In the first week of the 2026 Encampment, the Encampers began to share their personal and community stories in the circle and in conversations. They explored what it means to live in community and created their own community agreements. They developed their leadership skills, including facilitation, communication and finding their voices, and storytelling. Chumash community members Marcus and Casmali Lopez shared perspectives about Indigenous governance, stewardship, leadership, and community responsibility. A local partner, the community organizer Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) introduced the fundamentals of community organizing and grassroots power-building. The Encampers visited a example of community organizing at the Mini Nature Reserve in Oxnard, led by Solimar Gutierrez (EFC alum 2019).
June 28, River of Life
A popular art-based EFC activity that facilitates the process of sharing one’s personal story is called the River of Life. “Life rarely moves in a straight line. Like a river, our lives include twists, turns, obstacles, moments of calm, and moments of rapid change. The River of Life invites Encampers to reflect on the experiences that have brought them to this moment at the Encampment and to create a visual representation of their journey. What major events in their lives have led them to be here at Encampment?” – Program Director Jesus Salcido
These beginning days center the individual in the collective. As part of the EFC’s unique educational approach, we established together a foundation of care, safety, and respect that will support honest dialogue, personal growth, and meaningful relationships over the coming weeks.
As we introduce this year’s theme, “Meeting the Moment: Solidarity, Resilience, and Hope,” we recognize that solidarity starts with understanding ourselves and one another. Before we can stand alongside others, we must first understand the experiences that have shaped our own perspectives and values.
The goals of this day were to:
- Develop a deeper understanding of the Encampers’ personal stories and experiences through the “River of Life” and dialogues.
- Identify values that are important to them and explore how those values influence their actions.
- Continue building trust and relationships in the community.
- Understand the boundaries and ground rules of the EFC.
As always with the Encampment approach, questioning is a vital part of the process. The Encampers reflected about the connections between identity, values, and community.
Examples of questions:
- What did you learn about yourself today?
- What values seem important in this group?
- What helped you feel welcomed or connected?
- What are you still wondering about as we begin this journey together?
- What do you hope to gain from this program and what do you hope to contribute?
June 29: Building Community Together
The program continues with the question “What does it mean to live in community?”
Community is a collection of relationships, responsibilities, traditions, expectations, and shared commitments. Throughout the Encampment, young people will be challenged to navigate differences, support one another through challenges, engage in difficult conversations, and collectively shape the culture of the program. As part of this process, the group came up with the community agreements pictured, left.
June 30: Shared Power, Shared Responsibility
After exploring what community means and creating agreements for how we will live together, we began to look at how communities make decisions. Every community develops systems for leadership, accountability, conflict resolution, and collective decision-making. Whether formal or informal, these systems reflect a community’s values and shape how power is shared, exercised, and challenged.
The Encampers were invited to think critically about leadership and governance as collective responsibilities. Through discussion, role plays, and learning from Indigenous leaders and knowledge-keepers, the Encampers explored different approaches to leadership, decision-making, and community accountability.
Chumash community members Marcus and Casmali Lopez (shown with group, left) shared perspectives about Indigenous governance, stewardship, leadership, and community responsibility. Their presence helped to ground our conversations in the history of the land we are living on while offering examples of governance systems that differ from dominant models.
Encampers working on different community governance scenarios together, below.
July 1, Facilitation Skills
The program moved into processes focused on building facilitation skills. One of the core beliefs of the Encampment is that young people are co-creators of their own learning. Facilitation is a unique form of leadership. Rather than directing people or providing all the answers, facilitators create the conditions for meaningful conversation, critical thinking, and collective learning.
Encampers explored facilitation styles; practiced leading conversations; and reflected about what makes people feel heard, valued, and engaged in a group setting. This workshop also serves as preparation for one of the major leadership opportunities of the Encampment: Later in the program, youth will work in teams to design and facilitate their own whole-group sessions for the community.
