The north woods of Minnesota has long been the home for sleepaway summer camps.At Swift Nature Camp a skip over the Minnesota boader has a long and storied history of offering the most memorable and authentic overnight summer camp experiences in the country. They are especially knowen for their Exclusive 1st Timer Camp. The camp’s unique features and philosophy make it one of the best sleepaway summer camps in MN for families searching for a place their children can call their summer home.

One of the most important considerations for parents when selecting an overnight summer camp is their child’s safety. Swift Nature Camp is committed to ensuring that campers are safe and healthy at all times. All counselors and staff are well-trained and carry all necessary certifications. The camp also takes bullying seriously and takes steps to prevent unsafe situations. Safety is woven into the very culture of the camp.

Another important consideration for parents is whether their child will fit in and feel welcome. Swift Nature Camp takes special care to make sure every child gets the individual attention they need to thrive. With a 5:1 counselor-camper ratio and 3:1 in the 1st Timer Camp, a strong teen-leadership program exists for 16 & 17 year olds, the camp creates a supportive and welcoming environment. Positive cabin dynamics also help even the most introverted camper form connections and make friends.

For parents who are unsure about sending their child away to a Minnesota Summer Camp for an extended period of time, SNC offers a special two-week coed overnight camp for first-time campers only. In this “Discovery” camp, the cabin groups are smaller, and everyone is a new kid. The camp recognizes that it can be overwhelming for first-time campers and takes steps to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Swift Nature Camp offers a wide variety of activities, giving campers a chance to explore their interests and develop new skills. Kids can participate in traditional camp activities like canoeing, archery, campfire building, and overnight camping trips. The camp also offers unique opportunities like caring for animals in the nature center and joining the group of clowns that perform for camp.

Finally, what sets Swift Nature Camp apart from other summer camps in MN. is its commitment to helping campers grow into the best version of themselves. The camp gives campers a chance to develop a new skill without the distraction of electronics and social media. Spending time away from their familiar support system gives campers a way to build their confidence, independence, and self-worth. The camp provides the perfect environment to develop valuable social skills and form friendships that last a lifetime.

Swift Nature Camp is an excellent choice for families searching for a sleepaway summer camp in the Northwoods of Minnesota that will provide a unique and memorable experience for their children. The camp’s emphasis on safety, individual attention, and growth make it one of the best summer camps available. With a wide range of activities and a supportive community, Swift Nature Camp is a place where children can thrive and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Over the past 2 summers and 25 weeks of camp we have worked hard to keep our campers safe from the COVID virus while still providing a summer of fun. Recently, I came across this Forbes Magazine article explaining what schools and other child centers can learn from overnight summer camps.

Successful Multimodal Covid Control In Summer Camp by William A. Haseltine

A new CDC report demonstrates how using multiple Covid-19 prevention strategies at nine US overnight summer camps was highly effective in preventing transmission of Covid-19, even in the wake of the Delta variant. Amongst  7,173 campers and staff members at nine overnight camps between June and August 2021, there were only nine laboratory-confirmed cases and no secondary infections detected. This is in striking contrast to many other summer camps, that used few mitigations and experienced rapid outbreaks.

This group of summer camps serves as a microcosm for how we can approach effective Covid control nationwide. The CDC report did not attribute the success of this strategy to a single modality, instead, it was the multiple layers of protection that ensured zero secondary transmission of the virus. The success of this multimodal Covid-19 control can serve as a guide for other congregate settings.    

The layers of protection used by the summer camps included; vaccination (93% of eligible children were vaccinated), pre-arrival and frequent screening testing (both rapid and PCR), creating social “pods” or cohorts within the camp, masking, physical distancing, and hand hygiene through the use of sanitizing stations. 

Pods began as groups of campers and staff members who shared a cabin. Pod residents were allowed to interact with each other without masking or physically distancing. Pods were then gradually merged in stages, growing from one cabin to multiple cabins, to age groups. Through this method, three out of nine camps eventually reached camp-wide pod expansion. 

One camp also used wastewater surveillance testing three times per week. Wastewater surveillance has been an underused yet cost-effective, non-invasive mass testing strategy throughout the pandemic that can detect virus shed by symptomatic and asymptomatic people alike. Ahttps://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSystems.00793-21" aria-label="study" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 56, 145); cursor: pointer; text-decoration-skip: objects;"> study from UC San Diego demonstrates that wastewater surveillance can detect Covid-19 in a single infected, asymptomatic person living or working in a multi-unit dwelling such as a college campus building. This makes wastewater surveillance a highly effective intervention for congregate living situations.  

