Thank you for showing interest in ACW youth programs!  We would certainly love to have your group here, however, we no longer attempt to host  jr. & sr. high students for a week of work projects. If you would still like to come to our farm, please check out Antioch (group retreats) and our Education programs.

As important as it is to instill a love of service in young people, we encourage you to do that in your own community rather than here. More often than not, our experience has been that this age group has not gotten as much out of work projects as we’d like them to, nor have their leaders… nor have the people they have come to serve. Understandably, teens are more focused on each other than the folks here, due to their social developmental level.  Skills and motivation for work projects are just not where they need to be, too.  Plus, this age group is often most available during summer months and, by then, it’s too hot and humid for any of us to want to work too hard.  It ends up being more babysitting for the adult leaders, and more work for us.  After teen groups have left, we have had to go back to complete projects due to lack of time while they’re here, or we have to do them over due to poor quality. So, we figure, WHY FIGHT IT anymore? Let’s give them what really works!

If you’re interested in adding Education to a Group Retreat, your students would be introduced to Appalachian culture and issues, Catholic social teaching, and have the time for bonding, group building, learning together and exploring their spirituality. Hot summer days and nights are better spent by the pond and around campfires under the stars. Kids go home happy, leaders go home rejuvenated, we feel like we’ve done a good job, and the people here have their integrity in tact with a much better impression of “outsiders.”  Thanks for considering!