campers that have secondary disabilities (developmental, hearing impairments and/or mobility restrictions).

QUALIFICATIONS:

Must be 18 years of age or older
High School graduate
Some college education preferred
Current First Aid and CPR certifications
Previous work in a camp, school, or community service setting
Experience working with individuals who are blind/visually impaired preferred
Knowledge of Braille and/or sign language preferred

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be willing to live on camp premises
Must be able to lift 70 pounds
Ability to enforce safety and emergency procedures
Ability to identify and respond to environmental and other hazards related to the activity
Physical ability to respond appropriately to situation requiring first aid
Must be able to assist campers in an emergency (fire, evacuation, illness or injury)
Possess the endurance required to maintain constant supervision of campers

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Assist in the direction, supervision, and organization of campers in their living unit, within activities and throughout the camp in order to meet the intended camper outcomes
Apply basic youth and blindness development principles in working with campers through communication, relationship development, respect for diversity, involvement and empowerment of youth
Assure campers are properly supervised at all times
Be aware of and implement safety guidelines
Participate in the development and implementation of program activities for campers within the mission and outcomes.
Responsible for leading and assisting with the teaching of activities.
Actively participate in all program areas as assigned.
Provide for the progression of activities within the framework of individual and group interests and abilities.
Assist in program areas such as waterfront, nature, all camp activities, and arts and crafts as directed.
Maintain high standards of health and safety in all activities for campers and staff.
Provide the daily care of each camper within your supervision including recognition of personal health needs.
Ensure that campers receive their medications as directed by health care manager.
Be alert to campers and staff needs and assist them with personal and/or health problems, and discuss with camp health manager and/or resident camp director when appropriate.
Be alert to equipment and facilities to ensure utilization, proper care, and maintenance is adhered to; report repairs needed promptly to camp director.
Be a role model to campers and staff in your attitude and behavior.
Follow and uphold all safety and security rules and procedures.
Set a good example to campers and others in regard to general camp procedures and practices including sanitation, schedule, and sportsmanship
Contribute to verbal and written evaluations and communication as requested
Participate enthusiastically in all camp activities, planning, and leading those as assigned
Participate as a member of the camp staff team to deliver and supervise evening programs, special events, overnights, and other all-camp activities and camp functions
Stay current on best practices by reading/viewing instructional media and active participation before and during camp
Attend and participate in weekly staff meetings
Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

N/A

WORKING CONDITIONS:

LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired is an equal opportunity employer to all. We strive to maintain a scent-free environment and a drug-free workplace. We also operate under a mutual “employment at will” policy.

TO APPLY:

Please submit a cover letter and résumé as Word attachments (no .PDFs please), to hr@old.lighthouse-sf.org, including the job title in the subject line. Please include a link to any relevant clips or portfolio pieces. Due to time constraints we will only respond to complete submissions in which there is serious interest; thanks for your understanding.

Uncategorized

Cycle for Sight

This year’s Cycle for Sight is going virtual! April 17, 2021

For 2021, we invite you to ride, run, walk, or hike in support of Enchanted Hills Camp! Cycle for Sight is a yearly fundraising cycle event for Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. Come out support Enchanted Hills Camp by participating – with options to ride, run, walk or hike. Sign up to be a member of Team Enchanted Hills when you register, and post your photos for the annual Cycle for Sight using hashtag #C4S2021. We’ll come together in the morning via live stream for our opening ceremony, then regroup in the afternoon for a post ride virtual party. $45/$85 (VIP) Registration Fee includes a goody bag mailed to your home.

Register here.

Can’t Ride? You Can Still Donate

All proceeds support Enchanted Hills Camp. We hope you’ll join us!

LightHouse News

The Summer 2017 Enchanted Hills Camp Schedule is here!

02/03/2017 LightHouse Staff

For those of you who have been waiting with bated breath, 2017 Enchanted Hills Camp registration is now open! See the full schedule of sessions below and follow the links for descriptions of each.

