Semester at Camp

Depending on program enrollment, students will either live in Lang Lodge or the Health & Leadership Lodge. Students will have a group classroom space, and a gathering space for hanging out. Camp staff will design a schedule that allows the students to utilize all Camp Newaygo property, separate from any other programs or guests.

Camp staff will assist the students to the same level that a parent would help. Our staff are not all certified teachers or tutors. Essentially, our staff will be playing a similar role as parents do in remote schooling. Our staff will be providing social and emotional support, helping ensure the students are fulfilling their commitments, but leaving the teaching to the students’ virtual school teachers

Students will work with camp staff to design their own enrichment modules. Some options include: hiking local trails in Newaygo County, fine arts (ceramics, printing, stained glass), music (guitar, ukulele), budgeting and finance, COVID-Careful community service, and outdoor education. On weekends students will have a mixture of study time and planned adventures (ex: private dune rides off Lake Michigan, fly fishing on the Muskegon river, backcountry camping at Nordhouse Dunes). With this new program, our goal is to find a design that prioritizes student’s academic commitment and allows girls to grow in independence and strengthen their resilience.

Students are allowed to receive packages delivered to Camp Newaygo. Store trips will be made by volunteers weekly for necessities. Students will have an opportunity to shop safely at a store (Target, Meijer) once per month under the supervision of Camp Newaygo staff. Students are encouraged to come with a debit card and a clear understanding of budgetary limits with their family. 

Once per month (schedule TBD) families will be allowed to visit at Camp Newaygo. Students will not be allowed off-site. Families can take advantage of our Fall Family Weekends at a discounted rate, to stay overnight at Camp Newaygo. Or, families can visit for the day and bring outside food into camp. Families will be required to complete a COVID-19 screening, including a COVID-19 test within the past 10 days for every adult, and any children/siblings/friends/significant others visiting need to have an adult present with a negative COVID-19 test that lives in the same household as the child. Camp will help parents with a free testing option for adults. If a student does not have family visiting on this weekend, they will continue to be supervised and participate in activities with Camp Newaygo staff. 

Students will be required to make arrangements to leave Camp Newaygo for the Thanksgiving week (November 22nd-29th) A negative COVID-19 test will be required before they return to camp. We will have families willing to host out-of-state students for the holiday. Students will not be allowed to travel by public transit for this break.

Any virtual learning is compatible with Semester At Camp. Preferably, coursework can be completed on a flexible schedule. Virtual learning classes that are pre-recorded and/or have open office hours with teachers are ideal. Our goal is to keep students enrolled in their own school district for ease of future transfer back.

Camp Staff will be on site supervising the campers 24/7. They are trained in CPR/First Aid, and Responding To Emergencies. Nurse Carlene will be available for the students once per day for consultation, and as-needed for in-person care. Gerber Memorial Hospital is 15 minutes away. Camp Newaygo will work with parents for routine medical care (dentist, check-ups), and will manage all medication. Camp works with providers who are following COVID-safe guidelines, and will supervise the students during any needed local off-site medical treatment. Students must be covered on parent’s insurance for all routine care and in case of emergencies. All medical treatment is the responsibility of the parent.

Staff are equipped to facilitate outdoors activities in rain, snow, and cold weather. Students will be expected to dress for the weather every day and be prepared to be outside for at least half of the day at Camp.  In cases of extreme weather (thunderstorms, blizzards, low temperatures, etc) staff will provide alternative indoor activities. Seeing camp in the fall and early winter is one of the best parts of this program!

A little. It will be a different pace, schedule, and concept. Students will feel more like a family pod with assigned capers (chores), responsibilities (laundry, school work), and more collaboration in the program design. Students will have more time on their own (but supervised) and have access to things that make living at camp full-time more comfortable (your own snack stash, cell phone usage, off-site trips to Chipole drive-through). We’ve never done this before. But we are good with kids. We are good at camp. And we are good at running a safe program during a global pandemic. We hope Semester At Camp feels like all the best parts of camp mixed with a sample of study abroad.