Reimagining the World: A Gap Semester for Changemakers
Community living and learning in the spectacular environmental and cultural diversity of the American Southwest.
Ages 18-24
September 23, 2025-November 21, 2025
60 days
$12,900
“Immerse yourself in a transformative journey that awakens deeper curiosity, inspiration, and well-being. We invite you to explore what “authenticity” means to you, and to act from that space of self-knowledge and discovery. Through nature-based experiences, engagement with Indigenous communities, reflective practices in quiet spaces, good-humored, playful, and nurturing community living, and an emphasis on holistic well-being, we’ll bring meaning and purpose to the experience by exploring the most fundamental and significant questions of our times. “
6 Pillars of Individual and Collective Well-Being
Connection: A Foundation of Togetherness and Belonging
Mindfulness: Self-Reflection + Awareness = Compassionate Action
Nature: A Living Model for Collective Thriving
Reciprocity: In Good Relation with Earth and All Inhabitants
Creativity: Nature as Source of Imagination and Innovation
Community: Together, in Service to the World
Living Accommodations
You’ll live in the Loft, a newer 6-bedroom accommodation with full kitchen, 4 bathrooms, and living/gathering spaces. All rooms have views to natural landscapes. Students will be 2 per room. There are full bathrooms (showers included) and laundry on the first floor of the accommodation as well. There are 3 bedrooms in the Great House that can accommodate up to 6 more students. We can host 18 students comfortably.
The Great House is a special place, with a large gathering area, full-scale kitchen and dining area, musical instruments, a small library, games, old school stereo (CDs and records, anyone?!) and a roaring wood stove for cooler weather. You won’t want to leave.
The Meeting Place is a beautiful strawbale structure that hosts local yoga workshops, drum and dance retreats, and other special events. Many group activities and reflections will be held in this sanctuary space.
Establishing Connections, Embracing the Journey Ahead
Days 1-3, Deer Hill Campus
Settle into your new space, explore the local area, establish a sense of place with a trip to Mesa Verde National Park, cook and share meals, go on local day hikes in beautiful places, build group culture, and set intentions.
Into the Wild: The Beauty of Being Alive
Days 4-7, San Juan Mountains
Embark on a 4-day backpack into the epic San Juan Mountains, considered by many to be the most scenic in all of Colorado. No worries…you’ll be well-supported and there’s no rush! Soak up the beauty, learn backcountry gourmet cooking, howl at the moon, deepen connections, and feel the aliveness of being in Colorado’s largest wilderness! All camping gear (except shoes) provided.
A Moment to Pause: Rest, Reflect, Gather Our Energy
Days 8-10, Deer Hill Campus
Returning from the San Juans, you’ll unpack and settle back into campus life. Enjoy a group sauna and a good night’s sleep. Practice some newfound recipes. Reflect on your time in the wild. Begin learning about the history of Indigenous cultures in this area; welcome a guest speaker from the Diné (Navajo) Nation as they help prepare you for your upcoming sojourn.
Diné (Navajo) Nation: Heal the Land, Heal Ourselves
Days 11-17, Dinétah (Navajo) Nation
This time will be spent directly learning from Diné (Navajo) community members who are deeply connected and committed to healing the land. This will take many forms, including hands-on reciprocal service learning, a guided hike in Canyon de Chelly, shared meals, learning about traditional lifeways, listening to and sharing stories, and more.
A Moment to Pause: Rest and Reflection
Days 18-20, Deer Hill Campus
Settle back in to campus life. Engage in activities designed to expand upon what you just experienced and learned in the Diné (Navajo) Nation and how that relates to the pillars of the program. Deepen the learning by going on a guided reflection in the Dolores River area.
Art and Craft: Portals for Mindfulness and Creativity
Days 21-27, Deer Hill Campus
Continuing our embodied approach to inquiry and learning, you’ll have a one week apprenticeship with a local artist or craftsperson. This may include blacksmithing, silversmithing, drumming, farming, natural building, or other options. Your group will be in small 3-4 person cohorts for this time, sharing the morning and evening campus routine and telling each other about your apprenticeship experiences over home-cooked meals.
Finding Flow: A Journey on the San Juan River
Days 28-31, San Juan River (Utah)
It’s midway in the program, time to get acquainted with the San Juan River as she snakes her way through epic red rock canyons. October autumnal light make this an especially magical time to float the river. You’ll enjoy mellow rapids, awe-inspiring landscapes, explore mysterious side-canyons, cook and eat amazing food, hold “Circle” (intentional reflection) under unobstructed night skies, have conversations about the ecological issues within the Colorado River Basin, and continue deepening as a group. All gear, including sleeping bags, tents, warm layers, and rain gear, is provided.
Rest and Recharge
Days 33-35, Deer Hill Campus
Settle back into the coziness of campus life, cook meals, play games around the toasty wood stove in the great house, enjoy a sauna. Reflect on all you experienced and learned within the Colorado River Basin. This is time for relaxation and self-care.
Hopi Pueblo: Traditional Wisdom Rooted in Nature
Days 36-42, Hopi Pueblo (Arizona)
This time will be spent directly learning from Hopi people who are addressing present-day challenges with traditional wisdom and knowledge. This will take many forms, including hands-on reciprocal service learning, guided hikes, learning about traditional lifeways, shared meals, listening to and sharing stories, and more.
A Moment to Pause: Rest and Reflection
Days 43-45, Deer Hill Campus
Settle back in to campus life. Engage in guided activities that expand upon what you just experienced on the Hopi mesas, and how that relates to the pillars of the program. Deepen the learning by going on a guided reflection in nearby Canyon of the Ancients National Monument.
Zuni Pueblo: Cultural Regeneration
Days 46-52, Zuni Pueblo (New Mexico)
This time will be spent directly learning from Zuni people who are actively engaged in cultural preservation and regeneration. This will take many forms, including hands-on reciprocal service learning, guided hikes, learning about traditional lifeways, shared meals, listening to and sharing stories, and more.
Rest and Reflection
Days 53-54, Deer Hill Campus
Coziness and togetherness at the Deer Hill Campus with guided activities to reflect on your recent time in the Zuni Pueblo.
Integrating the Journey and Embracing the Unknown
Days 55-58, Deer Hill Campus
This will be a time of intentional reflection and group sharing meant to support your individual aspirations for “what’s next”. This time includes guided “wilderness wanders”, group discussions, and a final ceremony. We’ll hold a celebratory “Circle” and dinner attended by many of the wonderful people you’ve met along the way, including Indigenous hosts, art/craft mentors, wilderness and reflection facilitators, and anyone else who has contributed to your journey.
Preparation for Onward Journeys
Days 59-60, Deer Hill Campus
Enjoy a final cozy day of togetherness on the Deer Hill Campus. Prepare for your upcoming travels. Enjoy an evening group sauna. Moving forward, keep your Deer Hill Experience alive in your heart and mind. Write us often. Better yet, visit us and tell us all the wonderful or not-so-wonderful things that are happening in your life. We’re family.
Ages 18-24
September 23-November 21, 2025
60 days
$12,900
*Questions? Call us at 970.533.7492.
The Deer Hill Campus
Located on 128 acres in Mancos, CO, Mesa Verde National Park is visible from the land. We are surrounded by some of the most iconic landscapes of the West, including the San Juan Mountains, Utah red rock canyon country, and the Colorado River Basin. Deer Hill is within a few hours drive to several Indigenous communities, who have stewarded and shaped this land for millennia.
Arrival and Departure:
Durango Airport (DRO) or
Deer Hill Basecamp, Mancos, Colorado.
Arrive September 23, 11-3pm; Depart November 21, 8:30am-2pm