Envision Your Good Life & Discover Your Great Work. Step away from the confusions of everyday life and hunker down on a 60-acre homestead peninsula in Maine. Our immersive programs allow you to live in intentional community with a cohort of 20 fellow students who are setting aside a season to explore what it means to live a good life. You'll complete experiential, college-level courses while being in nature, practicing mindfulness and learning to forage & garden.
Pillars of Our Multi-Faceted Immersive Programs:
Spacious Reflection on Questions of the Good Life
Immersion in the Natural World
Experiential Engagement with Ideas to Live By
Cultivating Mindfulness & Inner Resources
Experimenting in the Creative Arts
Exploring Connections Between the Food Life & The Good Life
Envisioning the Good Life For All
Reviews (3)
My time at Seguin land...
Reviewed
on Mar/16/2023 by Lillian Cadwell
My time at Seguin land was a truly transformative and magical experience. Not only am I incredibly grateful for the time I spent there, but I have carried so much of what I learned there with me. The staff and leaders have created a space unlike anywhere I have ever been. I have never laughed so hard, learned so much, or appreciated life as much as I did during this program. While I learned so much in the classes, it did not stop there. Seguin land showed me how to celebrate the smaller moments of life and brought back so much wonder to my eyes. They were able to facilitate a community that created bonds so quickly and so firmly. The people I met at Seguin land and the connections that were nourished continue to be some of my most cherished. I don't know how they do it, how such a special place can exist, but it does. I can truly only describe it as magical.
At Seguinland, we would spend our mornings in Yoga class with one of the most amazing instructors I have ever had. After centering ourselves there, we would spend the rest of the morning in class. In these classes, deep conversations were held and large questions were asked (and rarely answered). After that, we would spend our afternoon incorporating what we had learned in the class room out in the field. From going to an oyster farm and learning the ins and outs of that or canoeing around the marsh in some artistic way, we really did it all. After that our evenings were spent cooking some of the best food I've ever had. Cooking together might have started a little rocky but by the end, we were all fabulous cooks. Our foraged feast was truly a delicious and one-of-a-kind meal. In our downtime, you could find us in the cookhouse playing round after round of One Night Werewolf or out exploring the woods. The staff and faculty at this program were always so supportive and I was able to form personal connections with them. Even after I have left, I still feel comfortable reaching out to them for life advice, help with applications, or just to swing in and say hi. I think it speaks very highly that for our one-year reunion almost every single person cleared their calendars to come back to this special place. Seguin land institute is a one-of-a-kind place that has an incredible talent for creating meaningful experiences and connections.
My time at Seguinland was...
Reviewed
on Mar/12/2023 by Garrett Fisher
My time at Seguinland was uniquely transformative. It was such a gift to experience a level of community
This program is absolutely amazing...
Reviewed
on Feb/20/2023 by Elie Zimring
This program is absolutely amazing. It has a very, very, very strong community aspect to it, and students are encouraged every day to be their fullest and best selves. Expect adventure and trying things you've never tried before, whether it be going straight from a sauna to a frozen pond to dog sledding to cooking on a fire. This was my second time at Seguinland, but it was still the experience of a lifetime. The staff are extremely extremely supportive and they manage to make every single program new so returning students and new students experience brand new programming. The food is also good, and food that is made in the program is very, very healthy. expect to be immersed day after day in nature, and to embrace a lifestyle of minimal technology, as phones and computers are expected to be left in the cabins if students are not using them for educational purposes (which is a relatively rare occurrence). Expect to embrace mindfulness, and to learn how to embrace new perspectives, and journey inward, as well as outward. Philosophical and very otherwise deep discussions are an undeniable facet of this program and everyone, students and staff alike, are ready to talk about anything. The environment is extremely inclusive and every single day there's more and more things to learn. The campus is in the woods and is extremely extremely beautiful. The main gathering space is a treehouse. For photographers, get ready to take some amazing, amazing photos in your free time. This program was an intensive writing program, and so students were diving deep into various forms of writing. For any writer, this program is so amazing. Whether your writing style is poetry, songwriting, fiction, or something else, the staff embrace all of it.
