Charcoal Springs Philosophy Retreat


Slow down. Look around. Think together.


  • The Charcoal Springs Retreats invite participants into a shared outdoor space of reflection, creativity, and pause from the overwhelming flood of information, the noisy pressure of urban living, and the constant distractions of digital life.

  • Because philosophical inquiry can deepen our relationship with nature, other people, and ourselves, our aim is to recover slower practices of asking questions, reflecting together, while engaging with our environment.

  • The retreat emphasizes attentiveness and thoughtful conversation in an atmosphere of simplicity, making lasting connections with a community of peers while walking in the forest or on the ridge, camping under the stars, and gathering for meals.


    • About Philosophizing Outdoors



    We believe that the place philosophy is practiced in affects the kind of philosophical inquiry and engagement that results. Removing philosophical practice from typical academic settings - like seminar rooms or lecture halls - and placing it into outdoor, technology-free environments allows us to imagine different modes of theorizing and discussing. While we do not enforce strict E-fast protocols, we encourage you to leave your phone off and put it away for the duration of your stay!

    The yurt might serve as an indoor gathering and discussion space depending on the weather, but we found that holding philosophical events in natural settings makes participants less likely to lean into adversarial modes of critique. Communal tasks like setting up tents and cooking meals together diminish traditional hierarchies between roles, and fosters a stronger sense of camaraderie and egalitarianism. The landscape itself becomes an interlocutor, encouraging awareness of our surroundings and a more embodied, situated approach to philosophical reflection.

    A Glimpse of the Stay: Sample Program Overview


    (The theme and overall direction will be decided in the weeks leading up to the gathering.)


    Saturday

    2:00–3:00 pm
    Orienting Yourself
    Welcome, introduction to the place, overview of the retreat
    Camping set-up

    3:30–5:00 pm
    Thinking While Walking (optional)
    Prompt or short text launching reflective conversation
    Optional walk through the property, in the redwood forest, or on Summit Road

    5:00 pm
    Imagining & Creating
    Individual or small-group creative practice
    Pond time if weather allows

    6:00 pm
    Philosophical Workshop
    Concept exploration, readings, and open discussion (see some examples of activities below)

    7:00 pm
    Gathering Around a Meal
    Communal dinner and evening conversation
    (Bonfire and music may follow!)


    Sunday

    7:30 am
    Waking up
    Optional walk, journaling, or silent reflection
    Gathering for coffee, tea & light breakfast

    10:00 am
    Philosophy & Arts Workshop
    Dialogue and creative practice around a shared key notion ('attention', 'imagination', 'silence'... See more examples below)

    11:00 am
    Wrapping up
    Collective reflections, suggestions - and farewells!


    Upcoming Tentative Dates:

    • June 13–14
    • August 22–23



    Think for yourself - but not by yourself.


    Let’s ask questions together, old and new, unveil new insights, and unfold the variety of layers reality & life can be explored by.

      Jeanne Proust brings over fifteen years of experience teaching Philosophy, with studies in Humanities and Visual Arts across Bordeaux, Berlin, and Paris. She is Vice President of the Public Philosophy Network and Academic Coordinator at Crown College, UC Santa Cruz, where she explores the ethical and societal implications of emerging technologies. Jeanne has led community-centered philosophy initiatives, including the Santa Cruz Night of Ideas, and Ethics Bowl programs. She also offers philosophical counseling, guiding individuals to reflect on values, life questions, and broader worldviews.
      Jeanne will lead the retreat, guiding participants through philosophical reflection and dialogue. Guest speakers, artists and performers may also join to enrich the experience.

      Some Examples of Activities…

      • Philo-poetry slam (participants read a favorite poem, aphorism, or philosophical fragment — their own or others’)
      • Short narrative exchange (participants share a formative story related to a prompt)
      • Ethics Bowl workshops
      • Selected excerpt readings, analysis, and collective reflection
      • Music performances (guest artists & musicians may join us)
      • Decanted wisdom: wine tasting and aesthetic exploration

      Some Examples of Prompts and Topics...

