2025 Teachers

Our teaching staff is in process. Please check back often as we add names to the list!
Staff and class description listings are subject to update and change.

All About Camp Work Exchanges

The Mendocino Workshop runs smoothly thanks to a hard-working crew of work exchange campers, who receive a partial tuition waiver (and a few full waivers) in exchange for their work.

Work exchange folks have a job at camp, like washing dishes or cleaning bathrooms. In exchange for their hard work, they pay reduced tuition (in most cases 50%) to come to camp. Some jobs require special skills, experience, or knowledge of the workshop environment, others requiring lifting or standing, etc. Others are great for first-timers or require no special skills.

The Site Manager fields work exchange requests and helps manage the work exchange crews during camp, along with crew leaders who manage the larger crews.

What’s the difference between a work exchange and a workshop scholarship?
A work exchange job means that you get assigned some work/duties at camp and in exchange some or all of your tuition costs are waived. A scholarship is different—with a camp scholarship, some or all of your tuition costs are paid by generous donors and you do not have any work duties at camp. If you have applied for and end up receiving a scholarship, you may withdraw your work exchange request. Please note that the Mendocino scholarship application period has already ended, and that scholarship decisions will be announced in April.

About the work and jobs:
Workers are required to arrive at camp by 4:00 p.m. the first day of camp and stay until 11:00 a.m. the last day. Note that we cannot accommodate part-time campers for work exchange. Work exchangers are also expected to be timely and responsible throughout the week (that means arriving to your shifts on time, getting the work done, etc.)

At Mendocino, the majority of work exchange positions are on the Dish Crew. Folks on the Dish Crew work two 90-minute shifts per day. There’s a swap meeting the first night to trade around shifts and optimize your schedule, but it’s still possible you may have to miss a class or two. Lots of the people on Dish Crew enjoy being part of a team, making friends, and having some additional structured time. (And everybody loves using the sink sprayer!) This is a great crew for first-timers, as no prior skills or knowledge of camp are required, and making new friends is quick and easy.

Other crews include Bath Crew (cleaning bathrooms/washhouses, taking out trash, some auxiliary setup of chairs/benches); Donation Store Crew (setting up, running, and closing down the Donation Store. Often includes pre-camp organizing get togethers in the Arcata area for those available); Kafana Crew (setting up, running, and closing down the Kafana. Includes lots of late-night shifts.) Other specialty jobs include the Gofer (town runs everyday for supplies), Wellness Advisor, Stage Manager and Sound Techs in the Dance Hall and Kafana, Housing, Rides, Bedding, and other admin help. Many of these positions require special prior experience at camp or in a similar role.

How to apply:
Requests for work exchange will be collected on a rolling basis through May 1st. We encourage you to make your work exchange request early to ensure we have a spot for you. Jobs may run out, and date of request is strongly considered when assigning jobs to applicants. Please note that we can only accommodate full-week campers for work exchange, and that application for a work exchange position does not guarantee a work exchange position. Applicants who are offered work exchange jobs are expected to accept the commitment and register for camp within a timely manner. Application for the 2025 work exchange team will be open in the spring. Stay tuned!

Mendocino Woodlands Camp 1 Map

Use this map to help you decide which cabin or cabin area to request on your registration form. Please note that the central section (Cabins 17-31) is generally reserved for staff.

Click here to download a full-size PDF of this map.

Getting to Mendocino

Mendocino Woodlands Camp One is in Jackson State Forest about 175 miles north of San Francisco, roughly 12 miles inland from the coastal town of Mendocino.

From the south, take Hwy 101 North to Cloverdale. Highway 101 bypasses Cloverdale, so take the Hwy 128 Fort Bragg/Mendocino exit (after a couple of Cloverdale exits). Some 60 miles later (twisty road, but gorgeous vineyard, redwood, and coastal scenery), take Hwy 1 North to Mendocino.

From the north (Oregon), take I-5 South to Grants Pass, then Hwy 199 to Crescent City. From there, take Hwy 101 South to Leggett. From there take Hwy 1 South (insanely twisty road to the coast, with the reward of breathtaking ocean views) to Mendocino.

From Mendocino, go east on Little Lake Road (Co. Rd. 408) from Hwy 1
(at stoplight) for 5.6 miles, then turn right on Co. Rd. 700 (winding dirt road). Drive for 4 miles to Camp One. Please drive slowly and carefully on this dusty road!

If you’ve never been to the Woodlands, plan to arrive before dark. Registration will be located just outside the dining hall.

Dine & Dance—Bed & Breakfast

Come for early evening activities, the dance party and the late night kafana. Then spend the night and enjoy breakfast before you hit the road!

Here’s how it works:

• 6:00 p.m.: Arrive at our lovely redwoods site (see Directions tab above). Check in at the Kafana and set up your bunk. Join us for a delicious dinner, starting at 6:30.
• Then take in a folklore presentation, singalong, or join in our auction. Dancing to live music begins in the main hall generally around 9:00.
• Our Kafana in the woods is a bar and a club, and a place where much music and merriment happens into the wee hours. Stay as long as you like!
• Sleep in a bunk with the bedding you brought from home.
• Roll out of bed, have breakfast by 9:30 a.m., and hit the trail by 10.

All this can be yours for $145. A cheap hotel in Ft. Bragg (forget the town of Mendocino), easily runs twice as much and provides no options for gajda, ouzo, čočeks, or çiftetelli!

HOW TO REGISTER

Registration for the B&B option will be available when general camp registration is open in spring 2025. Stay tuned!

Evening Parties

Live in the area? Join us for a fabulous evening of live music and dancing.

