Find Your Path.
Find Your People.
Find Your Purpose.

A three-month immersion into Buddhist Wisdom, Meditation, Community and Nature Connection for 18-25 year olds.

The next Contemplative Semester will take place in Fall 2026.

“The times are urgent. Let us slow down.”

Bayo Akomolafe

Join us for 3 months of living & learning in community as you dive deep into contemplative practice. 

C.S. will Help You:

  • Find what really matters to you 

  • Feel secure & balanced inside yourself

  • Clarify your values & purpose in life

  • Listen to your inner guidance  

  • Stay connected to yourself as you make decisions 

Who am I? What do I care about? What do I want to do with my life? 

Let’s explore together.

What is the Contemplative Semester?

C.S. is a 3-month immersion in Buddhist Wisdom, Living in Community and Meditation Practice for 18-25 year olds.

  • 4 Weeks of (mostly) Silent Retreats 

  • 4 Classes on Buddhist Theory, Mindfulness Meditation, Nonviolent Communication & Nature Connection

  • Living in Community based on shared power & collaboration

  • College credits offered and optional

>> Read more about the program curriculum HERE.

What will I learn?

Learn how to . . .

  • Integrate Buddhist wisdom into everyday life

  • Skillfully navigate conflict & power dynamics 

  • Speak your truth

  • Work with strong emotions & habitual thoughts

  • Apply principles of nonviolence to social change

  • Build communities based on shared power

  • Collaborate with others 

  • Communicate your needs & desires

  • Live in harmony with the natural world

You’ll also learn about . . . 

  • The foundations of Buddhist Philosophy

  • How Buddhism intersects with race, identity, justice &  modern-day Western life

  • How identity & culture shape our understanding of nature 

  • How to respond to the ecological crisis, and other social injustices facing our society, with compassion and love

Build lifelong friendships.

Gain the confidence to forge your own path.

Deepen & integrate your meditation practice into daily life.

Be Held in Community

You don’t have to do it alone! At C.S., you’ll be part of a loving community to help you grow. 

You’ll receive lots of support, both from your peers as well as from the faculty / staff: 

  • One-on-one Mentoring 

  • Small groups

  • 3:1 student to faculty / staff ratio 

  • Responsive, emergent learning style to adapt to your needs 

Learn more about Daily Life at C.S. here.

Gain tools to build a more compassionate world. 

How can you build communities where all needs matter & everyone’s voices are heard? 

At C.S., you’ll get firsthand experience in a system of self-governance called Sociocracy, based on shared power & collaborative decision-making. 

You’ll gain tools & practices to take home with you so you can apply the principles of shared power in your relationships, communities & career.

Learn more about how we use Sociocracy here.

FACULTY & STAFF

VISITING FACULTY

PROGRAM FEES

Tuition: $13,400

Your tuition goes toward thirteen weeks of room & board at the Potash Hill campus, a living wage for our staff (teachers, mentors and on-site chefs), and our program expenses like insurance, materials, etc. The baseline tuition does not include optional college credits, and does not cover travel to and from Potash Hill, though we may have carpools set up at a later date!

Financial Aid:

We are committed to making the Contemplative Semester accessible to folks who would not be able to attend without financial support.

We offer need-based scholarships, and have several scholarships reserved for BIPOC folks with financial need. If you are in need of scholarship support in order to attend, please mark that on your application and we will send you a scholarship form via email. We cannot offer full scholarships, but will try our best to work with you based on what you can afford.

Interested in walking this path with us?

Sign up for updates on the Contemplative Semester!

Have more questions? Check out our FAQs or email us at contemplative.semester@gmail.com.