We’re also offering a few new adult sessions in February and March, including our Adult Music Session in mid-February and an additional Woodworking with Wurtzel session in March, to accommodate the folks who missed out on the February session.

Adult Music Session – February 16 – 19

Woodworking with Wurtzel – February 16 – 19 (FULL)

Woodworking with Wurtzel – March 16 -19

Baking with Dan – March 16 -19

Cycle for Sight – April 22

Family Camp I – June 8 – 11

Blind Babies Family Camp – June 16 – 18

Adult Session – June 24 – 29

Adults with Developmental Disability Session – June 30 to July 5

Family Camp II – July 6 – 9

Youth Camp – July 10 – 16

STEM Camp – July 12 – 15

Teen Camp – July 20 – 29

Family Camp III – August 2 – 5

Horse Camp – August 7 – 13

Youth Music Academy – August 7 – 13

Deaf-Blind Session – August 14 – 18

Chemistry Camp – October 20 – 22

If you have question regarding camp sessions or registration, contact EHC Program Coordinator Taccarra Burrell at ehc@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 451-694-7310.

Uncategorized

Dinner Cook

POSITION: Dinner Cook

REPORTS TO: Enchanted Hills Camp (EHC) Site Manager

STATUS: Non-exempt

JOB PURPOSE:

Enchanted Hills Camp & Retreat in Napa, CA, is looking for a professional and talented Dinner Cook, who will assist camp personnel in providing nutritious, tasty, and well-prepared meals to others. The variety of diners include campers, staff, guests and groups which vary in size and preferences.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education or equivalent: High School degree or GED. Hold ServSafe certification or licensure for operating a kitchen in the camp’s jurisdiction.

Experience: Knowledge of and experience in food service: ordering, inventory, budgeting, food preparation, family-style serving, buffet serving, cleaning, and institutional kitchen equipment. Able to work within a budget; purchase and allocate supplies efficiently.

Experience: Knowledge of current health and safety laws and practices is essential. Knowledge of and experience in preparation of special dietary foods. Equipment used regularly includes: Mixers, ovens, dishwashers, fans, refrigeration systems, meat/cheese slicing machines, and general kitchen aids and tools. Supervisory experience very helpful.

Other:

Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing.
Ability to safely and properly use kitchen equipment.
Ability to identify and respond to environment, and hazards of a camp environment and its facilities; also to camper and staff behavior.
Ability to provide first aid and to assist campers and staff in the event of an emergency.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to lift and transport up to 50 pounds regularly, with occasional lifting of greater weights, may be required.
Physical mobility and endurance to perform tasks while standing or walking for long periods of time (60 minutes or more).
Ability to safely and properly use kitchen equipment.
Solid physical endurance sufficient for occasional prolonged standing, bending, stooping, and stretching.
Manual dexterity sufficient to manipulate equipment.
Ability and willingness to work with daily exposure to sun, heat, rain or inclement weather and other environmental conditions.

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Under the direction of the EHC Site Manager:

Manage the dinner operations of the camp’s food and dining services, including coordinating activities between the kitchen and dining room;
Oversee the planning and preparation of nutritionally-balanced meals;
Ensure the service of meals through directing the work of other employees;
Ensure safe and efficient preparation and serving of meals;
Coordinate menu-planning for guests and user groups as directed.

Under the direction of the EHC Site Manager:

Maintain the inventory and order food, equipment, and supplies;
Arrange for the routine maintenance, sanitation, and upkeep of the camp kitchen, its equipment, and facilities;
Provide supervision and administrative support to kitchen and dining room employees;
Monitor employee performance and training; document as requested.

Customer Service:

Meet the public, and be supportive of, and sensitive to, the diversity of people, their cultures and special needs;
Greet groups, maintain positive relationships with group leaders and group participants;
Manage group issues that may arise, with a smile (complaints, menu changes, etc.);
Lead food service personnel in maintaining a professional and courteous atmosphere.

Internally:

Dinner Cook will have a designated relationship with the Maintenance Department to assist in the proper and efficient operation of all kitchen appliances.
On occasion, be on-call to respond to group needs as requested.

