What and Where We Are
The Sorrento Centre is a 23-acre retreat and conference centre located in Sorrento, British Columbia, walking distance from shops in town. Situated on scenic Shuswap Lake, it is approximately 2 hours north of Kelowna and 1 hour east of Kamloops in the Thompson Okanagan tourist area. [ See about the Centre here » / map » / area attractions » ] Check out our Facebook fan page: Sorrento Centre Retreat and Conference Centre ».
What Is A Sabbatical?
A sabbatical is a time of rest, a time away, a time of re-creation. It comes from the word “Sabbath” referring to the seventh day of Creation when God rested from the labour of making you and me and the world around us. Many people know that academics normally qualify for sabbaticals every 7 years. Fewer people know that clergy also have sabbaticals available to them. Not many people know that lawyers in large firms take sabbaticals (the largest firm in Toronto has 2% of its complement of lawyers on leave at any one time). Accounting firms like Deloitte’s and KPMG also have a sabbatical program. Indeed between 6 & 7% of all Canadian corporations have a system of paid leaves and almost 25% have a system of unpaid leaves.
Sabbaticals have different shapes depending on the person and the profession. Some people will have writing or reading projects in mind. Others will have an artistic or creative project they want to take on. Still others will want to take this opportunity to reflect on their lives, their work, their values and their vocation. We call this the discipline of “reflective practice”. A special provision of the Sorrento Sabbatical Centre allows for graduate students to come and write their dissertations and theses here.
Participants in the Sorrento Sabbatical program are invited to attend a one-hour weekly meeting with the Centre Director. This is an opportunity to discuss your project, offer support to one another and make suggestions for the improvement of your sabbatical experience. Participants who want more engagement or who are looking for spiritual direction, may do so at an additional cost.
Three Housing Options:
- Sabbatical Cottage: single-person dwellings of approximately 400 sq. feet. The cottages are equipped with WiFi, a double bed, desk, lamp, table, chair, hot plate, microwave and bar fridge. Washrooms, laundry facilities, communal TV lounges and quiet reading rooms are available in a neighbouring building. One hot meal per day in the communal dining hall is included in the cost of accommodation. Additional meals are available for purchase.
- Sabbatical Studio: a two room suite with private bathroom in one of our lodge buildings, either Richardson Lodge or Caritas Lodge. They are equipped with WiFi, a queen bed, table, chairs, lamps, pull-out sofa, hot plate, refrigerator, and microwave. One hot meal per day in the communal dining hall is included in the cost of accommodation. Additional meals are available for purchase.
- Sabbatical Apartment: a two bedroom apartment with two twin beds in each bedroom. Full eat-in kitchen and living room with fold-out couch. WiFi is also accessible from the apartments. Twin beds may be converted into a king sized bed. The apartment is suitable for sabbaticants that may have guests visiting from time to time. One hot meal per day in the communal dining hall is included in the cost of accommodation. Additional meals are available for purchase.
[See accommodations »]. [see meals »]
What Other People Have Said about their Sabbatical Experience in Sorrento
- “I’ve been recommending Sorrento to everyone I talk to about my time there! Sabbatical time at Sorrento was indeed a time of Sabbath – a time for renewal and restoration. It was a wonderful combination of study time to nourish the mind, good food to nourish the body and beauty to nourish the soul. I would look up from reading in my comfortable suite, to see mountains and lake, and re-make connections of mind and spirit. A walk to the lake with signs of spring all around ensures that study stays connected to life in creation.
Opportunities to engage with the director and other members of the community about one’s work help to surface questions and challenges and new connections. Every member of the community – staff and volunteers – offered welcome and support. I am grateful to have had this opportunity and hopeful that there will be a time to return.
Thank you! Blessings to all of you as you continue to create this space of hospitality and creativity.”
