top of page

Frequently Asked Questions

Registration

  • What are the dates of the conference?​

    • Aug 23, 2024, 2:00 PM EDT – Aug 26, 2024, 11:00 AM EDT

    • Camp Winadu, 700 Churchill St, Pittsfield, MA 01201, USA

  • How much does it cost to attend? What does registration cover?

    • Registration covers all four days at the conference, meals, and lodging at Camp Winadu.

    • Ages 13 and up cost $350

    • Ages 5-12 cost $300

    • Ages 4 and under are free!

  • Is there a way to reserve tickets?

  • Are there scholarships available? Are there discounts available?

    • We hope to be able to offer scholarships, but it depends on our ability to raise funds through donations.

    • There are some limited discounts available, so please reach out to neucinfo@gmail.com to discuss options.

  • Can I purchase a single-day pass?

    • A limited number of single-day passes are available for Saturday or Sunday. Single-day passes cover meals but do not cover lodging. 

    • Single-day passes cost $95 per person, and can only be used for one day, either Saturday OR Sunday. If you wish to use the single-day pass to attend multiple days of the conference, please purchase a full conference registration.

  • How do I register?

  • What is the registration deadline?

    • The registration deadline for the conference is July 31!

  • Will there be walk-in registrations at the camp?

    • There won’t be walk-in registrations. Due to this year’s venue and activities, we need to be able to plan in advance!

  • What are the ages best suited for the conference?

    • All ages are welcome! We hope to have a range that reflects the diversity of ages found in all parts of the community. 

  • Can my teens attend without me?

    • All minors must be accompanied by an adult. 

    • The conference is a facilitated experience, and parents, guardians, and chaperones are responsible for the safety and care of their children. 

    • If you’re a group that is coming from a microschool or co-op, please reach out to us for specific chaperone policies. 

  • What is the cancellation policy?

    • No refunds can be granted after June 30. 

    • If you cancel your registration within 30 days of purchase, you will be refunded 75% of your registration.

    • If you cancel your registration after 30 days of purchase, you will be refunded 50% of your registration. 

  • Can volunteers get reduced rates? 

    • We do not offer volunteers reduced rates. This is for two reasons. First, as a conference, we run a very tight operating budget. Our board is entirely volunteer staffed. Any money above our conference operating costs goes to providing scholarships or helping to secure next year’s location. Secondly, we encourage all participants to volunteer or contribute as they are interested and able. It is our responsibility as a community to care for each other and the conference. We don’t want to place unfair labor on lower-income participants. If you need financial aid, please take a look at our scholarships or ticket reservation options! 

    • If you’re interested in volunteering for our conference, please email us at neucinfo@gmail.com.

    • If you’re interested in presenting or leading an activity at the conference, please fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfaFHjCHAIRnWa2ANAzp2bTkBnNc6rRtGjZ0AnhTS2PZ8i2HQ/viewform

​

Housing/Accommodations/Facilities, etc.

 

  • What are the sleeping accommodations like?

    • Sleeping accommodations include beds and bunks with mattresses and toppers. Linens will be provided. Sleeping accommodations are typical of a summer camp setup.

  • How will accommodations be assigned?

    • Once we are closer to the conference, a housing survey will be sent out to attendees. Depending on the number of participants, accommodation requests, and cabin availability, families with similar ages of children will be paired together. There will also be cabins for grown unschoolers, teen unschoolers, and a covid-cautious cabin (see more in the 2024 public health section). 

  • What are the bathrooms like?

    • Many of the cabins host two separate bunk rooms with a shared bathroom between. The toilets are stalls with wooden doors (that do not have gaps on the sides) and curtained-off showers. 

  • Is there air conditioning in the cabins?

    • Some of the cabins have AC units, yet many also have screens and open windows. Don’t count on spending too much time in the cabins, as they’re mainly just for sleeping. If you need an air-conditioned space, you will be able to list that preference on your housing survey and we will do our utmost to accommodate.

  • Can I pitch a tent or park an RV?

    • You can pitch a tent or park an RV. There are public restrooms but there aren’t public showers. It’s important to note that because of what the venue charges per person, camping or bringing an RV will not lower the cost of registration.

