Communities
On August 25, 2013, all new Marlboro students will arrive on campus, drop off their belongings and set off into the world. Some will explore caves and ride white water. Others will make a mockumentary and undertake a local food challenge. Some will sleep in a tent under a canopy of stars. Others will lay their heads on a bed in a historic farmhouse. Along the way, they'll forge new relationships, learn new skills and discover some of what it means to be a part of the Marlboro community, what it means to join with others and build...Bridges.
Select your Bridges experience! Read through the amazing slate of trip offerings and fill out the preference form at the bottom of this page with your top three choices. Remember: the goal is to challenge yourself. You'll be with a small group of dedicated folks, so try to push yourself to try something new! That's what Bridges is all about...
Ancestral Healing
Embark on the healer’s journey with Robin and Ariel Viktor in the woods of Vermont. We will be living simply, bringing with us as few material possessions as possible and beginning the process of learning how to live off of the land as we use to. We will focus on self-care, healing, relationships, and community. We will begin and end each day with Qi Gong, take time each day for meditation, awareness, and other mindfulness activities. We will emphasize self-care--physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual as a prerequisite to helping and caring for others. Over the course of the trip we will practice forms of energy healing and massage and begin the study of herbal medicine. We will work on interpersonal communication skills and conflict resolution. This trip will be a journey of the self. You will develop a deeper, more intimate relationship with yourself, using connection with nature to develop individual strengths and gifts. This trip neither requires nor excludes any particular set of beliefs or prior experience/knowledge, only requiring that you to be open. This journey will prepare you to both care for yourself and act as a resource to others.
Biking Towards Community
Bike Vermont! We'll pack our gear onto our bikes and set off to see the gorgeous Green Mountain State from the peaks to the valleys. See stunning views during the day as we bike along both well-worn concrete roads as well as dirt roads less traveled. Jump in a cool watering hole and relax before dinner and a campfire (bring a story or 3!). We'll end each day falling asleep beneath the stars as we get our minds ready to start pedaling again in the morning!
Flashbang
Come on a weeklong photographic adventure with Patrick and Pearse as we explore a variety of photographic subject matter (including but not limited to trips to the city, mountain hikes and potentially tagging along with other trips!). Photographic experience not necessary but desire to have fun a must. You can bring your own gear, or borrow from our stockpile of toys and gadgets. The perfect trip for someone whose just tryina to snap some pics and have some giggles. This weeklong journey will consist of daytrips and photographic pondering. We may even watch some movies and cover some basic photographic history/contemporary photographic work.
Government, Governance, Governing
Join us as we visit and discover the juicy details and intricacies of the political and governmental realm all around us! Take a good ol' fashioned American road trip with Brandon and Rosie as we examine the history of these three G'S from Montpelier to Boston to Marlboro. And, we're going to meet both local and national lawmakers along the way! Explore community governance in Brattleboro and Marlboro as we attempt to fully understand what it looks like to be an active, concerned member of the Marlboro community. There will also be bowling, swimming and boardgames as we get to know each other. Bring your gavel!
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Discover the darker side of New England as we explore a few of the region's beautiful and intricate caves. We'll challenge our fears of heights, the dark, and tight spaces as we walk, crawl, climb, explore and chimney deep within the earth (and sing: caves have extraordinary acoustics). Intrepid explorers we shall be, boldly squeezing through passages ranging from 17 inches in diameter to 17 yards, following underground streams to waterfalls and lakes, and sinking to depths few have dared to reach. It will be muddy, wet, grimy, chilly, sometimes tight, and always very, very dirty: all contributing to an awesome and exhilarating experience. When not wandering the underworld, we will do some above ground hiking to get to and from the caves, enjoy fine outdoor cooking ala mode camp stove, spend our evenings with campfires and music, and get to know one another and a little about the ins and outs of Marlboro College.
Moutain Goats
Sick of the 21st century? Escape technology, and spend a week in the woods with Angelique and Kendall, learning skills of self-reliance that harken back to the mountain men and trappers of early America. Half of our time will be spent on primitive skills, learning primitive fire making techniques, making cordage and tools, foraging and tracking in the Vermont woods, cooking our finds, stargazing, etc. The other half of our time will be spent enjoying outdoor sports, as we canoe and rock climb. We will also perfect our aim with an all-night lasertag lock-in! Everyday we will be cooking all of our meals by the campfire, and accommodations will be outdoors in tents, primitive shelters, and the open sky. Come join us in the great outdoors! (Novelty coontail hats included.)
New England Ghost Tour Witch Hunt 2K13
Can you swim? You might be a witch. Fly along with your new spooky friends Amber, Nora, and Maia as we discover our inner ghost hunter and divulge in the fine art of witchcraft. We will explore the haunted New England countryside, stay in creepy old buildings and ghostly outdoor spaces, seance in the woods, perform spells, tell ghost stories, and try to get in touch with the other realm. Join us for a wicked adventure!
Rites and Rituals of Passage
This annual retreat (our oldest trip!) has provided hundreds of students with an in-depth transition 
from their lives at home into this passage to a new place. "Rites and Rituals" explores transitions in our lives as fruitful opportunities for growth and expansion. The trip incorporates hiking, cooking, trust activities, storytelling, campfires, and more exciting: a two day and two night solo vision fast to meditate and focus, followed by a sweat lodge ceremony. Flynn Johnson, a former counselor at Marlboro who now heads the School of Natural Wonder has led the trip for over ten years and guides by adapting ancient Native American traditions for modern use. Students on this trip generally walk away with a strong bond that continues well into their years at Marlboro. Prerequisite: Letter of intent stating why you would want to undertake the challenge of a two day and two night solo vision fast.
Walkabout
A walkabout is a rite of passage during which Australian Aborigines would undergo a journey during adolescence and live in the wilderness for a period as long as six months. In this practice they would trace the paths, or "songlines", that their ancestors took, and imitate, in a fashion, their heroic deeds.
We will embark on our "Walkabout" west of the college in the southern Green Mountain National forest. Our camp will move each day in search… of resources, understanding, inspiration and new skills. Our trek each day will be dictated by our intent for the day,with the "process and moment" dictating the route and agenda.
Write Like a Dragon
Explore different styles of writing, get outside, but sleep inside! Come have a great time with midnight writing, hiking, campfires (with s'mores), and your new pet dragon. Find your inner self (or not-so-inner self (or just a self you feel like finding for a week, we're not picky)). We’ll be doing a lot of nature-based writing, experimenting with different poetic forms, journaling, and short story-ing. Expect to visit some local spots in Brattleboro like The Twilight Tea Lounge, spend some time with some world-renowned writers and the enjoy the scenic view at the top of nearby Mount Wantastiquet. We promise fun times and a free journal.
Read all the descriptions?!? Now it's time to pick your trip. Select your top three preferences!