In addition to these on-site interventions, each camp also requested that staff members and campers adhere to masking and physical distancing when interacting with persons outside their immediate family for 10–14 days before arrival and while traveling to camp. Campers across all nine camps were required to submit at least one negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test result from a test performed within 72 hours before the start of camp, regardless of vaccination status.

The frequency and type of screening testing during camp varied across the camps and by vaccination status. In addition to a prearrival RT-PCR screening test, at least three screening tests were required by all camps for unvaccinated campers through the first 12 days after arrival. Six camps used a combination of rapid antigen and RT-PCR testing for screening; the remaining three used only RT-PCR testing for screening. RT-PCR test results were returned within approximately 12–24 hours. 

The screening testing was successful in identifying six confirmed Covid-19 cases (one in a staff member and five in campers) by RT-PCR testing. Three additional cases (in two staff members and one camper) were identified based on symptoms and were confirmed by RT-PCR testing. A successful isolation and quarantine program for those cases meant that there were no secondary cases of Covid-19.    

The nine cases were spread across four camps. Three of the nine cases occurred in vaccinated staff members and six in unvaccinated campers aged 8–14 years. The three staff member cases were identified before the arrival of campers. One case in a vaccinated symptomatic staff member occurred during the initial staff week, and the other two cases in vaccinated staff members (one asymptomatic, one symptomatic) occurred between sessions. Two of the six campers with cases were asymptomatic and identified by prearrival screening; these campers did not enter the camp. Three additional cases were identified by screening testing, and one was identified because the camper was symptomatic; all were identified within the first 8 days of camp. 

The study's authors provide great detail about the impact of testing and pod interventions on virus transmission rates, but further research is needed on how masking, hand hygiene, wastewater surveillance, and physical distancing impacted virus transmission.    

Camp locations were spread across the nation in New England, Middle Atlantic, the South, Midwest, and West. This means that the data obtained was not influenced by local case prevalence.   

Summer camps (outside of the study’s group of nine) that focused only on measures such as prearrival testing without subsequent testing or other preventative measures https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6943a4.htm?s_cid=mm6943a4_w" aria-label="experienced rapid outbreaks" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 56, 145); cursor: pointer; text-decoration-skip: objects;">experienced rapid outbreaks. A boys’ overnight summer school retreat in Wisconsin required all attendees to provide documentation of either a positive serologic test result within the past 3 months or a negative RT-PCR test result less than 7 days before traveling to the retreat, or self-quarantine within their households for 7 days before travel, and to wear masks during travel. This kind of policy ignores the reality of reinfection and the strong possibility of becoming asymptomatically infected in transit to the retreat or within the 7-day testing window. Unsurprisingly, this retreat experienced an outbreak that was traced back to a single student who had received a negative test result less than one week before the retreat and led to 116 (76%) diagnosed Covid-19 cases among the campers. The lack of other mitigation measures meant that the virus spread quickly throughout the camp. 

The RT-PCR screening tests used at the nine camps had a quick turnaround time of 12-24 hours for results. But with the reopening of schools and workplaces increasing demand for PCR testing and putting a strain on labs, the turnaround time is significantly slower, rendering the tests far less effective. In Pittsburgh, the turnaround time is presently between 4-6 days as opposed to the usual 1-2 days. This is where rapid testing can be incredibly effective in preventing the rapid transmission of the virus in congregate settings. 

Rapid tests are betterhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8049601/" aria-label="suited" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 56, 145); cursor: pointer; text-decoration-skip: objects;"> suited than PCR tests for identifying and containing the pre-symptomatic spread of the virus. A UK study,https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)01908-5/fulltext" aria-label="published in the Lancet" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 56, 145); cursor: pointer; text-decoration-skip: objects;"> published in the Lancet, found that schools using a test-to-stay protocol had similar rates of symptomatic Covid-19 infection to those using quarantines. However widespread accessibility to rapid tests in the US is presently hampered by a cumbersome F.D.A. process intended for high-tech medical devices. To be approved, the rapid tests must demonstrate that they are nearly as sensitive as the gold standard PCR. tests. But rapid tests do not need to be as sensitive, PCR tests often identify small amounts of the Covid virus in people who had been infected weeks earlier and are no longer contagious. Rapid tests can miss these cases while still identifying approximately 98 percent of cases in which a person is infectious. 

