MAY 7TH UPDATE

After a year that has brought such heaviness and isolation, our team is praying expectantly for the Lord to move in a mighty way this summer. As the countdown to camp ticks away a little faster, we feel the anticipation building, and we’re reminded that thousands of kids will experience Jesus in a new way at camp this summer. We continue to be hopeful as we take a preventative approach that we will be able to run a full summer of camp and that churches will continue to be served well.

As we continue to monitor and adjust our plan for this summer, we want to make sure you have the most recent updates. You can see the May 7th updates summarized below, but we do want to emphasize and share that we will no longer be requiring masks to be worn outdoors, unless local guidelines state otherwise. Participants can choose to wear a mask at any time, even if it is not required. In the event that local guidelines will require you to wear a mask outside, you will be notified. At this time, the only location we are aware of requiring masks to be worn outdoors are camps hosted in the state of New Mexico. This is a requirement enforced by the New Mexico Governor’s Office.

Here is a summary of the updates we’ve made to the guide since the April update was released. Please download and view the guide in its entirety to be fully informed of our plan and expectations.

MAY 7th UPDATE
The following updates have been made since the March and April releases of this guide.

• Pages 2 & 6, no longer requiring face coverings to be worn if outside, unless required by local guidelines. The full policy and statement can be found on page 2.
• Page 5, removal of “Water stations will be coordinated by camp staff, volunteers, or adults wearing gloves and face coverings.”

DOWNLOAD THE STUDENT LIFE KIDS CAMP COVID-19 GUIDE

Below is the full COVID-19 Update from April 9th.

APRIL 9TH UPDATE

We look forward to seeing you at camp this summer! As we get closer and closer to the summer, our hopefulness and excitement to be hosting camp grows exponentially. We. Can’t. Wait.

When we released our 2021 Student Life Kids Camp COVID-19 Guide in March, we communicated that we would update our guide as the CDC updated their recommendations. As promised, the April 9th update to our guide is below.

Here is a summary of the updates we’ve made to the guide since its initial release in March. Please download and view the guide in its entirety to be fully informed of our plan and expectations.

APRIL 9TH UPDATE
The following updates have been made since the initial March release of this guide.

• Pages 2 & 6, clarification to face covering policy for outdoor activities
• Page 4, update made to quarantine requirements if you have received a vaccine
• Page 5, examples added when face coverings would be required vs. not required during recreation

DOWNLOAD THE STUDENT LIFE KIDS CAMP COVID-19 GUIDE

Below is the full COVID-19 Update from March 5th.

CAMP IS ON!

Updated as of March 5, 2021

Camp is on, and we missed you last summer! We are so excited to celebrate that camp is happening this summer. To help you prepare and answer questions your parents are likely asking, our team has been creating a comprehensive 2021 Student Life Kids Camp COVID-19 Guide. This detailed guide is to help church leaders know what to expect when they come to camp. In this guide you’ll learn what precautions we are committed to taking, as well as our expectations for participants. Prevention is our preferred strategy for COVID-19, rather than reacting to it. Working together is what will allow for a successful and transformational summer. The reality is that camp will look different, and that is okay. However, the things that are the most foundational to camp will still be there. We remain committed to providing the camp experience you have come to expect from us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdZWaIFgrtY

The health and safety of our participants, summer staffers, and location staff is our utmost priority. We will continue to closely monitor the spread of COVID-19 and its potential impact on camp. This plan is subject to change as we receive more guidance from local authorities and medical professionals. Where not specified in this packet, our policy is to follow CDC, state, local, and location guidelines for COVID-19 safety in camp settings.

Scheduled Updates

• April 9, 2021 (published)
• May 7, 2021
• June 4, 2021
• July 9, 2021

Guide Outline
Section 1: Participant Responsibilities for COVID-19 Prevention
Section 2: COVID-19 Response
Section 3: Cleaning and Safety Procedures
Section 4: FAQs

2021 Student Life Kids Camp COVID-19 Guide-Updated 4/9/2021

As you prepare for camp, or consider registering, we suggest sharing this guide with church leadership and parents to help them understand the precautions being taken to make camp safe this year. As a reminder, we’ve updated our financial policies to provide more flexibility to your church. You can find the full policy here.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]

The countdown to camp has started!

Updated as of February 3, 2021

We know that as the countdown ticks away, everyone is asking, “What will Student Kids Life Camp look like this summer?” This is a question that our team is working to answer. The reality is that camp will look different, and that is okay. However, the things that are the most foundational to camp will still be there.

