Join Our Staff
Students and community residents with disabilities are the main focus of the life at Camphill Soltane, and their presence helps to make the community thrive and grow. Residential staff, called coworkers, help to support the students and community residents, and contribute towards keeping the community moving ahead, whole, and energized. The presence of coworkers allows the community to support itself and take care of its members who are sick, cover houses which need extra attention, and renew itself afresh each day. In a successful community, every individual must be willing to work and live together with others. Coworkers live at Camphill Soltane in one of eight houses throughout the community and support the students or community residents in their homes. Each coworker must be willing to devote the bulk of their time and energy to their home life and the successful growth of both themselves and those whom they are supporting. Coworkers help to bring out all of the character and ability in each student or community resident and make room for them to shine. Coworkers must also be willing to help support work areas, learning, and activity areas as needed (see Prospective Students section for a description of work areas and learning venues).
Some coworkers live at Camphill Soltane with their families. Often, the parents are householders, responsible for management of a particular household, and for the overall well-being of all residents. Most householder positions are filled by coworkers who have lived and worked at Camphill Soltane for a year or more. Householders are required to have a background in anthroposophical methods of working with people with disabilities. This can include training in curative education, Waldorf education, or prior experience living and working in a Camphill community. Coworkers are constantly being challenged and inspired, most often by the students and community residents with whom they work. Service at Camphill Soltane takes coworkers on a journey of transformation, where the intensity of the service work often leads to significant personal development. Community The Camphill Soltane community is a dynamic mix of approximately 90 people, spanning many generations, cultures, and ranges of ability.
Living in community means that each person is always home, no matter how their day goes or what learning or work area they are involved in. A closeness is developed which wouldn’t necessarily be present anywhere else. People learn to be both care-givers and care-receivers, without traveling great distances or missing time at work; community is achieved. |
||
|
Creating Community Through Living, Learning and Working With Young Adults and Adults With Special Needs
|
||||||
Although many coworkers join Camphill Soltane for an initial year of service, many choose to stay longer than a year, in order to deepen their relationships with people, take on greater responsibility, or develop their skills in a particular area of work life. Some of these coworkers have made Camphill Soltane their lifestyle and vocation, and they live here on a long-term, open-ended basis. These coworkers carry multiple responsibilities in the community for house and program life, and many have strong connections with Camphill Soltane’s underlying spiritual foundation of 
There is a strong emphasis on spiritual life, where each person’s inner journey is recognized and supported. A yearly rhythm marks the seasons and Christian festivals, creating opportunities for reflection and celebration. An emphasis on self-advocacy and environmental responsibility are other hallmarks of the Camphill Soltane community.