Rapid tests are the “public health gold standard” and should therefore be regulated as a Public Health Good. President Biden could accomplish this with a simple Executive Order, increasing competition among manufacturers and flooding the market with inexpensive, high-quality rapid tests. In an ideal scenario, tests should be provided free to all households to encourage their frequent use, like they are in many countries. But Federal bulk orders of rapid tests would also bring the price down closer to a dollar, making them accessible for all who need them.  

By taking advantage of rapid testing and implementing the multiple successful preventative strategies used by these summer camps we can prevent high levels of transmission in schools, colleges, workplaces, and other congregate settings. This data is particularly useful for schools given the youth demographic involved. Our focus needs to shift to multiple layers of prevention and protection working in tandem with medical interventions.

William A. Haseltine

As a summer camp director for over 25 years families often ask why camp has such a positive impact on kids. I usually answer with "Camp Magic". Yet researcher have been researching what children need during their summer of no school and magically Overnight Summer Camp meets all of the requirements. Below is their article published on the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

Lazy Days of Summer: How to keep children active all year long

Dori Pekmezi, PhD; University of Alabama at Birmingham
Linda Trinh, PhD; University of Toronto
Diane Ehlers, PhD; University of Nebraska Medical Center
Jennette Moreno, PhD; Baylor College of Medicine

It is known that children are less active over summer break. A recent study among children 6 to 9 years of age showed that physical activity dropped by 53% during the summer months. Moreover, time spent in sedentary activities (e.g., screen time) increases. According to the national survey data, children watch more television (+18+ minutes/day) over summer break than during the school year.

There are many possible reasons for these seasonal differences in physical activity. School days typically involve regular physical activity sessions (e.g., recess, PE class) and limited screen time, which may have a protective effect on children’s health behaviors. The structured days hypothesis suggests that disruptions in such routines are responsible for lower physical activity levels over the summer. However, parents also play a role. Past research found that third and fourth grade parents restricted screen time during the school year to encourage homework completion and then relaxed these rules once school was out of session.

Declines in physical activity over the summer can have adverse effects on children’s health (e.g., weight gain). Numerous studies have shown that body mass index increases more in the summer than in other seasons. Excess weight gain can lead to obesity and poorer metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental health for children. Overweight/obese, low income, Black, and Hispanic children are at increased risk for summer surges in body mass index. Thus, physical activity in the summer months is critical for children’s health.

What the Experts Say

Dr. Jennette Moreno from Baylor College of Medicine is an SBM member and content expert with the following advice.

What tips do you have for parents to keep kids active during summer?

Tip 1: Infuse structure into your child’s summer. During the school year, children have to get up and get going, but this may not be the case during the summer. Set up a routine that gets them moving. This may involve going to summer camp, taking walks, going to swim lessons, or just having a standing playdate with friends. Also going to bed at a similar time during the summer as during the school year will help your child to be rested and active the next day.

Tip 2: Be prepared for the weather. Heat, humidity, and inclement weather are common barriers to outdoor physical activity. Take advantage of mornings before it really heats up. Water activities can help beat the heat, but also have indoor physical activity options ready to go, like online yoga and PE videos geared towards kids. My kids love dance parties, playing twister, turning board games into active play by running after the dice and adding jumping jacks in between turns. On bad weather days, check out local climbing gyms, indoor playgrounds, or bowling alleys.

Tip 3: Place limits on screen time. If given the choice, many kids will pick screen time over going outside to play. However, if screen time is limited, they may find something more active to do. One idea is to set your devices to not be accessible during school hours (even during summer) and only allow a pre-specified number of hours of screen time. This is how my kids got into designing obstacle courses outside.

Tip 4: Find a buddy. Kids are more likely to be active when other kids are around. Scheduling playdates, getting involved in a local kids group like scouts or a sports team are great ways to help kids maintain social relationships and encourage active play during summer.

How can schools/communities help kids stay active over the summer?
What about public health practitioners and policy makers-how can they help?

Teachers often ask children to read, journal, and practice math facts during summer. I would love to see schools design physical activity curriculars for kids to do at home during summer and keep the playgrounds open and accessible. Other important ways to help promote physical activity among children during summer is to make sure all families have access to high-quality affordable childcare during summer. As well as encouraging walkable neighborhoods in which children regardless of socioeconomic status have access to safe parks, playgrounds, splash pads, and public swimming pools within walking distance of their homes.

