Welcome to the Forest Creek Refuge

Our Mission:

The Forest Creek Refuge serves as a physical gathering and retreat space for fostering both contemplative and Buddhist childhood education, providing beautiful, conducive, and accessible space for programs, retreats, and activities that help educators, families, and children connect with the wisdom taught by the Buddha. By hosting diverse programs from various traditions and approaches, the Forest Creek Refuge creates natural opportunities for collaboration, resource sharing, and community building within the ecosystem of childhood education, allowing this vital work to flourish organically and collaboratively.

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Our Purpose:

The Refuge exists to support work that serves children, communities, and the wider world by providing a container that is intentional, nourishing, and deeply human. It is a place where collaboration can unfold naturally, where wisdom traditions and practical action meet, and where time and space are shaped to support clarity, care, and connection.

This vision is the ground of the collaboration between the Refuge and Khyentse Foundation: a shared commitment to creating conditions that allow meaningful work to take root and mature, for the benefit of present and future generations.

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What the Forest Creek Refuge Provides:

Location

• A peaceful, rural setting approximately 30 minutes from the Portland, Oregon airport, offering both accessibility and seclusion. (Map or directions included?)

 

Accommodations

• Private and shared rooms available

• Comfortable, simple lodging designed to support rest and reflection

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Food

• Healthy, nourishing meals prepared on site

• Emphasis on simple, wholesome food that supports clarity and well-being

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Amenities & Environment​

• Indoor and outdoor areas for reflection and conversation

• Quiet surroundings, with access to nature

• Support from a wonderful staff

• Dedicated meeting and practice spaces

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Offerings at the Forest Creek Refuge:

• Gatherings

• Community connection

• Coalition creating and building  

• Collaboration opportunities

• Support for children’s Buddhist & Contemplative education

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Collaboration Is the Key:

This collaboration exists to serve the wellbeing of children.  It is rooted in a shared understanding that caring for children is both a moral responsibility and a long-term investment in the health, wisdom, and resilience of society as a whole.Our work together is guided by principles of care, integrity, and mutual respect. We approach this collaboration with humility and openness, recognizing that meaningful change arises through listening, learning, and sustained relationship. At every level, we seek to act thoughtfully and responsibly, keeping the needs of children at the center of all decisions.​

 

Relationship with Khyentse Foundation:

Our relationship with Khyentse Foundation is a deep and ongoing collaboration across all levels of work. It is not limited to a single program or initiative, but reflects a shared commitment, shared values, and a shared vision for the future.Together, we align our efforts to support children’s wellbeing - educationally and emotionally while contributing to a more compassionate and sustainable world. This collaboration is grounded in trust, long-term perspective, and the understanding that caring for children is inseparable from caring for the future of humanity.