We will continue to serve churches by providing the camp experience that you expect from us, one designed with kids in mind and Jesus at the center of it. Our desire is for your group to leave camp transformed and growing in a deeper relationship with Christ and with each other. Our team is excited and expectant of what the Lord is going to do this summer at camp. Oh, and did we mention fun? It will still be fun. Promise.

Here are a few things to help you anticipate what camp will look like. We continue to adjust many aspects in order to keep campers, summer staff, and location staff healthy. Protocols and programming may vary depending on location requirements and capacity limitations at different locations.

• For gatherings such as worship, we are making preparations to provide multiple services and socially distant seating by church group in the auditorium, as needed.
• In dining hall areas, each church will be asked to eat together. We will work closely with locations to follow other guidelines such as social distancing in line or providing pre-packaged meals. Meal rotations will be adjusted to accommodate for limited seating capacities in dining areas.
• Activities for Bible Study, recreation, and mission site work will be adjusted to allow for better social distancing and minimal contact with one another. With activities requiring supplies, our staff will encourage the use of hand sanitizer before and after all activities and use disposable supplies, when possible.
• In partnership with location staff, we will make sure that high-contact areas are cleaned frequently.
• New and innovative processes (contactless pay, minimizing exchange of cash) will be implemented for both offering collection and merchandise. This will help us to limit physical contact and create a seamless experience for financial transactions.
• We are asking that each camper bring their own hand sanitizer, but there will be sanitizing stations available in high-traffic areas throughout the campus, with particular emphasis upon entering dining and large-group facilities (i.e. worship).
• Face coverings will be required for all participants and staff at Student Life Kids Camp. Approved face coverings must be properly worn at all times while indoors in public spaces, and outdoors, if not socially distanced. Student Life Kids Camp will not provide face coverings but will have them available for purchase on site.

Our team continues to closely monitor the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to providing the camp experience that you have come to expect from us. To assist you in making plans or decisions about camp this summer, we’ve provided a summary of guidelines below. We continue to finalize our 2021 Student Life Kids Camp COVID-19 Guide with plans to release to churches in early March.

At a minimum, we will be performing the following steps:

1. We will abide by the policies of local authorities. Because our camps take place throughout different areas of the country, we will adjust our capacities and procedures to accommodate what local authorities are requiring. This will mean that some locations have different requirements and policies than others.
2. We will train our staff on necessary preventative health and safety protocols, as well as the plan for handling symptoms or exposure identified at camp.
3. We will perform daily health screenings and temperature checks on staff members, requiring anyone not feeling well to seek medical attention and be quarantined, if becoming ill.
4. We will provide necessary supplies for common/shared spaces including but not limited to hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, disinfectant cleaner, extra face masks, etc.
5. We will perform routine cleaning on a daily basis, in addition to those services provided by our location contacts, to all meeting spaces and all equipment and supplies used.
6. We will make adjustments to our schedule and programming in an effort to ensure a safe and healthy camp environment. We are evaluating our schedule to accommodate possible reduced capacities and social distancing, especially in large group areas such as auditoriums and dining halls. This may require us to provide more than one meal and worship time. We are also evaluating all areas of programming to make sure activities are appropriately socially distanced, or without contact, and use single-use or easily-sanitized items.

At a minimum, we will ask all campers (students/kids/adults) to abide by the following guidelines:

1. Pass a simple health screening questionnaire and temperature check before leaving for camp, upon arriving to camp, and on a daily basis during the camp session.
2. Whenever possible, maintain social distancing (at least 6’) from other individuals.
3. Face coverings will be required for all attendees and staff at Student Life Kids Camp. Approved face coverings must be properly worn at all times while indoors in public spaces, and outdoors, if not socially distanced. Student Life Kids Camp will not provide face coverings but will have them available for purchase on site.
4. Be respectful and intentional about protecting your own health and that of others.
5. Engage in enhanced hygiene practices such as regular hand washing and use of hand sanitizer.
6. Comply with staff member instructions and requests related to the expectations above.

Disclaimer: The above guidelines are subject to change. Our goal is to provide regular COVID-19 updates, so be sure to check back on a regular basis.

DEPOSIT DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 15TH

Updated as of January 8, 2021

With the New Year comes new beginnings and the opportunity for us all to reflect on 2020. Even though the past year didn’t look like what any of us planned, we know the Lord is sovereign in all things. As we turn a page and look toward everything this year has to offer, our team continues to actively plan for camp. We are hopeful as vaccinations become more widely available and with our events taking place during warmer summer months that camp will continue to be a fun and transformational experience for many churches. And, we can’t wait!