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

This position may oversee other kitchen and dining room personnel.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

TO APPLY:

Please submit a cover letter and résumé as Word attachments (no .PDFs please), to hr@old.lighthouse-sf.org, including the job title in the subject line. We will not consider videos or hyperlinks to online profiles. Due to time constraints we will only respond to complete submissions in which there is serious interest. Thanks for your understanding.

LightHouse News

In February – Enchanted Hills Will Offer Music Camp for Adults

10/28/2016 LightHouse Staff

Photo: Students perform on guitar and bass at this summer’s Music Academy concert at the LightHouse Building

By popular demand we’ve added a music camp for adults. Join us in February at Enchanted Hills Retreat for our first session of Music Camp for Adults.

Who: Blind and visually impaired musicians 21 years of age and up
Where: Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind
When: Thursday, February 16 through Sunday, February 19, 2017
Cost: $300.00 plus $40.00 for transportation

This session is for musicians ages 21 years and up who are blind or have low vision. Participants should already know how to play or sing and have, at minimum, intermediate musical skills (basic chords, scales, tuning, basic instrument maintenance and general musical knowledge) in their instrument(s). Instruments can include, but are not limited to guitar, ukulele, percussion, voice, and other acoustic instruments.

The session will be by headed by Enchanted Hills Camp Enrichment Area Leader Masceo Williams and will focus less on music literacy and more on performance and “jamming” skills. Jamming, that is, improvising while playing, helps bring together a community of musicians to learn from, share, and appreciate each other’s skills. For those that are new to performing or would like to build their comfort level in performing, this camp is for you. The session will also include a songwriting workshop.

Masceo Williams is an accomplished blind musician with over 20 years of live performance experience and has taught and mentored students during Enchanted Hills summer camp sessions and Music Academy. You can learn more about him and hear his music at http://www.masceo.net.

In addition to the Music Camp students will enjoy the beauty of Enchanted Hills in winter, including gatherings around the fireplace; warm, comfortable accommodations and delicious home cooked meals prepared by our talented kitchen staff. Weather permitting, participants will have the opportunity to perform in our Redwood Grove Amphitheater.

For questions and registration, please contact Taccarra Burrell at TBurrell@LightHouse-sf.org or call 415-694-7310.

LightHouse News

We Welcome AmeriCorps Back to Enchanted Hills This Winter

10/27/2016 LightHouse Staff

Photo: Last year members of AmeriCorps made many improvements at Enchanted Hills, including finishing deck railings, working on fencing on the horse trail above the Art Barn, designing a new tech lab for the Kiva, building a storage container for the Kiva and renovating the Enchanted Hills Recycling Center.

This winter we will be hosting 14 members of AmeriCorps who will spend six weeks improving our camp property. AmeriCorps is a core program of the federal agency, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Per their website, “AmeriCorps places thousands of young adults into intensive service positions where they learn valuable work skills, earn money for education, and develop an appreciation for citizenship. They are committed to seeing positive change in their country, and are devoting ten months of their lives to work towards this end.”

Some of the many projects AmeriCorps Volunteers are slated to tackle at Enchanted Hills are rebuilding the pool deck, updating fencing along the lake and trails, remodeling the interior of the Lodge and landscape improvements.

Enchanted Hills Camp Director Tony Fletcher told us, “Our budding relationship with AmeriCorps has become a highlight of my year. Watching these dedicated young men and woman working diligently to make a difference for our camp gives me and the rest of the Enchanted Hills Staff extra incentive to work just as hard. Under George Wurtzel’s supervision I have seen Corps members gain confidence and pride in building decks, laying flooring, constructing trails and learning about blindness that goes above and beyond a typical placement for AmeriCorps teams. We are proud to be a host sponsor for AmeriCorps.”

