About G.E.T. Wild Child Summer Camp
Summer Camp Registration will be open on
March 15th at 4 p.m.
Get Wild Child camp is based on experiential learning opportunities.
Camps are enrolled weekly. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8am-4pm.
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Students will participate in:
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Maker's Days where they will create community art projects, play games, and participate in other creative endeavors.
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Hiking, climbing, swimming, and exploring cultural institutions/places throughout the southwest.
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Pa-go-splore (Pagosa+Explore) where students are given the opportunity to know their town in a more in-depth way. Participants will explore our natural areas, and visit with local professionals to learn about our local wildlife, terrain, and history. Participants will also engage in playful activities such as river play, visits to the local library, playing at local parks, and more.
All activities will have a curriculum that is based on culture, land, and activity. They will also get the chance to use the adventurer mindset while on field trips. They will be encouraged to be curious and participate in adventure activities to explore the beautiful area we live in along with the cultures that have shaped it.
Each week will follow this model yet will be different from the others so that students are engaged throughout the summer!
Example activities include, but are in no way restricted to: hiking reservoir hill, swimming, visit to Ghost Ranch, shelter building, learning to climb, beach day at a local reservoir, visits to local museums and historical sites, playing at a local ranch and so much more!! Sign up by week below!
FAQ
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Will there be scholarship options? Scholarships and reduced-price spots will be very limited as we are a small camp. Application information for scholarships will be released on Tuesday, March 12th, at 12 p.m. Due to the volume of applications, we will be closing Scholarships at 2pm on Friday, March 12th.
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What time does summer camp run? Summer camp Tues-Thurs the week that you are signed up from 8 am-4 pm
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Is there a waitlist for full camp weeks? We do keep a waitlist for campers. If you see a full camp week and would like to add your child, please contact randye@pagosacommunityinitiative.org.
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Since summer camp is signed up for week by week, how much notice do we need to provide or keep in mind before signing up? Do the weekly camp spots fill up quickly? We can not accurately answer this as there are so many factors. The schedules of the schools and other camps do impact enrollment.
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For enrollment, can we select which weeks we enroll our kids, or is it a set summer program that is full-time? This is a week-by-week sign-up camp. Our camps are not the whole week. They will run Tues-Thurs, which involves lots of travel to hiking trails, historical sites, and parks. We have great community organizations like Healthy Archuleta and the Audubon Society that pitch in for lots of hands-on education with experiential elements.
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What is the age range for the summer program? Will children be together or in different groups based on their age range? We accept mixed-age kindergarten and middle school students. During most camp weeks, we will facilitate activities for all age groups. We ask that campers have attended their first year of Kindergarten before joining us. Some of the hiking adventures might be a little bit challenging. We have a couple of 6-year-olds who were fabulous in past years but were worn out more quickly than the other kids and needed more one-on-one care.
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Who leads the summer program? What is the child/facilitator ratio? We will have our Site Supervisor/Adventure coordinator taking the lead on all planning and presenting for camp days. Another 2 adults (a driver for each vehicle) and three high school leaders. These leaders have served with us in the past and are phenomenal. They also intern daily after school with that program. The ratio with those 6 people is typically around 6 to 1. For certain events, such as Audubon walks and climbing experiences, we will have more adults/specialists.
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Where would students meet daily for camp and during the day? Base camp will be our main space (3133 Cornerstone Dr.), now used for the after-school program. We have a large central area for free play and art projects, indoor swings, a climbing wall, and a playground. Kids typically get dropped off at around 7:45-8 and get settled. Before lunch, children load into the buses for transportation to adventure sites. Adventure sites include (but are not limited to) parks, historical sites, swimming pools, shallow river areas, hot springs pools, hiking trails & geothermal grow domes. Kids return in the afternoon for their parents to pick up. We are typically out on adventures until at least 2 pm. If you need to pick up your camper early, please make arrangements when dropping it off.
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How can I communicate with camp leaders during a camp day? We mainly use the Brightwheel app for communication. Please keep in mind that some of the adventure sites are out of cell range, and we cannot guarantee that we will have service.
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If my child misses a day, can they make it up on another camp week? Unfortunately, missed camp days are not transferable to later camp weeks.
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What does my child need for a typical day at summer camp? Cold lunch (snacks will be provided, sunscreen (on and extra in the backpack), water bottle, hat, weather appropriate gear and footwear & we also recommend a change of clothing and/or swimwear and towel as we are frequently in the water. We do provide snacks daily for campers and have extra sunscreen on-site.
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How will I be completing any paperwork before camp? We will be emailing you through our registration platform (Brightwheel). We encourage you to download the app upon signing up as we also post many photos of your child's adventures during the day, which are viewable only by you. Please insert information about your child, such as emergency contact, allergies, and medical information, and sign all forms before the start of camp. REGISTRATION AND ALL FORMS WILL NEED TO BE SIGNED BEFORE ARRIVAL ON TUESDAY. Please email us with any questions or issues; we would gladly assist. randye@pagosacommunityinitiative.org
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Is it an issue if kids aren't strong swimmers since there's a lot of water play? We keep several life vests and require them for younger children. We also weigh the age and skills of our youth when we select areas to play.
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Are there volunteer opportunities for adults who want to help out/support during a camp week? At this time, there are not. We just became an official family resource center. This is a fantastic honor. With this comes the requirement of extensive intake and background checks for staff members and adult volunteers. We will be applying new processes around this in the future but have it on pause now. We also have had some difficulty with space and transportation. Volunteers will probably be responsible for driving to sites. We also can not offer discounts for volunteer hours towards camp prices.