The next YAY Gathering will be July 2-6, 2025 in Clarkston, Michigan!

What is the YAY Gathering?

YAY is an intergenerational Quaker event for children, youth, and young adults (0-35). We come together for play, connection, laughter, spiritual practice, learning and rest with family members and event volunteers of all ages.

YAY puts young people at the center while celebrating the gifts that each generation brings to our community.

What will YAY Gathering be like?

Fun! And relaxed. Expect one thing at a time on the schedule, with space to breath in between. Time with age peers and time all together. Expect games, stories, music, walks in the woods, campfires, conversations, puzzles, games, and most importantly, a spiritual community of people who practice generosity, kindness, and curiosity.

The YAY Gathering will be open to children, teens, and their family members; young adults 18-35; and volunteers of all ages by application.

Event Structure

YAY will have separate sessions for each of these communities:

There will also be daily intergenerational activities for all groups to play, worship & learn together. The schedule is designed for spaciousness and ease, with the hope of facilitating impromptu connections and activities as well as ample rest.

Adult Young Friends and High School participants will each have their own separate housing. High School participants must attend with a parent or sponsor.

Junior Gathering

The Junior Gathering staff were great- full of lightness and love.

Sprouts Parent

Junior Gathering is:

  • Home base for newborns to rising ninth graders
  • Where young people learn, play, and thrive
  • A time for games, songs, and stories
  • A place to make friends and experience Quakerism with Friends from across the continent
  • Full of fun and educational Quaker-based activities led by a diverse, caring, and skilled staff

Junior Gathering places participants in groups with others close to them in age, supervised by skilled and caring adult volunteers.

Supervision of children at YAY

Parents or sponsors are responsible for supervision of their children at all times except during Junior Gathering programming. Plan to spend all meal times, afternoon free times, and evenings after 8:30 PM together as a family.

High School Program

“Everyone was super inclusive and we all got along really well and had a lot of fun.”

2020 Participant

The High School Program is open to young people who have completed ninth grade, have not yet turned 19 as of July 2, 2025 and have not yet completed a first year of college. Only YAY attenders in this age range may participate in the HS Program. Participants must attend the full event and all required activities. 

What is the High School Program?

We wholeheartedly welcome you to help create a community of high school-aged Quakers from all over North America for a half-week full of spiritual exploration, community building, and fun.

High schoolers are housed together and create their own self-governing community (with a little help from adult Friends who serve as counselors). The program includes workshops, worship, support groups, and affinity groups. There are also opportunities for dancing, sports, singing, committee work, sleep, and hanging out.

During YAY, the High School Program convenes for meeting for worship with attention to business. These meetings are integral to our community-building process, where we seek discernment of the Spirit and hold relevant issues in the Light.

High School Parents & Sponsors

All High School participants need a sponsor at YAY. A sponsor is a parent, family member or other conscientious person 25 or older who knows the High School program participant well. If the sponsor is not the parent, the sponsor should be someone who is actively concerned with the young person’s activities and well-being. We request that a sponsor be responsible for no more than two high schoolers. Both the participant and sponsor must be full time YAY attendees residing on campus.

High schoolers may not arrive before sponsors or remain on campus after sponsors have departed. Please make travel plans accordingly. The sponsor (or designated alternate) must be on campus (or with the sponsee) at all times during YAY. Alternate sponsors are designated in writing in advance. Complete sponsor guidelines may be viewed at our website in June, and will be explained in detail at the High School Program sponsor orientation on Wednesday evening. All participants, even those already 18, must identify their sponsor when registering for YAY and submit a parental release form.

Shared Expectations

The high school program is a unique and loving community. All who participate are asked to commit to the safety and health of all community members, to use common sense and to meet all FGC expectations, including those about sexual activity, recreational drugs and alcohol. Participants in the High School program are expected to plan to attend for the entire event to help build our community, and attend all required High School program events.

The complete High School Program Guidelines will be e-mailed in advance of YAY, as will the FGC Gathering expectations. Parent/guardians, sponsors, and participants should all review the guidelines carefully.

Adult Young Friends

The FGC Adult Young Friends (AYF) community includes Friends between the ages of 18-35. The AYF program at YAY Gathering will be planned by the program’s co-coordinators and planning committee, and will include optional shared housing, worship, workshops, support groups, and more!

Adult Friends: Parents, Guardians, Sponsors & Volunteers

The YAY Gathering is intended to be a restorative and fun event for parents, sponsors & volunteers. In addition to ample time for rest and respite, parents, guardians, and sponsors can participate in the following activities:

  • Daily all-ages worship
  • Workshops
  • Family time
  • Intergenerational activities
  • Evening programs
  • Late night lounges
  • Adult Young Friend sessions (for those ages 18-35)

Want to help out?

Volunteers of all ages will help create and run the YAY Gathering by planning programs, facilitating workshops, working with the Junior Gathering or High School programs, helping out in the office, or taking on other significant support roles. Many of these roles will be supported by workgrants that can reduce the cost of attendance.

Friends over 35 who are interested in participating in the intergenerational community of the YAY Gathering, but who are not the parent, sponsor, or other family member of an attending child, can apply to attend YAY in a volunteer support role. Sign up for YAY (Youth and Young Adults) updates to be among the first to know when volunteer applications are available!

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