The Transition Program

As in the Children’s Village at Beaver Run, students in The Transition Program enjoy the kind of extended family life that makes every Camphill community unique. Houseparents, coworkers, and students are interdependent, building an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect that nurtures the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth of every member of The Transition Program community.

Because students live in life sharing houses, they experience many opportunities for acquiring home life skills. To find meaningful participation in the daily chores of running a house, everyone has daily tasks that they are responsible for doing, such as:

Students also enjoy many different social and recreational activities:

• Socializing with friends at Beaver Run, Soltane, and Kimberton Hills
• Attending festivals, plays, movies, concerts, and sporting events
• Visiting museums and gardens
• Swimming at the YMCA
• Basketball, bowling, and other sports
• Shopping for house supplies, groceries, clothing, other personal items, and so on

Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming based on anthroposophical principles developed by Rudolf Steiner. Long before more recent interest in organic farming and healthier food, in the 1920’s, Steiner already believed that the burgeoning use of chemical (or artificial) fertilizers and pesticides was harmful to soil, plants, animals, and consequently, to food.

Biodynamics is a holistic system that works to bring about healing and balance to soil, with the goal of producing healthier plants and animals. Homeopathic preparations are used both in composting and field preparation and an astrological calendar is used to determine times for planting and harvesting. No artificial or chemical pesticides or herbicides are used.

Throughout the year, all students have opportunities to work with different morning and afternoon vocational crews. Some crews meet on our own campus or at Beaver Run, while other crews participate in the local community.

We offer vocational crews in:

• Biodynamic/organic farming and gardening
• Animal husbandry
• Land maintenance
• Building maintenance
• Crafts, such as pottery, candle making, or textile arts
• Vocational placement
• Recycling

Camphill Special School offers continued academic support as an part of The Transition Program. Our goal is to help our students reach their maximum potential so that they may acquire more independence and maturity as they strive for a meaningful adult life.

Students who need the continued support of occupational, physical, and speech therapies also receive them over the course of the week. Speech therapy is conducted individually or in small groups, and the occupational and physical therapists work with our students in their vocational work crews as prescribed in each student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Our academic program includes:

• Language arts
• Functional math
• Current events
• Social group work
• Content area electives

To expose students in The Transition Program to different kinds of meaningful adult living arrangements, twice a year students visit and work in a number of communities in North America, both Camphill and Camphill-related. They go in small groups, helping out wherever they are needed and experiencing opportunities to meet new friends and make successful connections.

Students have traveled to Heartbeet in Vermont, Cadmus in Massachusetts, Four Winds Farm in New Hampshire, and Camphill Minnesota, to name only a few.

Outreach is Vital Aspect of Transition Program
by Erin Hughes, Program Coordinator

As our students in The Transition Program at Beaver Farm look forward to their next steps in life, one of our primary goals is to expose them to different kinds of adult living situations. We do this by accompanying students on Outreach journeys to different adult Camphill and Camphill-like communities.

I was fortunate to participate in our Outreach last October. Coworker Artur Geier and I went with Kiley, Jonathan, and Alex to Heartbeet in upstate Vermont. Heartbeet was founded by Hannah Schwartz, a staff child from Camphill Kimberton Hills, and her husband, Jonathan. Several Beaver Run and Transition Program alums are living there, so it was wonderful for our students to be reunited with some of their old acquaintances, as well as to meet new friends!

Because Heartbeet is a working farm, we plunged right in as soon as we arrived, helping with the before-supper barn chores. We fed the pigs, chickens, and mean geese before trying our hands at milking the cows. During our week in Vermont we helped with many other farm responsibilities, such as planting trees, chopping wood, harvesting root vegetables, cooking meals, and keeping the houses clean.

One of the highlights of our week was helping Hannah and her crew to prepare a free lunch at a local church in town. It was quite a heartwarming experience for us all – and something I would love to do in our local community some day soon.

A side trip while visiting Heartbeet in Vermont

Fun in the sun on the beach in North Carolina

Hiking and camping in Virginia