We know many churches are continuing to navigate the impacts of COVID-19 as they make both current and future plans. Many things we can’t change, but we do want to be accommodating, where possible. Two ways we are able to help is by extending our deposit deadline and revising our financial policies to provide additional flexibility where refunds are concerned. The revised financial policy can be found in its entirety here. Revisions include:

1. The deposit deadline has been extended to March 15th. We hope this takes a little pressure off trying to make a camp decision sooner than you are able to based on current circumstances.

2. Greater flexibility in our refund and cancellation policy. We are always committed to hosting planned camps and events as scheduled, but if circumstances beyond our control force us to cancel the event, we will refund your deposits and final balance, if they have been paid.  

A Word About COVID-19

Updated as of November 7th, 2020

When thinking about and planning for camp next summer, we know you have questions, specifically about camper health and safety. The safety of our campers, summer staffers, and location staff is our utmost priority. We continue to closely monitor the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on camp. We are working with our location contacts to be aware of the safety and cleaning protocols they are implementing and planning so we know what we need to do in addition. We remain committed to providing the camp experience that you have come to expect from us.

While we cannot answer all questions at this time, we want to begin informing you of the precautions that we are continuing to evaluate and plan.

At a minimum, we will be performing the following steps:

1. We will abide by the policies of local authorities. Because our camps take place throughout different areas of the country, we will adjust our capacities and procedures to accommodate at minimum what local authorities are requiring. This will mean that some locations have different requirements and policies than others.

2. Train our staff on necessary preventative health and safety protocols, as well as a plan for handling symptoms or exposure identified at camp.

3. Perform daily health screenings and temperature checks on staff members, requiring anyone not feeling well to seek medical attention and be quarantined, if becoming ill.

4. Provide necessary supplies for common/shared spaces including but not limited to hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, disinfectant cleaner, extra face masks, etc.

5. Perform routine cleaning on a daily basis, in addition to those services provided by our location contacts to all meeting spaces and all equipment and supplies used.

6. Make adjustments to our schedule and programming in an effort to ensure a safe and healthy camp environment. We are evaluating our schedule to accommodate possible reduced capacities and social distancing, especially in large group areas such as auditoriums and dining halls. This may require us to provide more than one meal and worship times. We are also evaluating all areas of programming to make sure activities are appropriately social distanced, without contact and using single-use or easily sanitized items.

At a minimum, we will ask all campers (students/kids/adults) to abide by the following guidelines:

1. Pass a simple health screening questionnaire and temperature check before leaving for camp, upon arriving to camp, and on a daily basis during the camp session.

2. Whenever possible, maintain social distancing (at least 6’) from other individuals.

3. Face coverings will be required for all attendees and staff at Student Life Kids Camp. Approved face coverings must be properly worn at all times while indoors, and outdoors if not socially distanced. Student Life Kids Camp will not provide face coverings but will have them available for purchase on site. If you are medically exempt from wearing a mask, we ask that you wear a face shield or similar approved face covering.

4. Be respectful and intentional about protecting your own health and that of others.

5. Engage in enhanced hygiene practices such as regular hand washing and use of hand sanitizer.

6. Comply with staff member instructions and requests related to the expectations above.

**Disclaimer: The above guidelines are subject to change. Our goal is to provide regular COVID updates, so be sure to check back on a regular basis.

A Word About COVID-19

Updated as of Aug 31, 2020

We take this opportunity to acknowledge how difficult and chaotic this current season is for you. We know you are doing your best to navigate the future of kids ministry during this unprecedented time. When it comes to thinking about camp next summer, you may have many questions, specifically about camper health and safety.

The safety of our campers, summer staffers, and location staff is our utmost priority. We continue to closely monitor the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on camp. We remain committed to providing the camp experience that you have come to expect from us.

While we cannot answer all questions at this time, we continue to work to ensure a safe and healthy camp environment. Here are three things we want you to know:

1. 1. We have formed a Camp COVID Task Force. This group is composed of full-time camp staff with many years of experience coordinating camp. These individuals are experts in serving churches in the unique environment that camp offers.

1. 2. Every part of camp is being evaluated. Our team is thinking through each interaction at camp to determine how to enhance camper safety. This includes working closely with our host locations to plan ahead considering guidance from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and other local health organizations.

3. We are connecting regularly with our advisory board members. These kid ministry leaders are just like you, and are helping us address needs and concerns.

We take great responsibility in doing our part to keep campers as safe as possible while they are participating in a transformational week of camp. A detailed plan will be shared in the future.

Churches continue to be able to register for 2021 with no deposit due until January 31, 2021. If you have any questions please reach out to us at [email protected].