Re-Generation Youth Program: Where Spirituality, Ecology & Community Meet
Note: this is a special summer Youth Program – for our regular three month immersive program outside of the summer see here
Believe in Life Again
We think young people deserve better than what the world is currently offering. We’re willing to show up and see what we can do to generate wholesome impacts, together. Learn about yourself, the land and living in community together so that you are equipped to better make decisions and take action in life. This program is designed to help you develop skills to co-create a world you want to live in.
Join us from June 29 – August 29, 2026.
Questions? Please contact michelle@clearskycenter.org or (250) 429-3929. FAQ’s can be found at the bottom of the page.
Spend just two months in residence to remember that life can be meaningful, that you can be part of the solution, that connection is real, and that you have what it takes.
That’s what we’re really offering. Not a fix. Not a cure. A remembering that we can believe in life again.
This youth program is our way of saying: you’re not alone, the world isn’t hopeless, and there are people who care about your generation inheriting something worth having. Daily, we practice meditation together so that we can embody what we teach – what we fondly refer to as “a life worth living”. We do this by leveraging our shared vision and values to live well in community. We align around our quadruple bottom line: spiritual, environmental, social and financial well-being.
This is for you if:
- You’re 21-35 and feeling lost
- You’re tired of superficiality and want real connection
- You want to counter your eco-anxiety with wholesome action
- You want to be of service in a world that needs us, instead of feeling helpless
- You want mentorship from elders who haven’t given up
You don’t need to:
- Be Buddhist (though we work in that tradition)
- Have meditation experience (we’ll teach you)
- Have your life figured out (literally no one does)
Ready To Get Real?
This is for you if you struggle to make commitments, be in community and want to try. You’ll be away from your usual distractions, working with your hands and real people. Living in a small community you’ll face yourself and it can be uncomfortable.
If you want to believe in life again, and you want to be part of the solution– instead of drowning in problems, this might be exactly what you need. Space to remember who you are.
This program is psychedelic and drug free, but we know this world. If you’ve had experiences with psychedelics and are trying to integrate them, we can support that work in a grounded, contemplative context.
What You’ll Learn
- How to meditate and practices that work including, relief from struggle (not bypassing it, actually working with it)
- How to lead, follow, and work as a team in community (leading with a heart for service, not ego)
- How to be a bodhisattva in the world (someone who acts, not just talks about it)
- How to live sustainably with people, pressures and the planet
Our team includes Buddhist teachers and practitioners– our head teacher Catherine Sensei and long term students offer authentic spiritual teachings and practices in a modern day context, plus:
- Entrepreneurs, coaches and career mentors who’ve built meaningful lives
- Therapists who work with depression, addiction and trauma
- Land lovers who know and care for the land intimately
- Creative professionals (writers, filmmakers) who’ll help you tell your story
“As a Gen Z, I felt like I was giving up on life, and I wanted to find the peace and purpose that I felt was beyond my capacities. I found Clear Sky, and the teachers, teachings, and community showed me what I had been looking for: a way to wake up, and become the person I want to be—to learn how to listen to what life and the earth are speaking to me, and to march forward in our communal pursuit of the common good. I am ready now from this community’s support to love and serve on this planet as I was meant to, and I know that I am not alone. Full steam ahead!”
ERIKA R.
The Nitty Gritty
Dates: June 29 – August 29, 2026
How much does it cost? We’re committed to making this accessible and decided to offer sliding scale pricing so that you can choose what is right for your situation. Additionally, we do offer payment plans.
- $2000 CAD covers our costs for organic meals and accommodation.
- $2500-$3500 CAD covers our costs for organic meals and accommodation plus some tuition
- $3500 CAD and above allows us to cover our costs and pay some forward in scholarships
Apply early, as funds are limited and cannot cover every application.
How many participants? This will be a small group of 3-4 participants. This means real connection, individual attention and genuine community.
What about screens/phones? For this summer program we’ll be outside a lot. We use WhatsApp groups for communication and occasional wholesome social media posting, for the most part we encourage you to step back from your usual online life. We know this might seem difficult, but you’ll probably thank us. You’ll still be accessible for emergencies and necessary communication.
Is this program physically demanding?
We believe in taking action, not just talking about what we can do for the planet. This program is intentionally designed to enhance our practice of embodiment, eco-restoration and connection with the land. Expect to be active and engaged on the land daily. We balance activity with meditation, learning in community and one day of rest per week to integrate our learnings.
What if I don’t have outdoor skills? Perfect. You’ll learn them. That’s the whole point. Most of us grew up in cities or spent too much time inside. You’ll learn by doing, with patient teachers who remember what it’s like to be new at this stuff.
We’re still finalizing details and if you want to talk about whether this is right for you, reach out to michelle@clearskycenter.org
In the meantime:
- Explore teachings on Planet Dharma
- Check out our Clear Sky Website to get a feel for who we are
- If you like more intensity, learn more about our three month intensive
- Follow your gut. If something in you lit up reading this, pay attention and listen to that : )
Meet Our Head Teacher
Catherine Pawasarat Sensei
Catherine Pawasarat Sensei began her spiritual practices in earnest in her early 20s, when she struggled to make sense of and overcome personal suffering and international environmental and social justice challenges. She became a student of metaphysics, Western spiritual traditions, and the ayahuasca sacraments in the 1990s.
