About Us
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About The Wayfinder Experience
The Wayfinder Experience is a live-action role-playing company, based in Kingston, New York. We run summer camps, events, school programs and workshops for teens, children and adults. The centerpiece of our programs is the Adventure Game, a transformative experience that challenges players physically, mentally and emotionally, while immersing them in an exciting world of fantasy.
Our Events
Wayfinder operates weeklong overnight LARP summer camps for teens and day camps for children. We also host three-day events, such as our Winter Game in December, and One Day Adventures every month.
Our staff is also available for special events, like our Capture the Flag with swords after-school programs and children’s Birthday Parties.
Our Programming
At our overnight and day camps we offer a diverse range of workshops combining sports, art, “play-safe” swordplay, improvisational acting & intentional community building. All this culminates in our Adventure Game, a live-action role-play that is often played out over multiple days.
During the “Adventure Game” our participants become characters in a magical, legendary story, complete with costumes, elaborate sets & props, masks, treasures, spells & quests. We transform our summer camp facilities into whole new worlds. The stories and settings are prepared in advance, but the end results are dependent upon the actions and choices of the participants themselves. At the end of the adventure, a simple call for “Game!” signals a return to the real world—and the chance to excitedly share experiences and stories!
Our LARP Adventure Games are all original, written and created by our staff (and sometimes our campers) and range in scope from high fantasy to tales of pirates and ninjas, from the Wild West to science fiction, alternate histories, zombies, noir mysteries and everything in-between. No two games are the same and every adventure lets you play a new character… or many!
Our Mission
Our mission is to create supportive communities for youth that foster personal growth and empowerment through cooperative play and storytelling.
Camp Philosophy
Wayfinder is committed to the idea of learning through active involvement. Our program is designed to encourage outstanding young people to develop a greater purpose in life. This philosophy of experiential education is evident in everything we do.
The Wayfinder Experience is unique. The workshops we run throughout our weeks of camp teach our participants leadership skills, self-awareness, and on the fly decision making. They are then given the chance to practice all of these skills at once through the live action role playing Adventure Game. The Adventure Game is a transformative experience that pushes players physically, mentally and emotionally, while immersing them in an exciting and engaging fantasy world.
We place our emphasis on strategies that help young people learn to make effective use of both their available resources and innate talents in order to tackle the challenge of becoming productive citizens in their own communities. Wayfinder’s many workshops, games, and exercises train participants in:
- Social interaction
- Community building
- Leadership development
- Improvisation
- Crisis management
Wayfinder’s camps and events are held in beautiful, natural environments that allow for safe and supportive education, while still giving a space to have some fun in the outdoors. Through Capture the Flag with foam swords and a variety of other physical games, we strive to teach athletic skills that encourage character development, while still providing entertaining experiences. Our physical program built upon non-competitive game theory engages youth in activities that promote cooperation, sportsmanship, and teamwork.
Our outstanding staff serve as positive role models for campers participants. Wayfinder staff members are employed as workshop instructors, summer camp counselors, and community coordinators. We are responsible, friendly, and professional veterans of the live-action role playing entertainment industry, with many years experience dealing with participants of all ages. We love what we do, and we want to share it with the world.
Each staff member works diligently to help foster self-confidence, responsibility, and individual growth for each participant. We help kids and teens push limits while being mindful of boundaries. We take what we do very seriously and go out of our way to make sure that all attendees are safe, comfortable, and happy. Safety is our top priority. All of our summer camp staff undergoes rigorous training to ensure that they can quickly and capably deal with any difficult situation that may arise.
Wayfinder strongly believes that the benefits of our programs and live action role playing continue beyond last-day farewells to form a foundation for a life of adventure, purpose, and lasting friendships.
Our History
A Company for the Community
One of the most important strengths of The Wayfinder Experience lies within the relationships we have built amongst our staff. They have allowed us to operate in an environment of trust and support, and pass on those ideals to our participants. These relationships began when Wayfinder’s founders were very young, attending a summer camp called the Adventure Game Theatre (AGT). AGT was run by Howard Moody and Brian Alison, and developed many elements of the programming you see today at The Wayfinder Experience.
Many of our founders learned the ins and outs of improvisational theatre, foam swordplay, and world building during their time as participants at AGT. Growing up within the community they began to suggest ways to improve and develop programming. They started to suggest ideas for more advanced ways to run the LARP Adventure Games and blocks of time that would be built entirely around the ideals of community. Their roles as participants slowly developed into full-time staff positions.
As AGT continued to develop under the guidance of that core staff it became clear that there was a need for transition. The Wayfinder Experience grew out of that need. Centering themselves in the Hudson Valley that group of staff split from AGT and started running programming on their own. As time went forward the community came back together and AGT was absorbed back into the Wayfinder Experience. Having combined the experience and expertise, Wayfinder has been able to offer the best programming possible ever since.
Moving into a new decade, in 2012, Wayfinder found itself in need of new leadership. It was at that time this long standing staff members Corinne McDonald and Trine Boode-Petersen took over ownership and all administrate duties to grow the company. They have been running the Wayfinder Experience along side the now larger administration team, as of 2024, owner much to the betterment of the community and company since.
Wayfinder Core Values
At the Wayfinder Experience we firmly believe in giving everyone the space they need to become the people they want to be, and have been practicing holding that space and honing that process for over 20 years. Our core values can be found below. We built this list in collaboration with our staff, new and old, campers, and community members. These are the primary goals that we use to guide our programming choices and to set the space that is Wayfinder, which with these in mind has become important to so many people over the years! These core values ensure we continue to provide our participants, staff, and community with the opportunity to continue their journeys to Find the Hero Inside:
- Creativity
Our programming is based in improvisation and play. This crosses over into our interactions and the ways we interact with the space and one another. Building these creative spaces allows for self expression without judgment and teaches resourcefulness and joy. This shows through in the big and small moments of our day, the sword fights, the goofy times, and the moments where we are able to practice vulnerability with one another.
- Identity
Our experiences in and out of the Adventure Game are chances for personal growth and transformation. We create myriad opportunities for exploration of identity, empowerment, and bravery that result in boosting self esteem, a deeper understanding of self, and a building of close friendships.
- Community
Having a grounded community is essential for caring for something outside of yourself, and to feel secure and connected to the world. We make sure to instill values within our community such as empathy, trust and responsibility. We do this through fostering a respectful environment with clear communication and boundaries and with a spirit of kindness and collaboration. It is important to us that participants find a sense of belonging and inclusion through making our space accessible to diverse groups of people; whether that be diversity in gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, economic standing, racial identity, any differences in physical and cognitive abilities, or any other identity difference we may encounter.
- Play
All creatures play, and we firmly believe in the benefits of playing for people of all ages, so we take every opportunity to provide play that brings opportunities for joy, fun, and even a little chaos. It is proven that play is a highly effective method in learning and while we are not a edularp, our programming helps our participants to build identity and gain confidence in a fun and light way.
- Health and Wellbeing
If our play and community isn’t safe, then none of the other positives we provide can be achieved. We work hard to ensure the safety of our campers, both in the ways in which we play our games and set up our systems and equipment to keep our bodies safe, and in the ways in which we structure our community to build trust and make sure that there is a trust and safety in the community that allows for deep play and exploration.
In summary, Wayfinder is a playful and joyful place where people can explore their identity in a creative and caring community.