With the summer quickly approaching, many college-aged students are probably looking for a summer job. It can be hard to find seasonal work, especially with a pandemic going on, but there is one industry that provides fun seasonal work, fantastic benefits, and adventure like you’ve never experienced before. Summer camp. The camp world has not been left untouched by COVID-19, with many camps being closed last summer and COVID-19 still being an issue for this summer, many camps are still actively searching for staff members to join their team. Camp is a fantastic place to work for many different reasons, but also offers opportunities you cannot find at any other job. 

While it may not look like it on the surface, overnight summer camp has fantastic benefits, It Is The Best Summer Job. Not only will you get paid by the camp you work for, but you also do not have to spend nearly as much money as you have to working any other job. Camp takes care of your housing, making sure you always have a place to sleep at night. It also will make you food, saving the hassle of having to buying food and making it later. Long drive to work? Not at camp! Working at camp means you don’t have to spend all of your money buying gas to drive places. Better yet, if you like going out into nature or on overnight trips, some camps will pay you to do the things you love. For just these benefits alone, camp is worth looking into, but this really represents the tip of the iceberg.

Maybe you are someone who like jobs that allow for personal growth and exploration of your talents and abilities, a constant test of your skills. Camp is arguably one of the greatest places to do all of this. There is something about being in charge of a bunch of children that are not your own that is oddly therapeutic and incredibly satisfying. The deep interpersonal relationships you can build with people at camp allows you to discover new things about yourself and to find the things you truly love and have a passion for. In fact, camp does best when it shows off people’s passions. Teaching kids about your passions, to play instruments, to write poetry, or how to shoot a bow and arrow, may have a hugely significant impact on them, so profound they may end up becoming the next big band or an Olympic-level archer. You must always be sharp at camp, willing to be stressed, to be pulled in more ways than you can handle, to be overtired, physically exhausted, to push yourself to your own limits, day after day, week after week. It almost sounds like military training, but this is why this line of work is so satisfying. You do all of this hard work and get to directly see the results of your efforts, as every piece of work you do at camp ultimately is for the campers, and a positive reaction from them means that you did a good job. Smiling, happy campers make the stressful hard days completely worthwhile. 

Even when sleep away camp is closed for the year and you return back to the normal world, you will likely find it still impacts your life. Many of the lessons and skills you learned at camp will now heavily affect your life. Maybe you will become better at managing you stress and time, or maybe you will be able to get a job as a lifeguard at a local pool after getting trained to be one at camp over the summer. There are certainly a plethora of personal benefits after working at camp for a summer. While you are at camp, you will likely meet coworkers who you will form close friendships with. Some of these friendships may even last a lifetime. An especially great aspect of camp is that it prepares you for parenthood. If you think you may want children at any time in your life, the skills that you learn at camp are invaluable. Being surrounded by children all day will allow you to grow a specific skillset for raising children that you may not have possessed previously. 

Working in the summer camp world has proven to be wildly rewarding. Personally, I have gained so much from working in camp, things that will last me for the rest of my days. For that, I could not be more thankful. If you need a job for the summer that you will not regret having, look into work in the camp world. It may be outside of your comfort zone, it may be hard, but it most certainly will be one of the best decisions you will make if you fully apply yourself to the job. Some days you will look around and be having so much fun that it will not even feel like working. Take a risk and go on adventures this summer, work at a summer camp.

Camp Counselor Jobs

Roughing It: The Benefits of Tripping at Summer Camp

Too often today are we surrounded by life’s luxuries, so much so that we can begin to take these things for granted. There seems to be an endless supply of food and water, sturdy shelters, and freedom from the primal forces of nature. However, for those who are brave enough to go venturing into the wild to go camping with no more than necessary equipment and provisions, they find themselves not only on an outdoor adventure, but also a personal journey. One group who can particularly benefit from these experiences are children, and summer camps can provide this opportunity to them. While there are tripping camps, designed so that the majority of the camp experience is with tripping, there are other camps that also can provide these experiences, though perhaps less often. These trips at a Minnesota Summer Camp can create life-changing experiences, allowing campers to grow both their skills in tripping and in life.

