Hello! Welcome to the Dream House web site. This site is still not quite finished, but the essentials are here.  

A Very Important Note: We want to make it clear that while we have put a lot of thought and care into our plans, and while we have a number of past experiences that are in some ways similar to running the Dream House, the Dream House does not yet exist--it's a dream! Therefore, we are describing an idea rather than an actuality. And, consequently, once we are actually running the Dream House, we may find that we need to do some things a little differently than we've envisioned. We want to remain flexible and accommodate the actual people who are actually living and dreaming with us, rather than impose a completely rigid preplanned idea on them, us, and our surroundings. But--by and large, we expect things to unfold pretty much the way we've described them here.  Hope you can join us soon! --Grace Llewellyn

A still more important note: As of January 2001, the Dream House is going back into the void for a while. Click here for a little more explanation. 

Imagine....

You pull the quilt off your head and jump off your top bunk. Diane still sleeps across the room, and Johari reads in her bed, but your other roommates are already gone. You head for the shower, pull on your jeans, and bounce down the stairs to the kitchen. While you transform a couple slices of homemade bread into toast and fry yourself an egg, Jeff lowers his newspaper to tell you what happened in China, Russia, and Berkeley yesterday. You eat on the front porch, where Amanda and Kartik are discussing the play they're co-directing (you have a small part in it yourself, as a matter of fact) and then you go inside and head for the study, where your architecture and city culture scrapbook sits on top of a stack of library books. 

In a few minutes you'll meet with Matt to show him the notes you made in your scrapbook yesterday, tell him what you plan to do today, enjoy his encouragement and cheering--and also hear from him: how yesterday went, what he hopes to accomplish today--he's busy with a serious, slow reading of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; in connection with it he's writing a detailed journal, making commitments to incorporate helpful new habits into his life, writing a personal mission statement, stuff like that. You're excited to tell Matt that today you're going back to San Francisco's Chinatown, where you'll photograph building ornaments and sketch markets. And this afternoon you have a meeting with an architect who has agreed to look over your photos, answer your questions, suggest books, and recommend particular neighborhoods and buildings for you to check out. 

In fact, you think, as you anticipate talking with Matt, you'll have a full day; good thing you asked Ross to trade cooking nights with you. You look forward to dinner, though--it's Tuesday, which means there'll be a couple special surprise guests--maybe a local author, or an artist someone met at a festival--you never know. Your turn is coming in a month; maybe you'll invite that architect who's famous for his innovative work with clay. This evening, as usual, you'll relax with half a dozen friends in the living room, reading aloud to each other from favorite childhood novels. But no more time for thinking--here comes Matt now, armed with a peach, a notebook, a pen, and a smile. 

Imagine...

Sixteen unschooled teenagers live together for 10 weeks among books, houseplants, and computers. Each envisions and completes a magnificent project, enlisting help from the others. They learn (or improve) cooking and cleaning and gardening skills, and enjoy cooperative living in the San Francisco Bay Area. They're supported by a dynamic staff: an inspiring goals and dreams coach, an imaginative and innovative local resource coordinator, a wise conflict and communication coach, two energetic apprentices, a visionary intern, and one or two nurturing, fun houseparents. Along the way there is much merrymaking, personal growth, feasting, collaboration, breadbaking, museum investigating, friendship, swing dancing, and smelling of roses.

How to get in touch with us 

Telephone

541-686-2315

(For basic questions, reserving a spot in the Dream House, stuff like that.  This is our Genius Tribe office number, and Maya, our office manager, may not be able to answer some questions about the Dream House. She can, however, research your question and get back to you, or have one of our staff people give you a call. Our office hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs., Pacific Time.) 

 

FAX

509-696-3310

Postal address

P.O. Box 1014, Eugene, OR 97440

Email

gracejanet@aol.com

a note about our photos 

Most of the photos on this site were taken at Not Back to School Camp. They're not of the Dream House, because the Dream House doesn't exist just yet, except in our dreams. We chose NBTSC photos because we think and hope that the Dream House will embody much of the same feeling and quality as Not Back to School Camp. 

would you rather have this on paper?  

We now have a printed brochure available, if you'd rather have one. It has almost everything that this web site does. You'll still want to check here from time to time for updates. If you want a copy, we want $3 to cover printing and postage, which you can get to us via any of the above contact methods; we take checks, cash, visa, or mastercard. 

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Send mail to gracellew@aol.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: January 05, 2001