The Cape Cod Institute

I’ve been a regular visitor to the seaside communities of Cape Cod since 1975 and a presenter at the Cape Cod Institute for
20 years. I call it “summer camp for grownups” because it is such a completely different experience than a workshop or
professional conference. Located in a middle school, the atmosphere is very informal——everyone arrives in their vacation
attire, classes are small, and, best of all, we are only ‘in school’ for half the day. At 12:30, we all pack up and spend the rest
of the day at the beach or biking, hiking, reading, and sightseeing. It was a shock at first to hear the announcements of
evening/afternoon activities: there is usually a nature walk on Monday, whale watching on Tuesday, and a musical or drama
production on Wednesday. The first few years, a folk singer would come to class one morning to sing for us! It’s more fun
and hard work but still inspired and inspiring because we all have a chance to integrate what we’ve learned before we come
back the next day. It’s one of my favorite teaching experiences of every year!