Admission includes the evening dance party, a delicious complimentary evening snack, as well as late-night kafana activities until 2:30 a.m. No overnight accommodations are available for partygoers; please make sure you make provisions for getting home safely after the party (or consider registering for our B&B option above!).

Arrive anytime after 8 p.m. and pay your fee at the Kafana. The dance party generally starts at 9 p.m. Please make your reservations by email two days before the first day of camp. It is also possible to attend the Friday Lamb Roast. The cost for this event is $50, and it includes dinner and the evening party (no overnight accommodations).

HOW TO REGISTER

To register for an evening party, call us at 510/219-5462, OR email the EEFC Office at least two days before the beginning of camp (we do not have telephone reception in the Woodlands).

Tell us your name(s) and which night(s) you will be attending. Please make sure your reservation has been confirmed before heading to the Woodlands.

Payment. Please be prepared to pay your full fee at the Kafana when you arrive using cash, credit card, or check.

Evening Schedule 2024

This schedule is from last year, but we’ll keep it here a while to give you an idea of what to expect in 2025.



Culture Corners and Group Sings begin at 7:45 p.m. Dance parties, unless noted, begin at 9:00 p.m.

Saturday
Dance
Brass—Fanfare Zambaleta
Bulgarian—Bulgarian Staff Musicians

Sunday
Group Sing (7:45-8:45): Ipirot Songs with Ruth Hunter

Dance (9:00-)
A Special Birthday Celebration for Joe Graziosi!
Greek Zournadhes & Daouli—Eleni, Christos & Bobby Govetas
Greek Island—Aya Safiya
Greek Thracian—Varol Saatcioglu

Monday
Group Sing—”Northern”: Dina Trageser with Chubritza

Dance
Bulgarian—Bulgarian Staff Musicians
Turkish Roman—Tano Brock

Tuesday
Auction Night (dance party begins around 10:00 p.m.)
Dance
Rhodope Sing-Along—Mark Levy & Gajda Mafia
Greek—Drómeno

Wednesday
Culture Corner: Greek-American Music & Dance of the 50s and 60s—A Personal Odyssey: an audiovisual presentation by Joe Graziosi

Dance
Macedonian Village—Michele Simon, Mark Levy, Dan Auvil & friends
Romani—Benji Rifati & Carol Silverman

Thursday
Group Sing—Macedonian & Bulgarian: Michele Simon

Dance
Greek—Aya Safiya & friends
Bulgarian—Bulgarian Staff Musicians

Friday
Student Ensembles play for your dancing pleasure (dance party begins at 8:00 p.m.)

Daily Schedule 2024

This schedule is from last year, but we’ll keep it here a while to give you an idea of what to expect in 2025.

CLASS LEVELS

• Beginner (B): You are new to this instrument/singing style.
• Intermediate (I): You have some proficiency: can match pitches, accurately replicate phrases heard by ear, and play at speed.
• Advanced (A): You have technical mastery: you are focused on stylistic details and self-expression.

If you are interested in a class that is not at your level, you can always audit! Please remember that the pace of instruction will not be geared to you, and hold your questions till the end of each session. If a class does not have a designated level, all are welcome!

CLASS SCHEDULE 2024

SLOT 1 (9:30-10:45)
Dance: Bulgarian—Kotse Marinov
Sing: Vocal Technique Intro—Michele Simon
Instrumental:

• Accordion—Kalin Kirilov
• Bulgarian Kaval A—Valeri Georgiev
• Bulgarian Tambura B—Stoyan Kostov

Kids: Children’s Activities—Darina Drapkin

SLOT 2 (11:00-12:15)
Dance: Greek—Joe Graziosi
Sing:

• Romani I/A—Carol Silverman
• Bulgarian B—Tzvety Dosseva

Instrumental:

• Trumpet—Benji Rifati
• Tupan I/A—Dan Auvil
• Clarinet/Saxophone A—Catherine Foster

Ensemble:

• Bitov (Bulgarian Village)—Kalin Kirilov
• Rebetika—Greg Jenkins & Nick Maroussis

SLOT 3 (2:00-3:15):
Dance: Greek—Joe Graziosi
Sing:

• Greek—Christos Govetas
• Bulgarian Choral—Dina Trageser

Instrumental:

• Doumbek B—Sean Tergis
• Thracian Gajda B—Varol Saatgioglu
• Makam Theory—Ali Yagiz Şen
• Bulgarian Tambura A—Stoyan Kostov

Ensemble: Greek—Eleni Govetas

SLOT 4 (3:30-4:45):
Dance: Turkish Roman—Jessaiah Zuré
Sing:

• Balkan Survey—Ruth Hunter
• Bulgarian A—Tzvety Dosseva

Instrumental:

• Doumbek I/A—Sean Tergis
• Greek Strings—Nick Maroussis
• Bulgarian Kaval B—Valeri Georgiev
• Clarinet/Saxophone I—Catherine Foster

Ensemble:

• Beginner Ensemble—Greg Jenkins & Bobby Govetas
• Macedonian Village Ensemble—Mark Levy

Kids: Youth Band—Eleni Govetas & Tano Brock

SLOT 5 (5:00-6:15):
Dance: Bulgarian—Kotse Marinov
Sing:

• Vocal Technique Master—Michele Simon
• Romani B—Carol Silverman

Instrumental:

• Thracian Gajda—Varol Saatcioglu
• Greek Violin—Aya Safiya
• Tupan B—Dan Auvil
• Greek Clarinet—Christos Govetas

Ensemble: Brass Band—Benji Rifati