Lägom Landing1 7966 Reeds Corners Rd./Dansville, NY 14437
Short Description
Rock Castor (585-727-9585), Laurel Nelson (585-727-1687); e-mail: lnelson18@stny.rr.com
The transition from adolescence to adulthood is one of the most important transitions of our lives. We believe some young adults have a vital need, in the midst of this transition, for an alternative to immediately enrolling in college, the military, or a minimum wage job.
Lägom Landing is a nonprofit residential program that provides a one-of-a kind opportunity for young adults, ages 18-23, to gain vision into a foundation for the rest of their lives. Through living close to the land, using their hands on building and gardening projects, cooking, cleaning, tending animals, managing money, learning EMT and entrepreneurship skills, and serving those in need, young adults will gain self-understanding, focus, and basic life skills that will ground them and prepare them for the world.
We are located on 60 acres of land between Dansville, NY and Geneseo, NY. We live in intentional Christian community, praying daily, and are open to those of other faith affiliation or understanding to enrich our following of Christ.The primary focus of the program is to help participants establish their identities—who they are in a society that focuses on the question, “What are you going to do?”. This time in life involves restlessness and can be unsettling, and we hope to address:
a) The confusion of the transition from the home to all of a sudden, “having it all together”; having a plan for the future.
b) The “check out” mentality witnessed in over-reliance on technology, partying, other distractions experienced in college, work life, or military service.
c) The frustration and financial loss faced by students, parents, and communities when young people enroll in (or even graduate from) college as a “default” option—but have no clear understanding or focus behind their studies.
We believe that competencey with one's hands builds a healthy sense of confidence and self-esteem that can provide a solid foundation for all of life.
Community Living:
The year young adults spend with us is residential. Volunteers join us for one year, living on a 60-acre parcel of land in rural Livingston County. A main “teacher” in our program is the challenge of shared space and living in intentional community. There will be separate women's/men's living areas, including kitchen and bathroom facilities, but there will also be shared space for community life, shared meals, and learning the arts of cooking and hospitality.
Work:
A master carpenter of 30 years' experience will teach all phases of building—from excavation and pouring foundations to finished carpentry and painting, and everything in between.
Although the primary practical focus will be on the building trades, students will also be exposed to gardening, landscaping, EMT and entrepreneurial classes, money management, cooking, food preservation, cleaning, and the creative arts.
We hope to establish partnerships with area agencies, nonprofits, churches to do work in homes of those who need minor to mid-size repairs (roofing, plumbing, electric safety, insulating, etc.).
Action/Reflection:
The hands-on part of the program will be balanced with an in-depth look at how one discovers life and meaning in our 75-mile-per-hour world. Students will be encouraged to step back from the virtual world of electronics, computers, television, and cellphones, and enter into the REAL. The work of the Spirit will be integrated with the work of our hands through reflection, reading, journaling, and learning to listen to the voice of the Creator through the rhythms of nature in our day. We hope to follow the wisdom that Gordon T. Smith offers in his book, Courage and Calling: “We discover ourselves in action, and action becomes fodder for reflection.” Participants will write their own “life rule” during the year.
Play:
“Play” and “Work”, in our vision, may line up from time to time. We'll encourage students to fully use the 60 acres of land, experimenting with environmentally sound building techniques, solar and wind power, etc., and hopefully expand the property with some solid structures/cabins, etc. Games, music, drama, art, cooking contests, poetry readings, etc. will be a part of life.
Tuition and Fees:
Scholarships are available, but for financial solvency, we'll need at least half our participants to pay full tuition of $10,000, which would include their room and board for 10 months, education in basic building, gardening, cooking, money management and other life skills, counseling, spiritual direction, 2 off-site retreats, the freedom to roam around 60 acres every day, and a stipend of $200/month for entertainment and time off. Participants will be urged to raise their money through churches, family, and community connections, in order to have accountability to a community investment made in them.
This type of learning experience is unique. There are few, if any, other places which offer the combination of practical skills and real life perspectives of a year at Lägom Landing.
1“Lägom” is a Swedish word that roughly translates to “enough; just the right amount”. We believe we've been given the resources we need to live into the call God has placed on our lives, but due to societal pressure and a host of other issues, some young people need help “land”ing into who God created them to be.
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