      • Is desire something we discover or something we learn?
      • Is attention something we own, or something that owns us?
      • What would it mean to live less efficiently but more deliberately?
      • Can care exist without reciprocity?
      • What makes a group feel safe enough to disagree?
      • Is freedom only about having options?
      • What defines the “good life” for you?


      Some Examples of Notions We May Explore...

      Desire, Joy, Home, Silence, Time, Free Will, Intuition, Merit, Friendship, Confidence, Attention, Lying, Guilt, Belief, Sense, Grief, Nostalgia, Inspiration, Autonomy, Ritual, Responsibility, Death, Leadership, Authenticity, Vulnerability, Meaning, Courage…


      Community Lodging


      The retreat fee includes all programming, Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, and shared use of the land. Please choose the lodging style that best fits your comfort needs. Hosted in the Santa Cruz Mountains, between camp loma and summit road (exact location shared upon registration).

      (Retreats are offered on a sliding scale, reflecting our commitment to accessibility while honoring the care, time, and energy required to facilitate the experience. Those who wish to contribute beyond the suggested range are warmly invited to do so to support the sustainability of this work!)


      • Camping on-site - $200 per person
        Bring your own tent and your complete sleeping gear/ bedding (sheets, pillowcases, warm blankets or sleeping bag), mattress, towels and essentials.
        Set up anywhere on the property’s designated camping areas.
      • Shared Bell Tent (unequipped) - $250 per person
        Spacious canvas tent provided.
        Bring your complete sleeping gear/ bedding (sheets, pillowcases, warm blankets or sleeping bag), mattress, towels and essentials.
        Shared communal space (max. 4 people).
      • Private Bell Tent (unequipped) - solo: $350 / 2 pers: $550 / 3 or 4 pers: $250 per person
        If you prefer to reserve the whole (unequipped) tent for yourself/ for two, three or four (max).
      • Shared Bell Tent (equipped) - $300 per person
        Canvas tent set up with proper mattress.
        Blanket, sheets, towels and pillow provided.
        Shared communal space (max. 4 people).
      • Private Bell Tent (equipped) - solo: $500 / 2 pers: $700 / 3 or 4 pers: $300 per person
        If you prefer to reserve the whole (equipped) tent for yourself/ for two, three or four (max).
      • “The Coop” — Private Cabin - solo: $700 / 2 pers: $1000 / 3 pers: $1250
        Cozy cabin tucked above the common area.
        Fully equipped.
        Kitchenette with mini-fridge, outdoor bathtub and composting toilet.
        Accommodates 1–3 people.
      • The Yurt - $250 per person
        Cozy 20-foot diameter yurt above the common area.
        Bring your complete sleeping gear/ bedding (sheets, pillowcases, warm blankets or sleeping bag), mattress, towels and essentials.
        Shared communal space (max. 6 people).
      • DON'T FEEL LIKE STAYING THE NIGHT? Join us Saturday anyway! - $150 per person

        • Participation is intentionally limited.
        To reserve your place, please email me first,
        & register by submitting the retreat fee via Venmo.

Testimonials

"Our organization, Think Olio, has worked with Jeanne for many years in New York City. Her reliability, enthusiasm, creativity, intelligence, and personality have made every moment of it an absolute pleasure. Jeanne possesses a rare ability to engage participants with widely varied backgrounds. At our events, some attendees would hold PhDs in the topic, while others joined simply out of curiosity, eager to encounter ideas they had never explored before. Navigating this balance is no easy task, yet Jeanne does so with remarkable skill, creating conversations that are both intellectually rich and genuinely accessible. Her teaching style has even led us to adapt the overall structure of our events, encouraging other instructors to implement techniques she has developed. We consistently look to Jeanne when shaping our broader strategy for expanding public access to interdisciplinary education in the humanities. She brings not only intellectual depth but also warmth, sensitivity, and an extraordinary capacity to cultivate dialogue. We were genuinely excited to learn that Jeanne is now launching philosophical retreats reminiscent of the gatherings ThinkOlio hosted in the Hudson Valley - experiences that were tremendously successful, and all the more memorable when Jeanne was involved."
— Chris Zumtobel & David Kurfirst, Think Olio Co-Founders