The first and most basic goal of tripping is for campers to learn how to live and work with nature. No longer can they go and get food or water from the fridge, but now must survive with what they have, and what they can even scavenge. Being in nature provides a great opportunity to teach campers about how to purify water, fire safety, edible and medicinal flora, and so much more. As they go on more and more trips, campers will grow their outdoor experience, making them better at tripping, but also more knowledgeable of the natural world around them. Camp can provide a unique experience for campers to be leaders. Not every kid that goes to camp has spent a night in the woods with not much more than a tent, but some have, and these campers can be turned to as leaders that can assist and pass on their tripping knowledge. Giving campers responsibility in these scenarios allows them to develop various skills, another important aspect of tripping.

Another goal of tripping is self-improvement and development. Trips are not always easy, in fact, they can be extremely challanging. There are so many factors that are outside of our control that suddenly can change everything, like weather, accidents, or the particular environment you are camping in. These challenges are both an obstacle to be overcome and a lesson in life. It teaches campers to focus on the things they can control rather than the things they cannot control, to work efficiently and effectively, and with certain tasks, to work together and synergize. Maybe the trip was more difficult than anticipated, but that too can have a positive effect. This can show them that they overcame a great challenge, and if they say that it was the hardest thing they ever did, then show them how impressive it is that they rose to the challenge. Along with this, you can take this chance to teach skills that are much more applicable to everyday life. While they may not always use a campfire as their heat source, you can teach campers how to cook. Theres always cleaning up to do after taking camp down, so teach them how to do dishes and make sure they leave no trace. The importance of these developments cannot be understated and can have a hugely positive impact on the camper’s whole life.

Lastly, the goal of Adventure Camp Trips is to allow campers to have fun. It allows for a change of pace in life, to try new things, see spectacular places, and live in it all. Go canoeing if you can, try swimming up river and float back down. There are unique experiences offered on trips that simply cannot be replicated in other places. Making the actual trip to the location can be an adventure itself. When hiking, make sure to look around more and make up silly games and songs to keep it more engaging for campers. Canoeing can offer fun places to have a mid-paddle lunch right next to the river or lake. If a trip has taken a turn for the worst, adding a little bit of fun can boost morale enough to make it home, and there may be no better feeling than getting home from a trip in the wild.

Covid-19 has taken us all for an unspected ride sort of like a never ending roller coaster and just as you want to stop it continues around the track one more time. At Swift we have run camp during COVID in 2020 and will do the same in 2021. I came accross this article and it really highlight the decisions camp directors are making for a safe summer. Most if not all discussed are things we will be doing this summer at Swift Nature Camp

 
Be safe in 2021? Here's what you need to know

By Lisa Drayer, CNN Mar 23, 2021 

The thought of summer camp in the not-too-distant future will likely bring smiles to many parents' faces.

After all, splashing in a pool, getting messy with arts and crafts, and running around a soccer or baseball field is probably a welcome break from nonstop Roblox games, too much time spent on social media, and endless Zooming.

Indeed, camp is an opportunity for children and teens to socialize with friends in a way that the school year has not necessarily allowed.

But will it be safe for your child to attend day camp or sleepaway camp this summer?

"This year, camp directors are carefully planning all aspects of camp with Covid-19 in mind," said Rhino Merrick, camp director of Camp Sloane YMCA in Lakeville, Connecticut, which operates both day camp and sleepaway camps on the same property.

"The research demonstrates that camps which are implementing multilayered nonpharmaceutical interventions -- including mitigation strategies such as masking, physical distancing and maintaining cohorts or separate groups -- when they do these things consistently and diligently, the research shows they are able to safely operate in person," said Tom Rosenberg, president and CEO of the American Camp Association.

There were 102 Covid-19 cases reported in close to 500 camps serving 90,000 campers in 2020, according to a Tufts University study, funded in part by ACA. That number represented less than 1% of campers and staff, and an outcome related to camps adopting strategies that halt the spread of the virus, including quarantining, contact tracing, cohorting and sanitization practices.

"Last summer when we were in the midst of the pandemic, we ran our day camps safely with no incidents, and this was shared entirely by the day camp industry in the tri-state -- and sleepaway camps operated with tough protocols across the country and with rare exceptions, had excellent results, said Jay Jacobs, CEO of the TLC Family of Camps and director of Timber Lake Camp in Shandaken, New York.

"This summer, I think we are going to be in a much better situation, and that is basically because you are going to have staff being vaccinated," Jacobs added.