Testimonials(8)
My semester at Seguinland Institute has been nothing short of spectacular. I found a passion for life here - the rich, full good life of reciprocity with the earth and others. The faculty and staff have been instrumental in my success, and irreplaceable in finding my devotion to all life offers–and all I can offer to life. The three courses themselves are life-changing and encourage the big thinker in everyone to come out of hiding. These courses will ask a lot of you at times, but what meaningful challenge wouldn't? I can't describe how enlivening The Creative Life Course was in helping me see how easy it is to integrate creativity (and therefore enjoyment) into everything we do. I would not trade the experience this entire program--and student community--has given me for anything; especially compared to what a traditional college could offer me at this time. This was my first exposure to true education: how to smile more truthfully, laugh more fully, and love deeply and unconditionally.
- Emeline, Good Life Alum, Fall 2022- March 17, 2023
This experience felt like a fresh breath of life for me. I'm so grateful I took this chance. I've made lifelong memories and built a greater sense of confidence. This was my first time living without my family and I am straight out of high school. This program helped me feel more affirmed in the hope I have for my future and I am so excited to feel alive. The staff and faculty were like family who supported me through this huge change in my life. It felt like growing up in the best way. I enjoyed the kindness, openness and support all the staff gave us. Living in community takes a lot of effort and I'm glad I got to learn how to put that effort in. Something I wrote in my journal on the last few days of this program is: "I didn't know back then what all of this could mean, and I'm glad that I know now. I'm glad that I've tried." I'll always think back fondly to dance parties in the cookhouse and the warmth of bonfires and friends.
- Arushi, Good Life Alum, Fall 2022- March 17, 2023
Seguinland will not be what you expect. It will not be what the instructors expect either. For each person, Seguinland is their own experience, and the staff and students are there to help them have the 10 weeks they want. I thought that Seguinland would be about seeing a different way of living unique to here, but I have learned so much about how I want to live my life and who I want to live it with. You will not be challenged to become a new person, but rather you will be challenged to be yourself, and find out what that means. The people at Seguinland are not that much more mindful or earthy than ordinary people, they aren’t hippies or gurus. They are just thoughtful people who have spent years working with students to build an experience that focuses on the community that students want to build, and the life they want to explore.
- Jonathan, Good Life Alum, Fall 2022- March 17, 2023
The experience of Seguinland Institute’s Good Life Gap Semester has shaped my way of living, thinking, eating, connecting with mind, body, spirit, and the way I approach relationships. This was probably the most impactful experience of my life. From the yoga sessions to hiking to watching the sunrise to volunteering in community settings, it truly felt like a dream. Throughout the courses, I felt like I rediscovered ways of learning and being creative that I had lost along the way. I broadened my perspective on the world through the readings and the discussions. I learned the importance of our current part in creating a better world, especially from the faculty and guest speakers I met during the program. They've opened my eyes to a new world, and I'm forever grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Thank you, Seguinland.
- Maurice, Good Life Alum, Winter 2023 and Fall 2021- March 17, 2023
Participating in the Good Life Gap Term was one of the most impactful experiences I could have imagined having during my gap year. For anyone looking to challenge themselves academically, physically, and emotionally while grounding in nature and intentional community, this program is for you! While at the Seguinland Institute, I became a student of the salt-water river flowing through the property, of the starry Maine sky, of each of my classmates and of course, of the engaging, and ever-accommodating faculty. The courses, which challenged me to question and ponder my sense of purpose, values, and lifestyle, were supplemented with experiences of solitude, camping and canoeing trips, hikes, yoga and mindfulness, and walks on the ocean-side beaches nearby. Though the program presents challenges, it simultaneously creates a thoroughly supportive community, brings attention to self-compassion and natural healing, and nourishes participants with locally grown food. Not to mention, the program is full of fun adventures, laughs, and spontaneous dance parties.
