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Camp Policies
Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center’s policies are in place to foster a community built on trust, empathy, and respect. The following policies exist to keep our campers, staff, and community safe while emphasizing connecting and respecting our environment. We thank you for your support in upholding these policies so that we can have a successful and fun summer together.
Equity & Inclusion
We value creating a welcoming and safe space for all of our campers and their families, staff, and community members regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation and identity, abilities, personality, age, size, family structure, appearance, accent, religion, class, economic status, social status, political beliefs, hometown, careers, educational background, work experience, military service, interests, skills, and habits.
Some ways that we practice this at Cedar Circle Farm camp are:
- Speaking up when we see discrimination happening
- Engaging in conversations and supporting growth when topics related to diversity arise
- Respecting and using the pronouns and names that individuals asks us to
- Incorporating various perspectives and experiences into programming
- Understanding that every person has different needs and meeting them where they are
- Starting each week by discussing different types of respect and creating community agreements within groups
- Offering numerous opportunities for campers to choose activities from a selection of options
- Modifying games and activities so that everyone can participate
We are continually learning and striving to improve our organization and community. We welcome and thank you for your feedback on ways we can make our programs more equitable and inclusive. We are happy to talk to you in person or over the phone, or you can email education@cedarcirclefarm.org at any time.
Staff Experience & Values
Our summer camp staff are experienced and passionate educators interested in helping youth build relationships and skills in the outdoors. All staff participate in an extensive one-week training program together. This hands-on training includes topics such as First Aid and CPR, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Cedar Circle Farm camp policies and emergency procedures; education values, child development, and behavior; group management skills; and various potentially challenging scenarios. We work very closely as a team and value learning from each other by creating opportunities to share during daily debriefs throughout the camp season.
Accessibility & Disclosure
We aim to create a camp environment that is inclusive for all campers. We are happy to work with you and your camper to make an individualized camp plan while ensuring a safe and fun experience for all campers. If your camper requires one-on-one support at all times, we welcome them to attend with aid (provided by you) at no additional cost.
Open dialogue allows us to serve your family best. We ask for the disclosure of all necessary information regarding your camper’s physical, mental, and emotional health that will aid us in providing the most successful experience for your camper. We promise to keep this information confidential and only share it with camp staff to ensure camper safety.
Medical & Emergency Response
Cedar Circle Farm’s camp staff are First Aid and CPR certified and must pass a criminal background check. All staff also carry a walkie-talkie, first aid kit, and cell phone at all times in case of emergency.
We are not medically licensed to administer medication to campers. Campers are allowed to self-medicate with adult supervision. If your camper requires medication at camp, please email education@cedarcirclefarm.org, giving your written permission and instructions, and ensure your child’s group’s educator is aware. Our director will also ensure proper communication and procedure. Per your guidance, we will remind and supervise your camper taking any medication at specific times.
We require campers who have had anaphylaxis before and have a prescription for an epinephrine pen to bring with them to camp an up-to-date epinephrine pen and Benadryl in an accessible carrying container or bag.
Cedar Circle Farm has written response plans for on-farm emergencies, and staff have training to respond to these different scenarios.
Safety
Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center asks caretakers to assist in communicating and upholding the following safety expectations with their campers:
- Campers must wait to be invited or asked to harvest and taste any plants on the farm.
- Campers must stay with their group or a staff member at all times.
- Everyone practices safety around roads, farm vehicles, and tractors.
- Climbing trees is not allowed.
- Wading in the river is allowed up to knee depth with shoes on, only after getting camp staff permission.
- Campers must wear closed-toe shoes at all times, even while wading in the river.
- Please put sunscreen on your camper each morning before camp. Campers are required to reapply sunscreen after lunch.
- Running with sticks or rocks, or using them as weapons, is not allowed.
In the event of thunder or lightning, we will all go as quickly as possible to a safe indoor location until at least 30 minutes after the last occurrence of thunder or lightning.
Behavioral Expectations
Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center summer camp is a community, and we expect all members to act safely and respectfully towards themselves and each other. If a camper is unable to follow these expectations, we will work with campers in the following way:
1. We will work to resolve the situation with the camper(s) involved. Even if the camper can resolve the situation that day, we will communicate with their caregiver at pick-up.
2. If the unsafe or disrespectful behavior continues, we will talk with their caregiver to outline a plan to make expectations clear for the camper so that we may work together to achieve our goals.
3. If the camper cannot behave safely and respectfully, we must ask them not to return to camp.
Some behavior is never allowed and may result in removal from camp immediately; this includes but is not limited to the following:
- Abusive behavior - This is behavior that endangers the physical, mental, or emotional well-being of themselves or others. Examples of abusive behavior include but are not limited to engaging in physical fights, verbal insults, bullying, and threats.
- Inappropriate behavior - This behavior is not socially acceptable for all community members. We ask that you and your camper keep in mind that there are campers present who are as young as six, and all behavior must be appropriate for all members of our community. Examples of inappropriate behavior include but are not limited to cursing or speaking about sexual or violent content.
- Invasion of privacy - This is behavior that disrespects someone’s personal space. Examples of invasion of privacy include but are not limited to touching someone without consent, touching someone’s private parts, and deliberately entering a port-a-potty when it is being used.
- Discriminatory behavior - This is behavior that is disrespectful towards someone’s identity, based on characteristics including but not limited to race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, abilities, personality, age, size, family structure, appearance, accent, religion, class, economic status, social status, political beliefs, hometown, careers, educational background, work experience, military service, interests, skills, and habits.
Communication
Proactive communication is vital in making Cedar Circle Farm camp successful. We may need to reach you during the camp day, so we ask that you or another emergency contact listed be available by phone during the camp day.
We check in at the end of each camp day to talk about safety, behavior, and health and ask that you leave time for these conversations at pick-up time.
Our safety and behavioral expectations apply to campers, staff, volunteers, and all camp families. If you witness someone violating these expectations, please let the camp director know as soon as possible so we can resolve the situation.
Registration & Payment
Summer Camp: The registration form must be completed and submitted, and a deposit must be received before a camper is considered fully registered. A non-refundable deposit(s) of $40 for the first week and $20 for each subsequent week of camp is due at registration unless you register for the waitlist or request financial support. You risk losing your camp placement if the total balance is not received by May 1, 2024.
Spring Camp: The registration form must be completed and submitted, and full camp balance payment must be received before a camper is considered fully registered (unless you are requesting financial assistance). A non-refundable deposit(s) of $40 is included in your camp fee.
Cancellation & Refunds
For withdrawals more than 21 days before the first day of a camp week, we will refund your tuition minus the non-refundable deposit(s). For withdrawals within 14-21 days of the first day of camp, we will refund 50% of the tuition, less the deposit. We do not refund withdrawals within 14 days of the first day of camp.
We do not refund camper absences of less than two full days. We will consider refunds on a case-by-case basis if a camper has to miss two full days or more of camp unexpectedly. We ask that adults notify us of their camper’s absence by phone or email as soon as possible.
Illness & COVID-19
If your camper is sick, we ask that you keep them home until they have not experienced any of the following symptoms for at least 24 hours:
- Fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications)
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Conjunctivitis
- Rash, unless cleared by doctor as not contagious
- Lice
We reserve the right to send a camper home if they are not well enough to participate in activities or display symptoms that we find concerning.
We follow current CDC guidelines regarding camp attendance after a COVID-19 positive test or exposure. We require compliance with all COVID guidelines adopted by Cedar Circle Farm. We reserve the right to update our COVID-19 policies.