"We are all in a very different place now, we know so much more now, and we know that after the year we've experienced, that campers and staff need camp -- they need to be outside and connect with other campers," said Jane Kagan, director of Lake Bryn Mawr Camp for girls in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, where my daughters, 11 and 8, will be attending this summer. "They need to get off Zoom and get into lakes and get dirty and eat smores."

"We know so much more now that we didn't know last year at this time. Camp directors are experts at planning, and we are all going to be prepared," Kagan said.

Here are some factors to keep in mind when considering camp for your child this summer, according to camp experts:

1. Will testing be required prior to entry and during camp?

At Bryn Mawr, testing will take place in stages: Campers and staff will be required to have a negative molecular, or RT-PCR test, prior to arrival at camp. Then campers and staff will be tested on arrival day, on day five and on day 14 of camp.

"Our goal is to enable camp to run as normally as we can, once the safety of our community is in the right place," Kagan said.

"For the first five days, only bunks will be going together to activities," Kagan said. "After day five, assuming all campers and staff test negative, we will expand to divisions, where each age group can be together. After receiving negative results from day 14, the hope is we are a clean and healthy camp and we can sing together in the dining room and have campfires."

After day 14 tests results are received, however, masks will still be required to be worn when the entire camp community comes together, Kagan added.

As an extended bubble, the sleepaway camp model is in a good position to use testing as an overlay to an already vaccinated staff, according to Jacobs, who will be implementing similar testing measures. But children at TLC's day camps will also be required to have a negative Covid-19 test before entering camp, he said.

2. What are the camp's safety protocols?

"We have been working tirelessly to make sure we have the most relevant information (about the virus) and have enlisted medical experts and epidemiologists to help us develop the safest protocols," Kagan said.

As chair of the Veterans of the Camping Experience, Kagan hosted a webinar with executives from Disney and the National Basketball Association with over 100 camp directors about the NBA's successful 2020 bubble experience, so she and other camp staff could apply what they learned, to sleepaway camp settings.

"If LeBron James can be in a place for three months and not have contact with the outside, I believe our 20-year-old staff are going to make it this summer," Kagan said. "The big takeaway -- that we will be doing throughout the summer -- is that we are really minimizing the people who come in from the outside."

Here are some health and safety questions to consider: Will masks be required to be worn by campers, especially in indoor settings and during bus rides to and from day camp? Will physical distancing be required, for both indoor and outdoor settings and especially when masks are not worn? Will lunch be eaten outdoors or with adequate distancing when indoors? Will campers travel in cohorts either initially or throughout the entire camp season?

"For us, we are looking to create small pods of kids that will do activities together versus elective-based where kids are moving all over the place based on the schedule they create for themselves," Merrick said. "While this system will be new to our sleepaway camp programs, it is similar to how we have run our day camp in the past and will allow us to be able to better contact trace throughout the summer."

Other questions may include details about hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting protocols at camp, as well as whether adequate ventilation systems are in place for indoor spaces.

3. Can the camp adjust protocols based on the incidence of the virus in the local neighborhood?

Last summer, day camps were so successful because there was very little of the virus around in July and August, according to Jacobs. But the positivity rate during testing can change at any point in time.

"We will be monitoring the prevalence of the virus, community by community," said Jacobs, whose TLC Family of Camps includes three-day camps and three sleepaway camps in New York and Pennsylvania. "If the prevalence is higher, our protocols are designed to meet the threat."

If the prevalence is lower, the protocols can be adjusted. "We should develop our protocols like layers of an onion -- as the threat goes down, you peel off the things that you don't need because you don't have to protect against them," Jacobs said.

"We are really watching the transmission of the virus, and how things are evolving. It is possible that protocols could look different in June if the transmission rates are low. We are preparing for the most challenging and hoping for the most normal," Kagan added.

4. Will staff be vaccinated?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared that camp staff will be considered essential workers and therefore eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine, though each state governor ultimately decides which workers are deemed essential in their state, according to ACA.

"In our camps, we are requiring all staff to be vaccinated before the summer," Jacobs said, adding that a vaccinated staff "will take a great deal of the stress out of the equation."

5. What is the plan if a camper or staffer develops Covid-19 symptoms or tests positive for the virus?

Is there a place to isolate a camper or staff member? Will the related cohort and anyone the person was in contact with be tested and quarantined?

"For overnight camps that have longer sessions, camps are expected to have quarantine facilities for individuals who are symptomatic, campers who have had prolonged exposure to persons who are symptomatic or Covid-positive persons, especially when the camp draws campers from outside the local area," Rosenberg said. "For overnight camps with shorter sessions, parents may opt to pick up their camper or staff person, although the camp will still have isolation facilities."

