2020 SUMMER STEAM CAMPS
Overview and Policies
YOUTH Camps and TEEN Camps: Kindergarten-8th grade
Through discovery based learning and design thinking, youth in our camps carry out experiments, engage in team activities, build and program robots, learn new technologies, and see how art, science, and engineering work in the real world!
Why Choose Us for Your Child’s Camp this Summer?
Safety First:
We take physical safety and emotional safety very seriously. Children are supervised at all times, our staff are background checked, and we have a zero tolerance for bullying of any type. We respect and affirm EVERY child, parent, and teacher, and will not tolerate any form of prejudicial or demeaning comments, jokes or actions. Children like adults have disagreements and our staff work to resolve those in a caring and responsible way. Our goal is to provide an environment where children feel accepted, are assisted to get to know each other, and feel welcome and involved in their own learning.
For the health and safety of all our campers, we are NUT-FREE. Please do not bring peanut butter sandwiches or other nut types.
Staffing:
Our staff/child ratio is 1:9. Our male and female staff are comprised of teachers, engineers, artists, graduate and undergraduate college students in the departments of science, engineering, medicine, education, computer science, math, and art. When hiring, our top priority is to have staff who LOVE working with kids, are smart, can communicate effectively with children and parents, and work together as a team. We have high expectations of our staff: warm, enthusiastic, engaging, a smile on their face, prepared for each day, and committed to making camp a wonderful experience for kids. We provide training to counselors in the curriculum they will teach, classroom management, Tribes education, safety, and conflict resolution. To learn more about Tribes: http://tribes.com/about/
Cutting Edge Curriculum:
65 DIFFERENT Camps… the largest array of different camps in Santa Barbara County! We have created an unparalleled set of cutting edge programs designed for the young mind ages 5-15. Our philosophy is to develop a hands-on, minds-on, challenging STEAM program for girls and boys that lays the foundation for innovative minds, problem solvers and design thinkers of the future. Each camp and curriculum is inquiry based, developed by a team of professionals and “kid-tested” to ensure that camps are fun, full of learning concepts, and have a track record of being successful!
Selecting the Right Camp For Your Child:
Critical to a successful camp experience is that your child knows the content of the camp in which he/she is enrolled. Be sure that both you and your child have read the camp description and that it is a good fit. Getting your child to try something new is always a positive effort, but if you as the parent select a rocket science camp and your child does not like soldering, constructing, or programming, it is likely to not be a good fit especially if your child does not know what they are getting into. Our camps are grouped by age levels and each week we have a selection of camps appropriate for Kindergarten-8th grade. Please do not enroll your child for a camp that requires a higher grade level than your child is entering. We try very hard to keep our camps and campers matched at the appropriate social maturity level, reading skill ability, and curriculum content. Enrolling your child in a camp where there is not an age appropriate fit makes it challenging not only your child, but for the other campers and the instructor. Sometimes parents ask if they can enroll their younger child with an older sibling because they want to be together. Please let your child know they will see their sibling at recess, lunch and playtime, but will not be together in a specific camp. Let your children know that camp is a great opportunity to make new friends and they can come back year after year looking forward to the next level of camp! If you have questions, please email or call.
Camp Location, Tuition & Hours:
TWO GREAT CAMP LOCATIONS:
Camp Location: Providence School, 3225 Calle Pinon, Santa Barbara.
Camp Location: Solvang Middle School, 565 Atterdag Rd. Solvang, CA 93463
For Grades 1-8, camps start at $335.00 per week and run 9am-3:30pm Monday-Friday. Pre-Care (8:00am drop-off) and After Care (3:30-5:00pm) is available. Pre-camp care is $25 per week. After-camp care is $32 for 4 days. We do not have aftercamp care on FRIDAYS.
For grades K-1, camps start at $270 per week and run 9am-2:00 pm Monday-Friday. Pre-Care (8:00am drop-off) and After Care (2:00-3:30pm) is available. Six year olds can attend either series of camps. Time available for after camp care is specific to the camp in which they are enrolled. Pre-camp care is $25 per week. After-camp care is $32 for 4 days. We do not have aftercamp care on FRIDAYS.
Register for more than one camp at the same time and receive our multi-camp discount of $10 per camp! Our multi-sibling discount is $10 per sibling. Many campers attend several weeks of camp! Additional lab fees apply to some camps.
Ready to Register? Click Here:
Cancellation Policy:
Due to COVID-19, most camp cancellations will result in credit to your ACTIVE account. For 2020 registered campers a minimum of a week’s cancellation notice is required in order to receive a credit to your ACTIVE account. If a camp is cancelled in less than a week, then the full charge for camp may be made. If you need to change weeks and there is sufficient room in another camp, campers may transfer without charge. If your child is sick, prior to camp or during camp, your account will be credited for that week or transferred to a different week. Campers with any kind of cold symptoms cannot be in camp. If your child has seasonal allergies, be sure they are taking allergy medication so they are not sneezing or coughing. In the event the state or county returns to a shut down order or there is a COVID case, ACTIVE credit will be given to all families for their remaining camps. ACTIVE credit does not expire and can be used for any of our programs.
Currently, we are suffering financially due to the COVID crisis and need your assistance to stay in business. In order to run our Mini-Camps this summer, we committed scarce resources to staffing, materials, equipment, and facility payment for the use of Providence school. Your child has a committed space in our camps, therefore whether your child is in camp or not, we still have those expenses. We have applied for the Small Business Disaster Loan Programs, but have not been received any updates.
Communications
If you have questions or concerns about any aspect of our camps, our directors or instructors are available to talk with you. Our goal is always to have a positive atmosphere and experience for our campers, instructors and parents. Being respectful and modeling appropriate communications is critical for our kids to observe as well as to resolve any issues.
Family Day on Fridays:
Every Friday afternoon we have Family Open House for parents/guardians to come and see what their child did during the camp week. Your child will be excited to show off their projects. There is NO aftercare available on Friday. We will start open house in the school Courtyard off the parking lot. Please join us on time!
- 1:30pm for campers that are in the K-1 camps (9am-2pm)
- 3:00pm for campers that are in the Grades 1-9 camps (9am-3:30pm)
What to Bring to Camp:
Wear closed-toe shoes! Bring lunch, snack, and water bottle. We are NUT-FREE. Please do not bring peanut butter sandwiches or other nut types for the health and safety of all our campers. Please review this article about kids with nut allergies: http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/page/peanut-allergy.aspx We ask that you provide healthy lunches and no sodas or candy. Thank you!
Administration of Medicine
If your child requires any medications during the time he/she is at the camp, please download this form and print it, fill in the required information, and bring it with the child on the first day of camp. Administration of Medicine Form (Click Link to Download Form)
Camp Evaluation Form
After your child returns home from Summer Camp, we ask that you fill out the online Camp Evaluation Form. Your input will greatly help us improve the camps and course offerings. We can’t wait to hear from you! Online Camp Evaluation Form.