Some of the goals for this workshop
Encampers:
- Understand facilitation as a form of leadership.
- Identify characteristics of effective facilitators.
- Learn the difference between facilitating, teaching, and presenting.
- Practice asking open-ended questions.
- Explore strategies for encouraging participation.
- Begin preparing for youth-led sessions later in the summer.
July 2, Communication, Storytelling, & Finding Your Voice
The next day, we explored the skills of communication, storytelling, and finding your voice. Leadership is not only about having good ideas; it is also about communicating them in ways that help others connect, reflect, and take action. We explored the many ways people communicate meaning, from storytelling and public speaking to art, music, movement, and personal narrative. Encampers examined what makes a message memorable, why some stories stay with us long after we hear them, and how effective communicators create opportunities for others to engage rather than simply deliver information.
Encampers gained a stronger understanding that communication is not about performing or having all the answers; it is about helping people connect with an idea, a story, a question, or one another.
The Creative Groups met and began planning and creating together. These groups are another opportunity for leadership, self-expression, collaboration, and community building. The groups this year are music, facilitated by Nik Pettye; dance/theater, facilitated by Evelin Aquino and Talent Davis; and visual arts, facilitated by Lucy Jabbour.
July 3, Community Organizing 101 with CAUSE
We moved into connecting these earlier lessons to the broader world by learning from community organizers who are working to create change in Ventura County.
Through our partnership with CAUSE, Encampers were introduced to the fundamentals of community organizing and grassroots power-building. They explored how people come together to address issues affecting their communities, campaigns are developed, and collective action can influence decision-makers and systems.
This session served as an important bridge between personal leadership and social change. It challenged young people to think about leadership not only as an individual practice, but as something that happens in relationship with others.
July 4, Community Exploration with Mini Nature Reserve
After spending the week exploring community, leadership, governance, facilitation, and organizing, we engaged directly with the broader community by visiting a Mini Nature Reserve in Oxnard. Led by Solimar Gutierrez (EFC alum 2019), Encampers experienced a local example of community stewardship, environmental care, and grassroots leadership in action.
This field trip offered an opportunity to see some of the ideas discussed throughout the week reflected in a real-world setting. It also served as an invitation to slow down, pay attention, and deepen our connection to the land and communities that are hosting us this summer.
Encampers:
- Deepened their understanding of the Oxnard community and the local context surrounding the Encampment.
- Learned from community members who are engaged in environmental stewardship and community-building, and why that is important.
- Explored the connections between land, community, culture, and justice.
- Practiced observation, curiosity, and reflection outside of a traditional classroom setting.
- Considered how local initiatives can serve as models for leadership and change in their own communities.
- Continued building relationships with one another through shared experiences beyond campus.
- Strengthened their connection to the themes of solidarity, resilience, and hope through engagement with place and community.
Upcoming
The InterGen is a unique way to experience the Encampment. It’s an opportunity to meet the 2026 Encampers who will share what they have learned during the summer program and their hopes for the future. Shared meals and activities bring together Encampers, staff, alums from many different years, parents, and supporters. We learn from each other, feel the intergenerational connections, have fun, and make memories. Join us as we meet this unique moment together as allies in social justice. On July 17–19, we will meet in person in Thousand Oaks, CA. You can also participate virtually for two sessions.
InterGen in-person registration closes this Wednesday July 8. You can still register for the virtual sessions until July 16.
Highlights include:
- 2026 Encampers’ creative presentations in music, dance, theater, and visual art.
- Showing of the Robert Reich documentary “The Last Class.”
- Dr. Faith Kares and EFC staff, alums, and Encampers share stories of courage in meeting various moments.
- Shared meals and intergenerational connections.
Click to register for the in-person weekend.
Click to register for the virtual version.
Support diverse youth leadership development. All donations are welcome! Click to DONATE ONLINE or send your gift to The Encampment, P.O. Box 1210, Aptos, CA 95001-1210. Our Federal EIN is 30-0694938.
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