About Common Ground Center & Our Mission

Few things shape our lives, influence our dreams, exhaust, thrill, and challenge us more than family. We remember time spent with our families as children—swimming together on hot summer days, singing a silly song with a favorite aunt, racing to embrace Grandpa after a long trip. Or perhaps we recall not-so-happy times and want to create a new, stronger kind of family.

Since 1994 hundreds of families from all around the world have come together as part of our unique family camp programs, creating lasting relationships with one another while engaging in life-long learning and community building.

Our vision for a better world begins with healthy families and communities in which diversity is honored and celebrated. Join us in creating a place where families—in all their forms—come to learn, play, and grow together. A place where families of different economic and cultural backgrounds have the opportunity to become part of a shared community, connecting and learning from one another. A place where stereotypes and prejudices are dissolved and where individual and family wellness are nurtured.

Our family camp experience is grounded on the principles of respect, inclusion and cooperation. Using thoughtful and inspirational programming, we create an open and integrated community amongst families of diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. We believe the kind of community we generate at camp is a living, breathing example of the kind of world we want to be able to live in year round.

Our mission:

Common Ground Center is a cooperatively run non-profit arts, education, and outdoor recreation and retreat center. We are dedicated to bringing together and strengthening diverse families and communities through unique program offerings and facility rentals. Our beautiful site demonstrates our commitment to environmental sustainability.

Our Guiding Principles: 

We work to foster strong and healthy families that...

• Learn and grow together, supporting each other to gain new skills and explore individual creative talents.
• Interact cooperatively and communicate openly and honestly, to share joys and concerns, solve problems and resolve disputes.
• Play together, making time to laugh, relax, and simply enjoy each other’s company.

We work to develop strong and sustainable communities that...

• Intentionally welcome, support and celebrate diversity.
• Counter alienation by fostering interdependence among community members.
• Honor the unique contributions and talents of each community member and care for each other.

We work according to fiscally responsible business practices, including...

• Fair pay, equal benefits, non-discriminatory hiring and timely accounts payable.
• Valuing our interdependence with the natural environment by maintaining a low carbon footprint, recycling and repurposing.