LightHouse News

Know Someone With Changing Vision? Our Next Immersion Training Sessions are Coming Up

10/27/2016 LightHouse Staff

Photo: Class Picture of the September CVCL Immersion Training Session 2 Class

Fall is a time for harvest and abundance. Over the past four years, 250 students have harvested their skills and received an abundance of support, opportunities to connect and a rich introduction to skills ranging from accessing print, learning about technology to organizing their households and traveling independently.

Holli Clark of Santa Cruz County has participated in both sessions and had this to say about her experience:

“Just a note to share my big thanks for the wonderful Immersion experience! One of my big reasons for wanting to go for Immersion training was because I just didn’t know what I didn’t know. I figured there were better ways of doing things than I had made up over the years. I was certainly correct in that, and am delighted to be learning many new skills. This translates to being more productive, efficient, confident, independent and safer. [The] week was packed with immeasurable value. I learned so much from each trainer and really appreciated your focus on scheduling us according to individual needs…Your staff are both exceptional trainers in their fields as well as wonderful, caring people.”

Photo: Cooking Instructor Sydney Ferrario and CVCL student Holli Clark stand together in the Betty Ruhland Teaching Kitchen at the LightHouse

We’re offering one last CVCL session before year’s end, and another in February. Details on both follow:

December Changing Vision Changing Life (CVCL) Immersion Training Session 2
This session is facilitated from the new LightHouse Building in the heart of San Francisco. The focus of this week’s training is “boots hit the ground in training”. Students participating in this week must have already received basic skills training in orientation and mobility, access technology or independent living and must be committed to focusing intently in all three of these skill areas in a small group and individual learning environment. (Please note: students do not need to have attended a previous CVCL session to attend CVCL 2 in San Francisco.)

This five day session is designed for students who are committed to full days of instruction, homework and practice in the evening and will take full advantage of the professional training time, mentoring and peer support and self-study that will be available.

Students will participate in a minimum of three of the following areas:

Access Technology, including:

Computer training (Mac or PC) – using the software you are currently learning
Smart Phone Training – Apple or Android
Tablet Training – Apple or Android

Orientation and Mobility Training 1:1
Introduction to Braille
Smart Cooking for Independence
Low Vision Training – Using your Tools to Your Benefit
Independent living skills

When: CVCL 2 will run from Monday, December 5th (arrival at 9:30 a.m. – training starts at 10:00 a.m.) through Friday, December 9 (leave at 11:00 a.m.)

Where: The session will be held in our headquarters building at 1155 Market St., 10th Floor in San Francisco. Participants will stay overnight throughout the week in our Student Residences.

Cost: There is a $1,300 fee for this training but you may qualify for partial or full scholarship if you are not already working with the Department of Rehabilitation or the Veterans Administration. It is highly recommended that all students have a solution for taking notes, such as the Victor Reader Stream (training will be provided in how to use this recording device)

***

February Changing Vision Changing Life Immersion Training Session 1
This session is held at Enchanted Hills Retreat in Napa and is specifically geared for students new to blindness and low vision. For five days, up to 14 adult students have the opportunity to develop basic skills in a range of areas – access technology; orientation and mobility; organization and labeling; magnification and lighting; cooking; braille and community, state and national resources.

The week is full, active, emotional and supportive and students are given the opportunity to meet others, to harvest their own skills and determine the direction of the quality of their lives. There are three scholarship openings for persons 55 and better living in Humboldt, Del Norte, San Francisco, Marin or Alameda County who are not consumers of the Department of Rehabilitation or the VA. For those who are consumers of the Department of Rehabilitation, we encourage you to discuss this opportunity with your counselor.

When: CVCL I will run from February 6th – 10th.

Where: The session will be held in at Enchanted Hills Retreat in Napa. Participants will stay overnight throughout the week in our lakeside lodgings. Transportation is available from San Francisco, Berkeley and Marin County.

***

For More Information, to Register for Session 1 or Session 2, or if you have questions, please contact Debbie Bacon at dbacon@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7357 in San Francisco; Jeff Carlson at jcarlson@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-258-8496 in Marin County or Janet Pomerantz at jpomerantz@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 707-268-5646 in Humboldt County.