A Month of Community, Focus, and Growth
When you’re a teenager doing online learning at home, life can get lonely—especially when you’re ready for new faces, bigger challenges, and powerful inspiration.
That’s why we’re offering the Coworking and Connection Retreat: a 4-week sleepaway experience for teenagers with online projects, meetings, or assignments they want to keep working on… alongside 15 other young adults and 3 caring staff, each focused on their own projects.
But it’s not just coworking: this is also an immersion into community living, interpersonal communication, and the magic of “connection.” Through games, workshops, and mini-adventures, we’ll help you bring deeper conversations into your life, resolve conflicts gracefully, and live more happily in proximity to others.
Level up your skills, make new friends, and go home changed—without falling behind on other commitments.
(This retreat is replacing Make Month.)
When
March 9 – April 6, 2027
Where
Dolores, Colorado
Who
14-16 participants (ages 15-19)
STAFF
Blake Boles, Milla von Tauber, and one more
Cost
$3900
↑ Imagine yourself here! (UA Writing Retreat 2014) ↑
Who It’s For
This retreat is for older teenagers who want to get stuff done—and also want to be social, live communally, and challenge themselves to grow. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to determine if it’s a good fit.
Coworking
- Do you have something to work on for 2-4 hours each day? It could be online classes, a self-directed learning project, or something else.
- Are you self-motivated to do this work? The staff aren’t here to force or “motivate” you. It’s up to you to get down to business!
- Can you have most afternoons free to participate in our connection-related workshops and mini-adventures? (Approximately 3-5pm Mountain Time)
Connection
- Are you excited to learn new ways to communicate with friends, family, and other people in life?
- Are you ready to jump into workshops organized by UA staff, even when you’re feeling tired?
- Does living side-by-side with 15 other young people for a month sound fun and meaningful? We believe group living is its own powerful education, especially when everyone chips in with cooking and cleaning.
↑ Spontaneous outings, every day (UA Writing Retreat 2013) ↑
Our Homebase
The Coworking and Connection Retreat takes place in the tiny mountain town of Dolores, Colorado (population: ~940): a beautiful basecamp with a gorgeous library, flowing river, nearby grocery store, public park, a few restaurants, and plenty of trails, all within easy walking distance.
Our homebase is the Dolores Bike Hostel, rented exclusively for Unschool Adventures. Click here for pretty pictures. You’ll stay in dorm rooms with 4-6 beds each. The hostel features shared bathrooms, multiple common areas, a kitchen you can use (when not occupied by a meal crew), an outdoor hangout area, and (drum roll please) our very own sauna!
What It Will Look (and Feel) Like
Imagine waking to a crisp, sunny day in Colorado: one of those March mornings where the promise of springtime hangs in the air. Your bunkmates are still sleeping so you slip out quietly, throw on a sweater, toast a bagel, and take a walk along the river.
When you return, the hostel is bustling: coffee, tea, and energetic conversations are emerging, a few people are stretching in the courtyard, and someone asks if you want some of the extra food they’ve prepared. Soon laptops are opening, earbuds are going in, and people are hopping on calls. Without formalities, the coworking has begun—and you join in.
A few hours later, your phone reminds you that it’s your turn to prepare lunch. Together with another teen, you tidy the kitchen, reheat leftovers, assemble a sandwich bar, and then walk around to tell everyone that food is ready. It’s warm now, and a few of your new friends suggest that you eat in the park across the street. Sitting together in a circle on the grass, you fall into deep conversation, with other teens spontaneously joining and leaving.
You wrap up a few little things on your laptop before the afternoon workshop begins: a fun, interactive, hour-and-a-half introduction to a certain way of speaking and listening that you’ve often noticed but never had someone clearly explain to you. Everyone joins except for one person who has a really important call. The two adults leading the workshop clearly believe in what they’re preaching, offering compelling examples of how it’s made a big difference in their lives. Later that night, when it’s just you and your friends, you will quietly try to implement one of their ideas and see how it goes.
But for now it’s dinner prep, which always feels like a party thanks to the music, laughing, and barely managed chaos. It’s not your turn to do dinner tonight but you still want to be around that energy, so you lay on one of the couches and enjoy the show. Someone comes and asks if they can sit next to you, and soon enough, you’re in the middle of another unplanned and deeply interesting conversation.
During dinner the staff lead the regular evening meeting, which is pretty short tonight, and as the dinner crew cleans up, you pop over to the grocery store with a few others to fulfill a collective ice cream craving, returning just in time for small groups. In the beginning you felt skeptical about these daily “check-ins,” but now you’re looking forward to them—because it feels good to have a moment where you can speak with total honesty about your day, with six other people giving you their undivided attention, and to hear what they have to say, too.
Now it’s 9pm, and there’s no agenda for the evening. A few people are about to watch a movie, some others are starting a board game, and a couple are going out for a walk. You’re interested in all these possibilities, but for now you decide to crawl in your bunk, close the curtain, and send a few messages to friends and family. The evening is ripe with possibility, and there’s no rush to decide.
Even though there are a few things you “must do” each day at this retreat, the hours are largely yours to create, and you’re beginning to feel like you really own your time here. This month is a canvas, you’re the artist, and you’re gaining new tools each day. You feel yourself changing, evolving, and emerging, in ways that aren’t totally clear yet. Time feels like it’s passing quickly and also not at all. Crawling into bed at 1am, you silently recount the day’s experiences, and just when your eyes can no longer stay open, you silently ask yourself: What adventures might tomorrow bring?