  • What are the meals like? Can dietary needs be accommodated?

    • Camp Winadu is used to accommodating many guests throughout the summer and can accommodate any dietary restrictions. Information on dietary restrictions will be gathered in a participant housing survey closer to the date of the conference.

  • How is the camp being staffed during our stay? Will there be lifeguards at the pool and lake?

    • There will be Camp Winadu staff on site during our conference as well as NEUC board members and volunteers. 

    • The pool and lake will be staffed with certified lifeguards at designated times. Participants may not access the pool and lake outside those designated group times. A schedule will be provided when details are confirmed. 

​

What is the accessibility like on site?

​

  • Camp Winadu is set up as a summer camp with lots of sports fields, walking paths, fire pits, and cabins. The cabins are not wheelchair accessible, and only one cabin has a ramp leading to the entrance. About half of the paths are paved and the rest are a mix of gravel and dirt.  The dining hall has a ramp to the entrance and has paved paths leading to it. There are hotels with accessible accommodations in the area, but we regret that the camp’s overall accessibility is low. 

  • While we worked hard to find a venue that could suit our price point, programming, and accessibility needs, we recognize that we have fallen short on accessibility. We are committed to increasing accessibility in the future, and are sorry to lose the opportunity to connect with folks because of low accessibility. 

  • In the meantime, if you are a participant that is physically disabled and would be able to participate in our programming (mix of outdoors and indoors), please email us and we will be happy to offer financial aid to help adjust for the costs of staying off campus. At this time, we are only able to provide a discount for sleeping off campus to our community members with physical disabilities. 

  • Looking for an opportunity to support accessibility at our conference? If you or someone you know has a wheelchair accessible RV (or two!) that they would be willing to let us use for the duration of the conference, we would be extremely grateful! Please reach out to us at neucinfo@gmail.com

  • The location is undergoing some renovations and we will be returning in the spring to reassess. If there are any major updates, we will be sure to let you know! We are also actively strategizing to make our conference more accessible next year. 

  • We recognize that disability comes in many forms, and there are thousands of unique needs to which “accessibility” can refer. If you have questions regarding your specific access needs, please email us at neucinfo@gmail.com, and we would love to discuss making this space accessible to you.

​

2024 Public Health and Safety:

  • Our 2024 Public Health plan is coming soon! This will include information on our resources, ventilation, filtration, group and individual responsibilities, and information on our designated covid-cautious cabin.

  • We’re a scent free space. We work to keep our conference spaces no-scent or low-scent, so that all attendees (especially those with fragrance sensitivities and allergies) can participate comfortably. 

  • First Aid and CPR: There will be first aid kits on site and two of our staff members are CPR certified. 

 

Misc/General:

  • What should I bring? (please do your best to use scent-free products for the comfort of scent-allergic attendees)

    • Seasonal clothing, shoes, etc. including swimsuits and towels, athletic wear if desired, layers for potentially chilly nights

    • Snacks and beverages if you feel your family needs between-meal food/drink. Please bring non-perishable food items, and whenever you need to prepare that food as though you are camping. 

    • There will be no refrigerators for general use. 

      • There will be one mini fridge available for medical purposes. Please know the conference is not responsible for the storage, safety and distribution of your medication.

    • Sunscreen, bug spray

    • Refillable water bottles

    • Cellphones, charging cords, battery packs, adapters

    • Cosmetics, meds, supplements and personal care items including sanitary pads/tampons. We will have a simple first aid kit available with limited supplies.

    • Pillows and/or sleeping bags (linens are provided)

    • Water safety and play accessories (i.e., swimmies, inflatable toys)

    • Toys, games, cards and other recreational items for your own use - or to share!

    • Reading material for downtime if desired

    • Items for the Untrepreneurial Fair (a long-standing NEUC tradition where arts, crafts and other items for sale are on display for all to purchase!)

    • Cash for purchases at the Untrepreneurial Fair (see previous item)

    • Musical instruments for jam sessions

    • After looking through the programming, any items you might want to use at any of the activities that look fun!

