Introducing Beam Camp Co-Directors: Dondo + Pearl

The days are quickly counting down until we return for another fun, challenging, and immersive summer of project making at Beam Camp. As we prepare for summer 2022, we’re excited to introduce Beam Camp’s Co-Directors: Dondo Zakheim and Pearl Cohen. Bringing with them their unique experiences within the Beam world, Dondo and Pearl are working together to make this summer an unforgettable experience for campers.

Dondo has worked at Beam Center, Beam Camp’s umbrella organization, for 7 years during which they facilitated past summer day camp programs, in-school projects, and more. Prior to summer 2021, Dondo joined the Beam Camp team and assisted with preparing for our first post-pandemic session. While at Camp last summer, Dondo was responsible for the camper experience and acted as a liaison between campers and their families.

Pearl has been a part of Beam Camp since she was a young child. Experiencing camp each year from our beginnings in 2005, Pearl has spent weeks every summer in the woods of New Hampshire. First a camper herself, Pearl went on to become a Kitchen Assistant before she took on the role of managing camp staff needs and expectations. 

This year, both will be experiencing something new: they’re switching roles! While each role has unique challenges, they’re looking forward to their new areas of focus. Pearl, for instance, is looking forward to directly shaping the camper experience. Her new role will allow her to “be directly supportive of campers, their families, and their camp experiences.” As someone who is invested in creating learning experiences for others, Dondo is looking forward to the opportunity to provide these opportunities for staff. According to Dondo, Beam Camp “is a site for really rapid learning and application of that learning” for both campers and camp staff. 

The Co-Directors are excited to share a sneak peek at Beam Camp 2022. A few highlights include this year’s big project, the return of Domain guests, the addition of a nonbinary and gender inclusive cabin, and a number of new faces joining the Beam Camp team.

Big Project 2022

As the centerpiece of Beam Camp, each summer includes a large-scale public artwork that will be built by campers and staff. This year campers ages 11-17 will be building As Above, So Below, a two-part project designed by artist Macon Reed.

The first part of the project, Tree House / Altar, is a treehouse that will be built into an existing tree at Beam Camp. Underneath the treehouse will be an altar for which campers will build objects inspired by their personal rituals.

The Floating Cave is the second part of the project, designed to float on one of the two Camp lakes. Campers will be able to visit and enjoy the Cave via a boat ferry from the shore. Present in both parts of the project are stalagmites and stalactites, rich colors, and a relationship to rituals, and they will be in view of each other after they have been installed.

Domain Guests

During the first two weeks of camp, Beam Camp welcomes an assortment of artists, designers, architects, and other talented individuals for a program called Domains. Domains are hands-on workshops led by these visiting guests; campers choose the workshops in which they’d like to participate and get to experience projects in the arts, performance, sciences, athletic, or cultural fields (or mash-up of several fields). While COVID prevented Domain Guests from attending last summer, the team is looking forward to bringing back this classic part of camp. Want to be a Domain Guest this summer? Check out the posting and apply!

Nonbinary and Gender Inclusive Cabin

Beam Camp is a space where inclusivity and free expression is embraced and encouraged, and the team has decided to carry that into this summer’s cabin structure. For the first time, Beam Camp will offer a gender inclusive cabin for campers that request that space.

New Faces

This year has been a year of change for the Beam Camp team. In addition to the new Domain guests that will be joining us, we are excited to welcome a new chef for the first time in seven years, as well as a number of new counselors. There are still a few opportunities left to join the Beam Camp team and add your new face to the mix; we still have openings for our Kitchen Assistant, Female Counselor, Assistant Project Director, and Waterfront Director roles. Learn more and apply via our Beam Camp website!

There are still a few spots remaining for summer 2022; don’t miss the opportunity to register your young person for an unforgettable experience. Learn more about the registration process and submit your application today.

We are thankful to have Dondo and Pearl co-leading the Beam Camp team, and we look forward to sharing this summer with our campers - and with you!