"Right now, the CDC guidance is to have a plan for if a camper gets sick. For Camp Sloane YMCA that means quarantining a child in our health center until such time as a parent can pick them up and bring them to a place where they can continue to quarantine," Merrick said. "By using the pod-based approach, we will be better informed as to which campers may have been exposed to the virus and the entire pod will need to leave camp and get a negative test before coming back to camp."

6. Lastly, are you comfortable with the camp's values and its directors?

"It is critical to assess whether or not the camp's philosophy meets a family's values," Merrick said. This includes assessing health and safety protocols and whether or not the camp's activities are appropriate and engaging for a child.

Kagan feels the level of trust between parents and camp directors is the most important part of the decision-making process when it comes to choosing a camp.

"We drive everything. ... There needs to be a comfort level between parents and camp directors, who are ultimately responsible for taking care of your child, whether in a pandemic or not in a pandemic," Kagan said.

BY TONY BLASI SUN JOURNAL

Despite the still looming threat of COVID-19, Minnesota Summer Camps Executive Director Ron Hall is seeing an uptick in early registrations for some camps across Maine.

“The interesting thing is because Maine camps did so well last summer, they are filling up faster,” Hall explained. “Depending on the state guidelines — last year camps operated at between 60 and 70% capacity — and if that would be true this summer, the camps are going to be full very early.

“Most of our summer camps are hoping they will be in operation this summer,” he said. “Last summer we had a limited number of camps that operated. Some of the camps relied on testing … and keeping groups in pods. (Camps) also restricted who could come and go into the camp.”

He said Maine camp owners are confident of a more successful season.

“There are tests out there that say it is safer to have your kid in an overnight camp than (being) at home because the exposure that they have is far more controlled at camp than it is at home,” Hall said. “The camps were incredibly successful last summer so I think that is a big factor … and the more people that get vaccinated the better.

“The one area that we don’t know yet is we are waiting for the state,” he said. “Last year, camps that operate shorter sessions — two weeks or less — did not operate, and the unfortunate part of that is most of those camps are small, nonprofit camps that provide a critical service to Maine families.”

Director Terri Mulks at Camp Susan Curtis in Stoneham said they hope to open, but she is waiting for new guidelines from the Maine Center for Disease Control.

“We were open last summer for smaller groups of kids,” she said. “We really have a long history of serving the economically disadvantage kids in the state of Maine. So they need camp more now than they ever needed it before. We are absolutely 100% moving ahead in the hopes that we will be able to open again this summer.”

Mulks said children who are facing economic hardship don’t often have the advantage of attending a summer camp. She added that registration is open to returning campers. 

“The other thing that is a little different for us — because of the population we are serving — we actually work directly with their schools and have the kids referred to us,” she explained. “I know for ourselves, we are opening at reduced capacity to make sure that we can stay safe and healthy — and we are going to have a lot of things in place … things like lots of hand washing and smaller groups. So those things will definitely be in play like last summer.”

Mulks added that vaccinations are important, but there are other factors to be concerned with this season.

“Kids aren’t vaccinated, yet,” she said. “The vaccine is for adults, and so when we can have kids vaccinated, we have to move forward in the same way we did last summer.”

When Camp North Star in Poland opened last summer, the camp finished the season COVID-19 free and gave parents confidence in the organization. He said North Star’s success last year was due to management, staff, campers and parents.

“We are still going to limit our numbers a bit this summer,” Steven Bernstein, camp director and owner, said. “But more importantly, we are following really good public health guidelines in terms of socially distancing and cohorting campers into smaller groups.”

He said he understands why some families will not send their children to camp.

“Unfortunately, we have campers who can’t attend for medical reasons — either their own or somebody in their family that might be immune compromised, and their doctors don’t feel it is safe for the child to come,” Bernstein said. 

He said vaccinations are a reason for optimism, but they can also lead to a false sense of confidence.

“It is great that staff is being vaccinated,” he said. “I don’t know that many, if any campers will be vaccinated this summer. We are not doing anything differently because some people will be vaccinated.”

Crystal Parritt, Lewiston YWCA director of child care services, said she is seeing more parents staying on top of finding a summer camp for their children compared to last year.