    • Materials or items for any workshop/funshop you might want to offer!

    • Any comfort items your children (or you) require

  • What is the best way to contact NEUC?

    • You can reach out to our email, NEUCinfo@gmail.com at any time if you have questions or concerns.

  • Is there a Facebook group for the conference?

  • Will there be any NEUC merch?

    • Yes! Stay tuned for details about our merch and how to order!

  • Who owns the conference and where do the profits go?

    • The conference is currently owned by grown unschooler Skyler DuPont, alongside an Advisory Board composed of a combination of grown unschoolers, and unschooling parents. Any profits that are realized after the conference expenses are covered will be applied toward the next year’s conference, as well as scholarships for next year. 

  • What’s the diversity of the board?

    • This is our second year having a volunteer Advisory Board after a transition of conference ownership during the pandemic. Anyone can join the board, and it is currently made up of white and Palestinian-American members. We realize that we are a mostly white board. We are working to create opportunities for global majority members on our board while also not demanding labor from oppressed groups. We're working to connect, uplift, and center Black and global majority voices, and invite our audience and participants to support us in the process. If you want to check out some amazing Black voices in the unschooling community, check out PhillyFreeSchool, our 2021 speaker, Mylkaia Diggs. 

  • Who runs the conference?

    • Currently, the Northeast Unschooling Conference is a cooperatively run event, with roles and responsibilities being handled by the volunteer Advisory Board. We welcome everyone who would like to offer their time to run workshops, share knowledge, help set up/break down, and provide skills so that our conference really reflects our community!

  • Does the board/volunteers make any money?

    • Nope! Our board, including the owner of the conference, is volunteer run and none of our board members or volunteers make any money from running the conference. Any net profits are rolled over to cover next year’s conference expenses, as well as to build a scholarship fund.

  • Does Winadu have a website where we could view the camp and facilities? 

​

Programming/Activities

  • Check out our 2024 Programming Page here for the most up to date info on our programming and to read descriptions about each of our events!

  • Who are our NEUC 2024 Keynote Speakers?

    • Sawyer Fredericks

    • Tashmica (still confirming)

  • What sports will be available?

    • We will have access to all of camp Winadu’s top of the line sports facilities! So the question truly becomes, who knows how to play? We’ll have access to their facilities for structured and unstructured time to play:

      • Basketball

      • Ping Pong

      • Badminton

      • Volleyball

      • Frisbee/Frisbee Golf

      • Tennis

      • Foosball

      • Capture The Flag

  • What Outdoor Activities will be available?

    • Tie-dye/acid washing

    • Campfire Music Jam

    • Kayaking

    • Swimming in the Pool/Lake

    • Guided hikes

  • Will there be lifeguards at the pool or lake?

    • The pool and lake will be staffed with certified lifeguards at designated times. Participants may not access the pool and lake outside those designated group times.

  • What Workshops will there be?

    • Grown Unschoolers Panel

    • Unschooling as a Liberatory Philosophy

    • Let's Talk College

    • Demystifying the Puzzle Cube (aka Rubik's)

    • How to Create Your Own Board Games!

    • Murder Mystery Night

    • Writers' Sprints

    • Grown Unschoolers Space

    • Untrepreneurship Panel

    • Online Video Creation in 2024!

    • My Kids Are Grown, Now What?

    • Untrepreneurial Fair

    • Ice Cream Social

    • Speed Friending

    • So much more! We are still putting together the schedule of events, and this space is cocreated by YOU. We all have unique talents, gifts and interests. What could you offer to the community?

  • If I would like to offer a workshop, what is the procedure for doing so?

    • We would love to have you offer a workshop. Please fill out this form: https://bit.ly/42Nn9KW Please note that all presenters are volunteers and provide their own materials and supplies. 

  • I’d like to recommend programming, but not lead it myself; how can I do that?

  • Is there a schedule of events?

    • We will provide a full schedule of events as we get closer to the conference!

  • Are there indoor spaces as well as outdoor spaces?

    • Yes, there are both indoor and outdoor dining, sports, and meeting spaces. You can expect to switch readily between.

bottom of page