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Sending your son or daughter to summer camp is an amazing gift that you are giving to your child. We also know that it can be anxiety producing for your family. Below we have provided answers to some of the most typical questions and concerns that we have heard throughout our years in camping. If you have any additional topics that you'd like to hear about, we are always happy to speak to you and your child. Please do not hesitate to call us!
Why should I send my child to a sleepaway camp?
We strongly believe that Camp Akeela is the perfect place for children and adolescents to grow as individuals, to become confident and independent, and to gain a greater sense of accomplishment. Every minute of every day is about learning how to live in a community. Because campers are living at camp, they have made the commitment to become more self-assured and self-reliant. They will learn to ask for help when they need it and to give support when others ask.
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How long are your camp sessions?
We have two 19-day sessions and one 1-week session. Our 1-week session is a great opportunity for kids who have never been to sleepaway camp to get a "taste" of camp. It is a one time opportunity. For campers who are ready for a longer session or who have tried other camps, we believe that 19 days is a perfect length of stay. While it is short enough to alleviate much of campers' potential anxiety about being away from home, it lets them adjust to the new environment with plenty of time to really thrive and take advantage of all that Camp Akeela has to offer.
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Where is the camp located?
Camp Akeela is set on 400 wooded acres in Strafford, Vermont. (Our mailing address is in the adjacent town of Thetford Center, VT.) The camp's cabins, facilities and program areas are perched on the shores of Miller Pond, a crystal-clear 65 acre lake that the camp shares exclusively with one private home.
Akeela's location in the lush Connecticut River Valley on the Vermont - New Hampshire border places it only 25 minutes from the charming college town of Dartmouth, NH. It is also a short trip to endless outdoor adventure opportunities in the Green and White Mountain National Forests. The camp is 2-1/2 hours from Boston and approximately 4-1/2 hours from the New York Metro area.
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Will you help me prepare my child to go to camp this summer?
We will give you lots of suggestions for preparing your child for a great summer at camp, and we do our part too! It starts with the work we do to get to know our campers and their families before they even sign up for camp and continues throughout the year in a variety of ways. We will be in touch by phone and email and will send your child information and fun gifts after he/she has been accepted. We know that for many children, stories are a great way to answer their questions
and set expectations; we will send them a few Social Stories™ as well. Finally, our campers (and their parents) will have a chance to meet each other and our staff in the spring at a camper luncheon.
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How will my child get to camp?
Coach buses will be departing for camp from selected locations. Our staff will be on the buses to help campers feel welcome and safe as they travel to camp. This is also a great opportunity for your child to meet his/her fellow campers before they arrive. If you prefer, you may drop your child off at camp by car. However, we do find that using the camp buses makes the separation easier and the transition into the camp community smoother.
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Can I talk to my child when he/she's at camp?
After your child has had a few days to adjust to camp, a phone call can be scheduled through our camp office. Of course, a staff member will be present as campers often do feel sad after calling home. In addition, our campers will send letters home on a regular basis. Nothing beats getting a letter the "old fashioned" way!
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What kind of contact can I expect to have with the directors?
It is important to us that you know your child is safe and happy at camp. That is why Debbie and Eric and their amazing staff are always available to speak with you should you have any questions or concerns. In addition, we will call you if we have any concerns about your child's success at camp.
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Can I visit camp?
At the end of the camp session, you are invited to come to camp to pick up your child. We will be giving tours, serving lunch and introducing you to our camp staff. We're sure that your child will love having you meet his/her friends and showing you around his/her new camp home.
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What happens if my child is homesick?
Our staff is well trained to help campers work through feelings of homesickness. The best way to "beat" homesickness is to validate campers' feelings, while also keeping them engaged and excited about the many opportunities that await them every day at Akeela. Campers who can work through these challenges will feel more confident and will become more resilient as a result.
The first few hours at camp have the potential to be the most difficult. This is why we have our campers' parents send up their belongings ahead of time. Our staff unpacks each camper, carefully preparing his/her bunk area, so that when campers arrive they are able to immediately jump into activities designed to help them feel comfortable in the Akeela community.
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How do you handle bullying at camp?
Bullying at Camp Akeela is not acceptable. We work very hard to help everyone at camp - including staff, administrators and campers - feel a strong connection to the community. Part of that connection involves respect for themselves, their shared space and each other. If anyone in our community feels that they are not being treated with respect and understanding, we dedicate all of our energies towards effectively resolving that situation.
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Where will my child sleep?
All of our campers live in newly renovated bunks with private bathrooms, hot water and showers. Campers have plenty of space for clothes and other personal items. Each cabin group consists of no more than 8 campers, along with 3 or 4 counselors. Two of those counselors travel to activities with the group, ensuring that campers are always with staff members who know their individual needs.
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How do you decide which campers will live in a bunk together?
Along with assuring campers' physical and emotional safety, and hiring a great camp staff, bunk placement is one of the most important tasks we face as camp directors. At Akeela, the process begins with our extensive camper selection procedures. Demand for our camp is extremely high and each camper acceptance is made with a particular bunk placement in mind. This helps us achieve the right "mix" of campers in each bunk, which maximizes the potential for success for all Akeela campers.
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Will you do my child's laundry?
A professional laundry service will pick up, individually wash, and return your camper's laundry each week. You will only need to pack enough clothes for about 7 to 10 days.
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What's the food like?
Our food is both "kid-friendly" and healthy. Whenever possible, we use all natural products with low sugar content and no preservatives. We are sensitive to our campers' dietary differences and will do our best to accommodate the needs of each child. There will always be choices at meals so that campers can learn to try new things while also knowing that they can always find something they like to eat.
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Are camp activities co-ed?
Many of our camp activities are co-ed. Camp is a great opportunity for campers to learn how to best get along with peers of the opposite sex. Swimming, most athletic periods (and of course all living arrangements!) are single-sex. We do not have "dances" or other events that have the potential to make campers feel uncomfortable. Instead, boys and girls live, eat and play side by side in a way that feels natural and relaxed.
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Who will provide my child with medical care?
We have a staff of Vermont licensed nurses who live at camp and will be responsible for dispensing all medication. In addition, we work with a nearby doctor who sees campers whenever necessary. We also have relationships with a local dentist and orthodontist. In the case of an emergency, we are only 5 miles away from Thetford Center's emergency response team. In addition, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center is only 25 minutes away. Of course, our directors, key staff and many of our staff members are CPR & First Aid certified as well.
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How do I know my child will be safe at camp?
It is reassuring for our parents to know that Akeela is on a seldomtraveled dirt country road, set back from main roads or cities. At the same time, we are only 5 miles from an emergency response team and 25 minutes from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital, Dartmouth's excellent medical school teaching facility.
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How do we apply?
Apply to Camp Akeela online or call us toll free at 866-680-4744. There is no deposit or commitment required to apply and the initial application takes just a few minutes to submit. Subsequently, we will request additional application information from you, your child and the professionals who are currently involved in your child's life. Once we have had an opportunity to review your entire application, we will contact you to follow up.
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