Registration Info Financial Assistance How to Register

The New York Intensive in NVC - Children and Teen Program

We want youth to experience:

a space where everyone's needs matter, regardless of age
freedom and encouragement for self-expression and authenticity
a no-fault zone, where everyone is free to make mistakes and grow from them
a week of fun, play, laughter, music, art, movement and creativity based on their interests and needs.

While the adult and youth programs are largely separate, many of our adult participants express delight at being able to experience the energy, wonder, and authenticity that the children and teens bring to the New York Intensive. The youth are typically present (as they wish) for celebrations and mournings, then go off on adventures and programs of their own. Both adult and youth program trainers are likely to offer a few sessions throughout the week which are open to all members of the community, regardless of age. One example of this - last year's Dance Floors for families - was a big hit with both our youth and adult participants, and we look forward to more such offerings this year!

Quick info:

Our lead trainer, Stephanie Mattei, has experience as a parent and educator, and has supported children and parents at the New York Intensives in 2008 and 2009, the 2008 NVC & Diversity intensive and at the the annual BayNVC Family Camps. Her husband, Guiseppe Mattei, has also been present and unofficially supporting our youth program since 2008. We are happy to have him as an "official" Youth Program trainer this year. Read their bios on the Trainers page.
A minimum of three assistant trainers with experience working with youth from an NVC consciousness will support the program.
The program will have a maximum of 15 children - speak with us to reserve your space early.
We request that children be at least five years old and comfortable in a group setting to participate in the program. While we would love to support younger children, we want to maximize the likelihood that the children's needs for trust, safety, and comfort are met and that the parents will be able to participate in the sessions offered at the New York Intensive. Younger children often need more individual support to meet needs for safety and trust than we are able to provide this year.
Registration for the Children's Program is separate from the registration for the New York Intensive program. The requested contribution per child for participation in the program is $250 - $450 per week for tuition, plus room and board expenses for the week of $200. The actual cost per child for running this program is over $600. This is separate from room and board arrangements. We've also heard from some families who are looking into camping locally or using other arrangements to save on lodging expenses. We will also post this information as we receive it.
Because we want this program to support access for people from all socioeconomic classes, we ask that you let us know of your wish to register your child for the program. We intend to reserve some places for families newer to NVC and who have less access to the financial resources that may make it possible to attend this event. We will speak to each family that is intending to register so that we can be sure the program will meet your family's needs. After we have spoken, we will send you information on how to register for the program.

Request for Financial Contributions

youth It is so clear to us that providing an enriching, affordable environment for youth during the retreat can be the deciding factor for some parents' ability to attend the retreat. Each year, we feel great sadness hearing of would-be participants who choose not to attend our intensives because they could not afford to miss a week's salary, then pay child-care in addition to the lost income. Other participants were able to attend, but had to return home every evening to be with their children, and occasionally miss a day's events, because they did not have reliable care. We want to raise money to fully fund some children's participation in the program, to make participation in the New York Intensive truly possible for people with lesser access to financial resources. We estimate the cost of the children's program to be approximately $15,000. We ask that if you are considering enrolling in the children's program, that you contribute as much as you can on the higher end of the scale, with the knowledge that the requested contribution does not fully fund the program.

We are also looking for donors who would like to make financial gifts in support of the youth program. If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to the youth program, even if you are not enrolling a child in the program, please contact Roxanne Manning (roxanne.manning@gmail.com) to discuss how to do this. We are excited about the possibility of our community coming together to support children in having an experience of what it is like to live in NVC community, with adults so committed to holding their needs, and to support parents in having the spaciousness to do the important work that can contribute to the creation of a world in which all children, whatever their race, ethnicity, or financial status, can thrive.

Thanks for your support.