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A: Yes, early drop off is available from 8:00am, and late stay is available after 4:20pm, and until 5:00pm. There is an extra charge of $12 for any part of an hour. Our regular staff will provide the coverage.
A: The program is coed. We attempt to have a good balance of both boys and girls, and usually succeed. As we have young people from entering 2nd through entering 8th, the majority of our campers are in grades 4-6. Most of our signups happen during Jan and Feb. We are committed to mixing genders in every way that we can, and also encourage age mixing when appropriate. We can all learn from each other.
A: Mazeblazers is a course designed for the upper age limit. The other courses are divided up by age depending on the course. For example, drama would include all ages and architecture would be age grouped because of the tools used. We are continually assessing the challenge level to ensure that we meet the needs of all ages. The projects in each course are very individual.
A: Swimming is optional every day, and all are encouraged to take part. Tennis is offered on a voluntary basis; young people have the option to play several times each week, weather permitting. A typical Mazemakers day includes participation in the 4 chosen courses, a swim period, a free period, lunch period, and a brief snack period.
A: "Challenges" are large-group collaboration activities, in which a simulated problem is analyzed and solved by the group of young people through leadership, cooperation, and teamwork. "Challenges" form an important component of the program, helping to build leadership skills and strengthen community, and so all Mazemakers take part. There are usually 2 to 3 "Challenges" per session. On "Challenge" days, classes are either shortened or suspended, depending of the level of challenge and the length of time needed to solve it.
A: Each Mazemaker has the option to bring his or her own sack lunch, and refrigeration is guaranteed. Alternately, a local deli provides nutritious, personalized box lunches for a fee each day; order forms are made available each week for the following week.
A: A "typical" Mazemaker day begins and ends with a circle: the opening circle allows campers to share feelings and stories, engage and solve intellectual puzzles, and join together in group games and songs; similarly, the closing circle at day's end provides closure and a send-off. Between these circles are five course periods (each camper chooses four courses and has one "free" period to play games, tennis, read, etc.), as well as time for swimming (optional every day) and lunch. There are occasionally "atypical" days, also, in which the entire community engages in outdoor group challenges, whole-camp games, or other special activities.
A: Unfortunately, at this time, transportation is not available.
A: Not at this time. We are attempting to make them available and will let campers know as soon as possible.
A: As our program is process driven and builds on community values, we cannot offer anything less than 4 weeks.
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The most important part of the Mazemakers program, bar none, is our devoted, talented, and experienced staff. Principally, our counselors are professional educators and college students, with both classroom and summer program experience. From summer to summer, we have a staff return rate of more than 80%. In addition, each summer we have several high school students in training positions.
While we welcome new staff members every year, many of our counselors originally came to Mazemakers as participants, and so have been in the organization for several years (some as many as ten years or more). This is testimony, of course, to their dedication and love for the program; but it also makes for a well-trained staff, familiar and experienced with the Mazemakers philosophy and practical approach to education and community building.
Each summer, our entire staff goes through an intensive "orientation and training" process during the week before the program opens. This process covers everything from curriculum design to classroom management, conflict resolution to leadership development, health and safety protocols to teamwork strategies. And throughout the summer, our weekly evening staff meeting always includes continuing "professional development" on these and other issues.
A: We are approximately 10 minutes from the 128 exit to Wellesley.
A: MazeBlazers is an optional course, open to all young people entering 7th or 8th grade. The underlying idea of the course is leadership and teamwork development. Each MazeBlazers class together decide -- through brainstorming, negotiation, and compromise, all guided, of course, by Mazemakers counselors -- on an "adventure" and a community service project. All decisions and plans are made in consultation with parents all along the way.
Day to day activities, then, include: 1) Early on, group connecting exercises, to build trust and common knowledge; 2) during the first week, decision making processes; 3) planning and coordination (the young people take responsibility for all aspects of the two events, from phone calls to managing a budget provided by MM); 4) carrying out the adventure and the community service project; and 5) processing and presenting information from these two events (particularly the community service) to the MM community. And along the way, we introduce basic leadership and teamwork ideas and techniques (for example, we explore the difference between "leading" and "facilitating" in a task).
Some past examples of "adventures": a day trip to a Boston museum; a day trip hike. Typically, the adventure is followed by an overnight at Dana Hall.
Some past examples of community service: a trip to a food pantry to help stack food in a storage room; a trip to a Boston community center to help clean the grounds.
Again, each session, *one* "adventure" and *one* community service project are selected.
From the West — Take the Mass. Turnpike to the Weston exit (14). Then go south on Route 128 for 1/2 mile to Route 16 (Exit 22-21B). Follow directions for route 16 below.
From the East — Take the Mass. Pike West to 128 South/Route 95 (exit 15). Follow 128 south for 1/2 mile to Route 16 (exit 22-21B). Follow directions for Route 16 below.
From the North — Take route 128 South to Route 16 (exit 22-21B). Follow directions for Route 16 below.
From the South — Take Route 128 North to Route 16 (exit 21). Follow directions for Route 16 below.
From Route 16 - Follow route 16 west for 3.1 miles and take a ninety-degree left turn onto Grove Street (at ninth stoplight). After 1/4 mile, Dana Hall will be on your left. To enter the campus, take a left onto Hampden Street and a right at the Dana Hall sign.
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