Daily(ish) Schedule
??
Wake, rise, and prepare breakfast on your own schedule.
?? – 1pm
Coworking in the hostel, library, or elsewhere
1pm
Lunch spread ready
3-5pm
Connection-related workshop or activity (most days)
7-9pm
Dinner, all-group meeting, and small group check-ins
9pm – ??
Free time with possible group activities
Meet the Staff
Blake Boles
Blake’s first big adventures were living abroad in Chile at age 14, backpacking Western Europe at 19, and traversing South America at 24. He quickly realized that a traditional career wouldn’t work for him, and he set about building a company that would let him continue exploring the world and working with self-directed teenagers.
After organizing many Unschool Adventures Writing Retreats in earlier years, Blake remains passionate about coliving/coworking as a natural incubator for social skills, important discussions, and spontaneous magic. At this moment he’s especially passionate about “connection” in the form of games, conversation, and movement. He’s currently organizing and sharing his favorite connection games online, many of which will appear at this retreat.
Milla von Tauber
Milla fell into the world of unschooling in 2016 when, as a high school sophomore, they joined an Unschool Adventures program to Nepal, sparking two threads of fascination: alternative education and partner dance.
Over the past decade, Milla has worked with countless groups of self-directed young people, teaching communication & connection skills at Not Back to School Camp, the High Desert Center, and Unschool Adventures. They also organize a partner dance intensive in Oregon and help run a dance academy in San Francisco, where they live in a nine-person cooperative house.
Milla’s workshops will explore relational skills and simple tools for navigating conflicts, finding (and using) your boundaries, and becoming a better listener.
Mystery Staff
This fine person will coordinate the kitchen and food. TBA!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s covered by the program fee?
The Unschool Adventures program fee includes:
- Accommodation
- Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
- All group-sponsored activities
- Laundry once a week
- Trip t-shirt
It does not include:
- Transport to/from Dolores
- Snacks, toiletries, and other personal effects
- Extra activities that participants may self-organize
What will the weather be like? What do I need to bring?
Dolores is a mountain town located at nearly 7000 feet elevation. Its typical weather in March/April is chilly but sunny, with a slight chance of rain/snow. You’ll definitely want to bring warm layers!
Is Dolores safe for teenagers? Where can we go in our free time?
Unlike other teen trips that we run in large, foreign cities, Dolores is a small town in rural Colorado without many places to get lost. Participants will be free to wander the central town, alone or in groups!
There are hiking trails and other cool outdoor opportunities in the area, and for those we require that teens go in groups of 3 or more, and notify us of their specific plans before departing.
Dolores is also known for its mountain bike trails, but our insurance doesn’t cover cycling incidents, and we won’t be organizing any mountain bike trips. If you have your own bike that you’d like to bring and use, please mention this in the application.
How flexible is the age range?
We’re maintaining a fairly strict age range for this retreat. If you’re one year younger or older than our stated range of 15-19 but feel that this opportunity is perfect for you, please reach out via email before applying: blake@unschooladventures.com.
Will I survive if I’m vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free?
Absolutely! We’re happy to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and omnivore diets.
Note that more severe dietary restrictions (such as celiac or specific allergies) may be challenging or impossible to accommodate. Please describe your specific needs and restrictions in the online application.
Can you accommodate my ADHD / social anxiety / neurodivergence / etc?
Over the years, Unschool Adventures has accommodated countless neurodivergent young adults. If you’ve read this webpage carefully and feel like you can and really want to participate in what we’re offering—we’re happy to have you.
We do expect all participants to participate fully in the program. UA trips are not a la carte “join only if you feel like it” programs, but rather “go big or go home” experiences for young people ready to boldly step into a higher level of challenge, freedom, and responsibility, regardless of labels and diagnoses.
What is the drug and alcohol policy?
Our trip is drug- and alcohol-free, and the use or possession of any substances are cause for immediate dismissal.
How do I get to Dolores?
If you live within driving distance, you can get dropped off at the hostel. If you’re coming from farther away, you can fly independently into Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO), from which we’ll coordinate a shared airport transfer service (at an extra cost).
How does meal prep / dishes / cleaning work?
Everyone will help prepare meals, clean dishes, and tidy up the common areas—always as part of a team. You won’t need to clean bathrooms. Expect to contribute 3-4 hours each week.
What happened to Make Month?
Make Month wasn’t receiving enough applications to proceed, so we pivoted and transformed it into the Coworking & Connection Retreat. We stayed true to the spirit of Make Month, which is learning how to gracefully receive feedback! Which, as it happens, will also be a skill you learn in one of the connection workshops ;)
Are discounts or scholarships available?
As a very small, private company, we have no funding sources beyond tuition. We price our programs as competitively as possible, at an equal cost for all applicants. Comparing the price-per-week of Unschool Adventures programs to other teen sleepaway experiences, we think we’re a pretty great deal!
Discounts are available for returning participants (10%) and their siblings (5%).
How does the application and enrollment process work?
Apply before August 31st for your best chance of joining this program. We conduct brief video interviews with all applicants to make sure that they’re a good fit for the program, and then we make offers of enrollment. When offered enrollment, you’ll have two weeks to submit your paperwork and the $1900 non-refundable deposit—then your spot is secured! The remaining balance is due in December.
I have another question!
Wonderful! Please email it directly to blake@unschooladventures.com.
We’re especially interested to hear from you if you’re on the edge of applying, but you’re not quite sure. And if you’ve decided not to apply, we’d love to hear why!