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 It
has been an amazing and different year at Kroka.
We have completed our first season in New Hampshire,
discovering the richness of the surrounding hills,
lakes and forests and experiencing the warm welcome
of the local community. The discoveries of the past
year were not limited to new landscapes. With the
help of the Board of Trustees, through a series
of visioning retreats, we have been discovering
the future of Kroka.
It has been the most gratifying process for Lynne and me, seeing the vision we hold so
dear in our hearts, being shared by our dedicated staff and board. The visioning process resulted in the revision of our mission
statement and the creation of our five-year plan. I am just as excited about this five-year plan as I would be about an expedition
plan to the Canadian North! The plan looks at all aspects of Kroka’s maturing: Programs, Community, Facilities, Farm and
Infrastructure and Finance and Management. Writing the plan is like looking up at the clouds, seeing what’s written there, then
bringing it down to Earth and putting it on paper. We now have the awesome task of transforming the dreams that were born in the
clouds into reality on Earth. In the past fourteen years this organization has grown and thrived on the enthusiasm of its staff.
Lynne and I have asked a lot of those who work with us and they have generously given because of their belief in the school’s
mission. To continue our maturing we now have to honor the work of Kroka’s teachers and staff by taking concrete steps toward
creating a healthy and sustainable working environment which will allow the view of teaching at Kroka to be seen as a desirable
career option. To this extent we’ve been developing and creating physical and administrative structures to support the work of
Kroka’s staff.
Those of you who know me can appreciate how hard it is for my restless
being to spend countless hours at my desk, putting aside my
skis and paddle.
Yet, with the help of our dedicated office team, substantial progress has been
made in all areas of Kroka’s
administration, finances and policies laying a
foundation for the school’s development.
As I write, the tapping of a bird’s beak on the windowsill reminds me of the
coming spring and I look out the window. The branches
of the old spruce
across the road are swaying and another bird holds on tightly against the
wind. I look up at the clouds passing
high overhead from the Northwest. The
fast moving beautiful white clouds remind me of the work, piling up on my
desk. If I were to
sort out my piles and summarize my work for you it would
look something like this:
We have to see that our students leave Kroka inspired and prepared to do the
important work in the world with resolve, enthusiasm
and consideration for
the living Earth.
We have to see that people who dedicate their lives to educating youth at
Kroka are honored and compensated for their work.
We have to see that Kroka contributes to the vitality of the community with
service to those in need and work and educational opportunities to local
residents.
The feeling that I have, when looking over the five-year plan is one I’ve felt
many times at the end of a long portage, canoe on my
shoulders, standing
at the bank of an unknown river that carries its fast waters into the great
unknown. I am excited to launch our
canoe!
Misha Golfman
Founding Director
The five-year plan is available at
www.kroka.org
Cedar-canvas canoe, built by
semester students, on the Connecticut River
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