- Clara, Good Life Alum, Fall 2020- March 17, 2023
My experience at the Good Life Gap Semester at Seguinland was ineffable. The institute partakes of an inspiring and experimental approach to education. The courses went beyond the books we read and the lessons we were taught, and were filled with rich discussions, memorable trips, and influential visitors that brought the lessons to life. I explored what a good life is for me and learned ways to tackle societal challenges. All the while, my classmates and I created an intentional community and lived on a scenic homestead. Our mornings included various forms of mindfulness in a classroom up in the trees, our nights cooking meals at the cookhouse and watching the bright stars. Each week was filled with different adventures such as hiking, camping, foraging, or volunteering at a local farm that gives its crops to those in need. The program challenged me--mentally, spiritually, and physically--for the better. I have endless gratitude for the friendships, staff, and memories I created during my time at Seguinland.
- Anoosh, Good Life Alum, Fall 2021- March 17, 2023
My time at Seguinland was uniquely transformative. It was such a gift to experience a level of community; tranquility I had not heretofore encountered in an academic setting. That is to say, this isn't the average academic setting – it is the exceptional one. You'll read Wendell Berry waxing poetic about the wonders of sustainable agriculture, while planting seeds & tending to the on-site gardens. You'll read about Thoreau's adventures in the Maine wilderness as you spend time in that same wilderness (and perhaps even climb Katahdin!). You'll meditate, canoe, hike, introspect, laugh, dance, cook, forage; share meals with one another on the transcendently picturesque Maine coast. All while surrounded by an inimitably loving, thoughtful crew of educators, artists, poets and peers; Family. At Seguinland, one doesn't just learn about the good life. One is given the rare opportunity to live it out in a supportive, inclusive, and curious environment.
- Garrett, Good Life Alum, May Term 2022- March 17, 2023
At Seguinland you find philosophy, cool readings, excursions, caring & kind mentors, eye-opening guests; space for as much growth as you want to work for. You'll be expected to be engaged; put in work, to share; challenge old beliefs and ways of being. You'll gain clarity, confidence, new thoughts, new friendships. The people are inclusive, genuine, & lovely. Nature, yoga, meditation and readings all helped me be calm, open up, connect. Music, dancing, communal activities like cooking, sauna, hiking, camping, canoeing helped students bond. I have grown in presence and calm awareness. I have expanded my view of the land and I want to bring it forward. I've learned how to connect more deeply w/ people around me.
My time at Seguin land was a truly transformative and magical experience. Not only am I incredibly grateful for the time I spent there, but I have carried so much of what I learned there with me. The staff and leaders have created a space unlike anywhere I have ever been. I have never laughed so hard, learned so much, or appreciated life as much as I did during this program. While I learned so much in the classes, it did not stop there. Seguin land showed me how to celebrate the smaller moments of life and brought back so much wonder to my eyes. They were able to facilitate a community that created bonds so quickly and so firmly. The people I met at Seguin land and the connections that were nourished continue to be some of my most cherished. I don't know how they do it, how such a special place can exist, but it does. I can truly only describe it as magical.
At Seguinland, we would spend our mornings in Yoga class with one of the most amazing instructors I have ever had. After centering ourselves there, we would spend the rest of the morning in class. In these classes, deep conversations were held and large questions were asked (and rarely answered). After that, we would spend our afternoon incorporating what we had learned in the class room out in the field. From going to an oyster farm and learning the ins and outs of that or canoeing around the marsh in some artistic way, we really did it all. After that our evenings were spent cooking some of the best food I've ever had. Cooking together might have started a little rocky but by the end, we were all fabulous cooks. Our foraged feast was truly a delicious and one-of-a-kind meal. In our downtime, you could find us in the cookhouse playing round after round of One Night Werewolf or out exploring the woods. The staff and faculty at this program were always so supportive and I was able to form personal connections with them. Even after I have left, I still feel comfortable reaching out to them for life advice, help with applications, or just to swing in and say hi. I think it speaks very highly that for our one-year reunion almost every single person cleared their calendars to come back to this special place. Seguin land institute is a one-of-a-kind place that has an incredible talent for creating meaningful experiences and connections.