– Dr. Gail Allan, Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer, United Church of Canada
- “In the morning I would rise to the crisp mountain air, brew some fresh coffee and get to work. After a long day of work, it was time to venture to the communal kitchen where Norman and his staff in the kitchen prepared delicious sustenance - roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, fish curries, eggplant parmesan, always with fresh salad and veggies from the garden, and always dessert, yummmm. (They are flexible and able to adjust to your dietary needs!)
Once a week I would sit down with the Director, Christopher Lind, over a cold beer to discuss my progress. These discussions began with the nitty gritty details (i.e. specifically what I had accomplished since last week) but always meandered delightfully into a deeper conversation about my research, the weird and wonderful world of academia or the structure of science and scientific thought among others. Though I initially saw these meetings as a potentially strong extrinsic motivator, they quickly became a much more. My conversations with Chris sowed the seeds of personal and professional reflection.
Over the course of the month I watched the lake level rise as the spring melt commenced with ferocity. I saw the remnants of the fall Adams River sockeye run wash away into the lake, the circle of life marching on.
I also shared the centre with many other visiting groups, both young and old, from many different backgrounds and perspectives. Together with the staff, these visitors provided a sense of community, and an escape from the long workdays. Their company at dinner and their conversations in passing were a welcome interaction; a nice interlude from the focused thesis work.
I arrived at the Sorrento Centre with a long list of tasks to tackle and I left with a significantly shorter one. Although a month is a long time, it passed amazingly quickly. And, though there is still plenty of work left to do on my dissertation, my month at the Sorrento Centre was an invaluable experience both personally and professionally.
It was an opportunity to work uninterrupted and ponder the motivations for my research, the questions that remained unanswered, as well as the new questions that my results have generated. On a personal level it was an opportunity to explore what comes next, to evaluate what it is that I want from my postdoctoral work as well my career overall, and the aspects of academic life that I value and those that I could do without. I believe that the clarity provided by this time of reflection and introspection will turn out to be much more valuable than any of the items I crossed off my to-do list.
I would encourage other graduate students in the latter stages of their dissertation writing to explore the possibility of visiting the Sorrento Centre for a month, or more. Hopefully it will be as valuable for you as it was for me.”
– Victoria Arrandale, Doctoral Candidate, Massey College, University of Toronto
What It Costs for 2012 - 2013
People who want to come for a short stay will pay the full cost on a per night basis. People who come for one month or more are eligible to apply for a Sorrento Fellowship. The Fellowship is valued at $1500 to be applied to the cost of housing and meals at the Sabbatical Centre.
Sabbatical Cottage |
||
| One month ($68/night) | $2,040 | |
| One hot meal daily | $ 465 + HST | |
| Sub-total | $2,505 | |
| Sorrento Fellowship | ($1,500) | |
| Final Cost | $1,005 + HST | |
Sabbatical Studio |
||
| One month ($91/night) | $2,730 | |
| One hot meal daily | $ 465 + HST | |
| Sub-total | $3,195 | |
| Sorrento Fellowship | ($1500) | |
| Final Cost | $1,695 + HST | |
Sabbatical Apartment |
||
| One month ($120/night) | $3,600 | |
| One hot meal daily (optional) | $ 465 + HST | |
| Sub-total | $4,065 | |
| Sorrento Fellowship | ($1500) | |
| Final Cost | $2,565 + HST | |
How To Apply For A Sorrento Sabbatical & Fellowship
Please send a 1-2 page letter detailing your research, writing or artistic project. If you want to engage in a more open ended process of reflective practice, please specify the assistance you are looking for from the Sorrento Centre. Send these to director@sorrento-centre.bc.ca.
Please specify how long you would like to stay between September and May, 2012, and what your other needs may be. Applicants wanting to stay for two months or longer are eligible for additional Fellowship support. Graduate students should include a letter from their school’s registrar confirming their good standing in a graduate degree program. Our Director, Dr. Christopher Lind, will then contact you to discuss details of your participation.
