Hi, my name is Heenam, and I am from South Korea. I am a third-year Academy student at The Camphill School in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania. I moved here in the summer of 2024. Before moving to The Camphill School, I lived and studied Social Therapy in the Academy at Camphill Village Kimberton Hills for 4 years. I also spent a year in Mount Camphill, England before coming to the US.
I heard about Camphill in 2011. I found a book in the library by chance, where the author wrote about her experiences with Waldorf education and the Camphill Movement. She had established a Waldorf school for special needs students in South Korea. I was fascinated by her story and the Camphill life because I had studied special education at university and was interested in supporting adults with special needs. Luckily, they were looking for a teacher to join the school and I could start working there. The leader of the teachers was planning to start the first Camphill community in South Korea. I joined the initiative and tried to set up the first house and weekend program. They were treasured experiences but at the same time, I also struggled as I didn’t know how to live and work in Camphill. I decided to apply to Mount Camphill, England to gain experience as a coworker. That was my big motivation to start the Camphill journey.
At the end of my year in Mount Camphill, I was considering moving to another Camphill community to gain even more experience and learn more about the history of Camphill. That’s when I found out about the Camphill Academy in a magazine! I was so surprised and excited to learn that the Academy offers free courses for Camphill community members to study Camphill history, anthroposophy, human being, and the arts. I applied to Camphill Village Kimberton Hills as a full-time student and joined in the summer of 2020. In March of 2024, I attended a 5-day intensive program at The Camphill School in Beaver Run. I visited a couple of houses for lunch and met some students there. That reminded me of my continued interest in Waldorf education and teacher training. Gratefully, I transferred from Social Therapy and joined the third year of the Diploma program with a concentration in Curative education.
I attend Academy classes on Mondays. Before Christmas break, we had classes on Eurythmy, Craft and Work, Human being (including the Curative Course by Rudolf Steiner), Anthroposophy study (reading Philosophy of Freedom by Rudolf Steiner), Curriculum and School, and Music. And a couple of weeks ago, we started a Zoom class on Contemporary Social and Political Issues jointly with Academy students from Camphill Communities California. I enjoy all the art classes the Academy offers. They help me find balance between sitting and discussing topics, and using my body to stay active and focused. I’m looking forward to starting our visual arts course soon. In the third year of the Curative Education concentration, we study the Waldorf education curriculum in many different ways, and we get to teach one main lesson for three weeks in the classroom. I’m planning to teach chemistry to 10th-grade students in April. I’m currently gathering resources for the Teaching Practicum and am excited to meet the students and interact in the classroom.
I have been enjoying my life at The Camphill School for the last 4 months. It was a new place so I had to settle in a new environment at the beginning. I feel that I am getting familiar with people and places now. Also, I like my schedule because it has a balance between my practica in the school and the residential home so I can have experiences in both places. I support the 10th-grade class two mornings a week. One of my joyful experiences is the school assembly. To celebrate festivals, or to open a new term, usually all students gather in the “Blue Room” and each class performs what they have been learning, practicing during their Main Lesson, music, eurythmy, and so on. It was nice to see all the students on the stage and watch what they have been studying or making in their classes. I am looking forward to joining the next one soon.
I live in Whitestone House with four teenage students and coworkers. In the morning, coworkers gather in the kitchen to check in the day briefly and go upstairs to meet the students. We wake them up and help them get ready for the new day. Every morning, I meet different students, which is a special moment for me as I get to spend time with them and support them. If I have spare time before breakfast, I like to play the recorder for seasonal songs in the living room after helping the students get ready. As an Academy student, I also offer story time on Tuesdays. I begin and end the session by playing the Lyre and reading a story. It takes about 20 minutes. I try to choose stories related to festivals or virtues that we can reflect on together. I really appreciate this opportunity to contribute something to the house.
I like to walk in the park nearby when I am off school. During Christmas break, I visited French Creek State Park and walked on the Hopewell trail. Even though it was winter, the scenery was still so beautiful around the lake. I thought that it would be great if I could come here again with the whole house for a Sunday outing in the Springtime. I also enjoy visiting art museums. There are many local museums nearby and I am trying to explore them. I visited the Brandywine Museum of Art during Thanksgiving break. I enjoyed their exhibition; I loved the painting ‘Moonlight Fishing Scene’ by Mary B. Mellen, also I was very impressed with the woodblock prints by Wharton Esherick.
As the vacation comes to an end, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again and hearing about what they’ve been up to. I’m excited to create new experiences and stories in 2025.
