About Us...

Philosophy

Our programs are grounded in a mentoring philosophy based on our natural blueprint for learning, revealed through teachings of native cultures throughout the world. This mentoring model, developed by Jon Young and the Wilderness Awareness School, is at the heart of more than 80 organizations nationwide. It is a model deeply rooted in respect for nature and a healthy community.

Central Coast Village Center Mission Statement

The Central Coast Village Center (CCVC), a multi-generational learning community, exists to nurture an individual's natural love for life and the living world. Naturalist mentors facilitate nature-based education and guide a new generation of environmental stewards to contribute their innate gifts to the world, practice peace-making principles, and live in balance with nature.

Some History

It was a desire to be the change that led to the beginning of the CCVC.

Everyone knows the problems we face today. It's no secret that the environment is suffering, our children are suffering (the number of prescriptions for antidepressants in children has doubled in the last 5 yrs, with the steepest increase in preschool age.) We hear constantly about ADD, ADHD, learning disorders, and autism to name a few. The children of today seem to be like an ecological indicator species sending out alarms that we need to hear.

The vision of the CCVC began with an understanding of the powerful tools that the natural world provides; it's ability to teach, heal, lessen anxiety, ease depression, provide physical and psychological growth, ignite a passion for learning, inspire and deepen our connection to self, others and the natural world. These tools ultimately connect people with thier inherent gifts.

A workshop called "The Art of Mentoring" with Jon Young provided a common thread to weave a basket of hope and sustainability for raising our next genreration to be healthy, productive stewards who will be part of the solution.

The Village Center used to be the place where people came together; to gather, solve problems, celebrate, play, sing, dance and mourn. The CCVC is the manifestation of a desire to grow a community of people, young and old who could understand the past, look to the future and be the change now.

The CCVC is passionate about children, families, community and the natural world. We wish to preserve all of these passions in a way that creates whole persons whose inherent natural gifts will be not only honored now but also remembered 7 generations into the future.

The Art of Mentoring

By the time they were 12 years old, children in Native cultures around the world could—and still can—track animals across hard ground and tell you what the animal was, how fast it was moving, when it had passed, whether it was on its way home after feeding or going in search of food; they could identify dozens of plants, tell you their uses, and prepare them as food, medicine or tools; they could look at the sky and tell you what tomorrow’s weather will be; make fire without matches in seconds and PLAY, LAUGH, and ENJOY LIFE FULLY. But they never went to school.

How did they learn?

At the Village Center we refer to this educational system as the ART OF MENTORING or the “invisible school”. Our techniques include story telling, reflective questioning, and both structured and spontaneous experience. These methods make learning effortless, enjoyable and inspiring. They draw out curiosity, encourage self-sufficiency, cultivate confidence and self-esteem. An expert mentor subtly motivates his or her students in such a way that most of their learning occurs when the mentor is not present. The ultimate goal of mentoring is to teach the student to ask her own questions and seek the answers in his or her experience.

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