“So we have definitely seen an uptick of inquiries” she said. “I really don’t think they are going to really be deterred like last year or at least in the springtime, when we didn’t have a lot of information about it.”

Parritt said parents know that the YWCA took precautions such as hand washing and social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

COVID-19 forced the Auburn YMCA to forego its traditional day care and used a hybrid model.

“This summer we are hoping to have 150 kids compared to 125 from the 2019 summer,” director of children services Jaime O’Connor said. “Originally, we were hoping for even a larger number, but with the current situation, a slight increase in number was a better way to go with the upcoming summer.”

Registration for the YMCA summer program isn’t open yet because the Y is to taking a wait-and-see approach to how the new guidelines will look.

“We are hoping to open registration at the end of the month,” she said. “I will say one piece of advice for the parents because I know I am a camper parent as well, and I know I am trying to figure my summer out for my kid. But my advice to parents is please be patient with us because we are trying to plan our summer, but then we are waiting to hear from outside partners like the CDC and the state.”

When we raise children, one of the words that they hear the most is respect. In fact, respect is so important, that it is often referred to as “The Golden Rule,” or “Treat others the way you wish to be treated.” We teach our children to respect authority, to respect the rules, yet we teach it in a way that isn’t accessible to them. Usually, we tell them they will get in trouble or bad things will happen, but these are very general statements, which can allow a child’s mind to wonder exactly what those bad things are. However, there are ways that we can teach respect to children, while also teaching them how to be more environmentally conscious. 

Nature Summer Camps envelopes children in nature, taking them out of their cities and homes and delivering them to a pristine outdoor setting. While not every camp is nature themed, many are, and they teach children the practices that will serve to help and heal the Earth. Children are shown how much the planet provides them with, that it creates their food, their water, everything that they know, and it creates a natural sense of respect to the environment. At Swift Nature Camp a science camp in Wisconsin, we have a rule that you should not walk off of the path. Kids usually do not like this rule, but it exists for a simple reason. We explain to the children that long, long ago, there were glaciers that moved through the area, leaving behind all of the sand, which isn’t a very good soil for grass to grow in, so keeping foot traffic to the path keeps the grass healthy. Sometimes, kids ask, “Why is there no grass growing there?” and we explain that it’s because other campers have chosen to walk off of the path and through the grass, trampling and destroying it for everyone else. This shows the children the effects of disrespect, the solid proof that it is better to respect the rules.

Summer camp is all nature and trees.  These trees don’t just provide shade to keep us cool, they are teaching aids. We are able to teach campers about what makes each species of tree unique. Many of the campers know that pine needles are good for starting fires, but so is birch bark. We teach them about Jack Pines and the dangers associated with those trees. The lessons of conservation associated with trees can also create respect. There are a number of birch trees at camp, and since the campers know that birch bark can be a good fire starter, they rip the bark off of the live tree. When campers do this, we go to the tree with them and show them the scar that it left. We tell our campers that it would basically be like taking a layer of their skin off, so that we can teach them the lesson we’re trying to communicate in a way which they can understand. They are also able to see the direct results of disrespect as well, as the tree would be damaged from their actions. While the tree will usually survive these encounters, it still serves as a powerful tool in teaching children the importance of respect.

A final area in which SNC Nature Camp teaches children respect with science and conservation is when it comes to bugs. Many campers who aren’t used to being out in nature often do not enjoy bugs. Many don’t like spiders one bit, resorting to immediately crushing them. What we try to teach our campers is the importance of bugs, how each one serves a pivotal role in the life cycle, or the benefits which bugs such as spiders can bring to us through eating smaller bugs. However, the most important thing that we teach our campers is that when we kill a bug, we kill it in their home, a home which they allowed us to be in, and we repaid them by killing them. We say that we are just visitors to camp, but the bugs live their forever, so it’s important that we make sure that they are safe in their home, just as we like to be safe in our own homes. Showing our science campers the analogy between their homes and a bug’s home teaches them respect by putting the idea into perspective. Since they do not want to be crushed by some random wandering giant, they usually maintain respect for bugs, because they have begun to respect bugs enough to see life from their perspective.

Overnight nature camps provide a great experience for children to learn many great lessons directly from the planet. Environmental Conservation serves as a path to not only teach children more about their world and how to protect it, but also the consequences of our actions, whether they are respectful or disrespectful to nature. By turning the conversation of respect into a lesson about how nature works, we can effectively teach our children to be more compassionate to both other humans and the world that we all live in.

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