Mission

Our cultural and spiritual identity as Latvians is nourished through a strong connection to nature and natural cycles. Nature is at the heart of our stories, Dainas, dances and songs. We give nature a voice through our culture. Natural cycles are the basis for our celebrations Jani, Kekatas, Martini, Meteni—all celebrations of the changes in seasons. Summers in Latvia find the cities almost deserted, as everyone is out in the countryside. Kursa is our countryside.\r\n\r\nKursa, West Coast Latvian Education Center, is the only place west of the Mississippi where Latvians can come together in a beautiful natural setting that they can call their own. Kursa is our opportunity to foster this connection between nature and our culture -- whether informally with one or two friends for a weekend, or formally within the structures of a summer camp (Mezotne) or summer school (Kursa vasaras vidusskola.)