Table of Contents
Each section is summarized below. to learn more, click the title of the section that interests you.
Candace looks out toward the lake.
The land where Lamplight will take place is a plot that has been owned by the Waid family since the 1950s. The lakehouse that is being renovated for use by the program was built by D.C. Waid in 1953. When he passed away in 2016, the plot on which it rests was inherited by his daughters, Candace and Donna Waid. As well as Donna and Candace, who serve on Lamplight committees, Daniel Waid Marshall and Steven Thompson, both members of the Waid family, are heavily involved in the project. This section involves stories of the land from Candace and Donna’s childhood, as told by them.
The land as it appeared in August of 2017.
The idea for Lamplight came from putting two and two together. On the one hand, there was a vacant lakehouse on a beautiful lakeside plot. On the other hand, there was a network of educators with experience in running summer programs. This section sketches the origins of the idea and describes the models from which it draws inspiration, namely Highlander Research and Education Center and the educational programs of L.L. Nunn (founder of Telluride Association and Deep Springs College). This sections also includes recollections from the road trip that generated the idea.
Zakiya, Sally, and Kevin see the land for the first time.
Lamplight began as a series of meetings with friends and expanded into a continuing effort involving over 20 volunteers from around the country. A crew of four went on a second road trip to Alabama in the summer of 2017 to stay with the Waid family and discuss the idea with community leaders in Birmingham. Over the next year, the Lamplight team grew to include two experienced Alabama organizers (Zac Henson and Morgan Pennington) and the curriculum became more defined.
Steven, Kevin, and Spencer work on the land, Summer 2018.