For 26 years Catherine Sensei trained daily with Qapel Doug Duncan in an intensive spiritual apprenticeship that is rare in the modern West. She received lay ordination from Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche in 2003.
With Qapel she co-founded Clear Sky Retreat Center and Planet Dharma and is a lineage holder for these teachings. She supports the spiritual underpinnings of social entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurship for spiritual practitioners. She worked as an advocacy photojournalist and studied traditional Japanese arts (including koto, shamisen, kyogen) in Kyoto for 20 years, culminating in her landmark work GionFestival.org.
Since the early 2000s Sensei has provided dharma training and taught the path of awakening to hundreds of students, together with Qapel and on her own. In addition to Buddhist philosophy and its applications to daily life, Sensei also draws on generative living (a.k.a. sustainability) and the arts.
About Clear Sky
Located in the BC rocky mountains, we offer over 300-acres to deepen your practice and reconnect with nature.
Founded by Qapel Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei, we are home to students from around the globe who are dedicated to co-creating a supportive and innovative space for awakening in our modern world.
In adherence with our quadruple bottom line, we source our food as local and organic as possible.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW on how to get here, what to bring and what to expect.
FAQs
It’s a two-month in-person immersion at Clear Sky Meditation Centre in BC, designed for young adults aged 21–35. You’ll live in community, practise daily meditation, work on the land through eco-restoration, and develop real-world life skills — all within a structured spiritual framework. It’s not a wellness retreat or a camp. It’s a meaningful alternative for those who want to believe in life again.
Neither. You’ll be taught meditation from the ground up, and all land-based activities are guided by patient teachers who expect you to be new to this. What matters is an open heart and genuine willingness to engage — not what you already know.
Most gap year programs focus on travel or skill-building. This one focuses on inner transformation alongside outer action — combining Buddhist meditation, ecological restoration, community living, and mentorship from experienced teachers. If you want something that actually changes how you see yourself and the world, this goes much further than a typical summer program.
Young adults aged 21–35 who are feeling lost, burnt out, or disconnected — whether from nature, community, or themselves. You don’t need to be Buddhist, spiritual, or have your life figured out. If you’re tired of superficiality and want real connection and purpose, this program was built for you.
Pricing is on a sliding scale: $2,000 CAD covers accommodation and all organic meals; $2,500–$3,500 CAD covers costs plus some tuition; $3,500 CAD and above allows us to cover costs and contribute toward scholarships for others. If cost is still a barrier, scholarship support is available — complete a Scholarship Application and we’ll do our best to make it work.
Dana:
For attendance of retreats and events that are in addition to the program we do charge registration fees to cover the materials needed to offer the retreat/event. The Teachings are freely given on the basis of dāna.
You may have come across this elsewhere in the form of “pay from the heart”. Dāna is a Sanskrit term meaning “generosity”. With dāna, we give as a mutual exchange of generosity. It’s our joy to offer this course, and we trust you’ll match our time, energy, and passion by giving an amount of money that feels good and healthy to both you and us.
The dharma has been built on generosity. No-one is excluded for lack of funds but it is also extremely beneficial to give as much as you are able
Typically people give in a range of $120-$500 USD for a course.
As we’re committed to ensuring everyone has access to the Dharma, please feel comfortable to give less if you are not financially secure. Another form of giving dāna is to offer service, and if you are interested in providing support in a non-financial way, we invite you to contact us.
Conversely, if you are financially secure, we invite you to generate merit by providing more financial support to the Triple Gem. Contributions like these make the difference in supporting our teachers, teachings, and center.
Learn more about the practice of dāna here.
Days are full and intentional. Morning group meditation is followed by eco-restoration activities on the land, community meals, afternoon contemplation, and evening learning sessions. You’ll have one rest and integration day per week. Screens and social media are largely set aside — this is time to remember who you are without the usual noise.
Specific times may change – this is a rough guide (MST)
- 7:00- 7:45 AM: Group Meditation Practice and Contemplation led by Sangha
- 7:45- 9:00 AM: Breakfast: Prepare, eat, clean up
- 9:00 – 11:30 AM: Eco Activities led by Sangha
- 12:30 – 1:30 PM: Lunch: Prepare, eat, clean up
- 1:30 – 3:00 PM: Rest
- 3:00 – 4:00 PM: Group Contemplation led by Sangha
- 4:00 – 5:30 PM: Elective Projects
- 5:30 – 7:00 PM: Dinner: prepare, eat, clean up
- 7:15 – 8:30 PM: Community Learning and Practices
- 8:30 – Beyond: Personal Care & bed
Clear Sky sits on 300 acres near Bull River in southeastern BC, 40–60 minutes from Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC). It’s a four-hour drive from Calgary and one hour from the US border (accessible from Spokane, Sandpoint, and Whitefish). Airport pickup is available — just notify us when registering. For full directions, visit our Getting Here page.
This is intentionally a small group of 3–4 participants to ensure real connection and individual attention. Applications close June 15th, 2026 for the summer intake (June 29–August 29). Apply as early as possible. If you’re drawn to a longer or year-round commitment, explore our Three-Month Karma Yoga Intensive which runs multiple intakes throughout the year.
