Who We Are

Who is ECRS?

Eastern Cooperative Recreation School is a nonprofit organization founded in 1940 to provide cooperative recreation as a way to rest and refresh, to add richness and depth to living, and to aid the development of communities and humanity at large. For over seventy-five years, ECRS has offered recreation leadership training based on the belief that recreation is an important tool for teachers, social workers, and anyone else who works with people, either on a volunteer or paid basis.

Our Philosophy

ECRS is based on the principle that play is an important part of the human experience. Play benefits us in many ways; it builds community, stretches personal abilities, and helps us explore new ways of functioning as people and as groups. The kinds of play activity taught at ECRS provide a refreshing contrast to society’s current performance orientation in which we go to watch experts sing, dance or act instead of doing these things ourselves. ECRS is for participants, no matter what level of skill or experience.

ECRS events offer creative and engaging activities for all ages that are fun, build community and develop leadership.

ECRS events take place in beautiful and informal country settings within a few hours of major metropolitan areas (NY, Philadelphia, Washington, DC) .

Our Programs

A typical year includes a 5-day Winter Adventure, a camping weekend, one to two retreat-style weekend program, and local One-Day Fun events. Each offers classes from basic forms of cooperative recreation; non-competitive games, dancing (folk, contra and square, ballroom, etc.), singing, drama, and crafts. Sprinkled throughout are specialty classes such as creative writing, multicultural diversity and personal growth. There is also ample free, unstructured time, and for those who’d like, structured “free-time” activities, led by our participants. Fun-packed ”evening programs” offer a smorgasbord of cooperative activities nightly. We provide a caring and creative children’s program for participants 11 and under.

ECRS programs offer a variety of classes and activities, starting with the “basic six” forms of recreation: games, dancing, singing, crafts, dramatics, and theory.

R

Games

including cooperative and multi-generational, indoor and outdoor, active and quiet, mental, dramatic, singing.

R

Dance

including folk dancing, line dancing, regional and international, square, contra, ballroom, and novelty dances.

R

Singing

including simple songs, songs with parts, round singing and harmonizing using quality folk material, and leadership techniques.

R

Dramatics

including spontaneous and rehearsed, improv games and skits, and recreation of small scenes from theater.

R

Crafts

including weaving, puppetry, paper and nature crafts in a supportive, experimental environmens.

R

Theory

including effective leadership practices, recreation for special populations, program planning, with practice teaching and evaluation.

ECRS events offer creative and engaging activities for all ages that are fun, build community and develop leadership. Come join us for games, folk dance, crafts, dramatics, singing and more…because everyone needs a retreat from the ordinary!

Since its founding in 1940, ECRS has offered recreational retreats based on these beliefs:

1Recreation is important for its own sake and is valuable as a practical, experiential tool for use in communities by teachers and volunteers alike.

2Recreation is a fundamental need of humankind, for it allows us to connect with other people and provides meaningful balance within our lives.

3Recreation should allow individuals to grow at their own pace without being made to feel either superior or inferior for participating at their own level.

Additional Activities

Include anything from creative writing to exploring outdoors, from drumming to personality development — and much, much more. The ECRS Experience is about enjoying super folk dancing, yummy late night snacks, contagious laughter, making new friends, rediscovering old friends, quiet games, boisterous games, imaginative informal dramatics, riveting small scenes, playful puppetry, firelight singing and listening, learning leadership skills, and most importantly, being with others and yourself.