Parent/Guardian Handbook 2025

Registration and Costs:

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for registration, all required forms, and full payment is 7 days before the start of camp.

7-11 year-old camps: Full cost of camp is $160 for children or grandchildren of Outdoor U members, or $200 for nonmembers.

12-14 year-old camps: Full cost of camp is $120 for children or grandchildren of Outdoor U members, or $150 for nonmembers.

All Camps: After the first child is registered at full price, a $20 sibling discount will be available for each additional sibling (both members and nonmembers). This discount only applies to individual camp weeks that siblings are attending together.

Full payment is due upon registration, which includes a $25 non-refundable fee.

Early and late care is available. Times are listed below under the “Camp Drop Off and Pick Up Times” section. Costs will be $20/week for morning, $35/week for afternoon, or $55/week for both morning and afternoon. This is due after the camp week via invoice.

Full payment is due upon registration, which includes at $25 non-refundable fee. No pro-rated daily rates are available. No refunds for missed days of camp.

Outdoor U reserves the right to cancel a camp session if there is insufficient enrollment. If a session is cancelled, all fees will be refunded, minus the $25 non-refundable fee.

Scholarships:

There are scholarships available on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited spots are available for each camp session. Please contact Jenny Hengel prior to registering if you are in need of a scholarship.

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellation 8 or more days before camp week: refund minus $25 non-refundable fee

Cancellation 1-7 days before camp week: refund on a case-by-case basis

Required Forms and Insurance:

After registering and paying online, parents/guardians are required to submit online the following forms (emailed out to you after registration is received/confirmed):

• Release Form
• Health and Safety Form
• Medication Form
• Early or Late Care Form
• Behavior Agreement Form

Your child will not be able to attend camp if we do not receive these forms.

*SJU requires all campers to carry health insurance. Evidence of insurance will be required to complete registration.

• Lunch and afternoon snack in insulated carrier if sending perishables (morning snack will be provided; campers are still welcome to bring their own morning snack if desired). Campers do not have access to a microwave or refrigerator.
• Water bottle – highly recommend reusable bottle
• Sunscreen – we recommend you write your child’s name on bottom of bottle/can
• Bug spray – we recommend you write your child’s name on bottom of bottle/can
• Close-toed shoes 
• Complete change of clothes
• Hat to protect from the sun
• Drawstring backpack
• Jacket or sweatshirt – weather dependent and helps keep the bugs off
• Please label each item brought with your child’s name

Sunscreen and Bug Spray at Camp

It is important to us that your child is well prepared and protected for being outside all day. Please make sure your child has sunscreen on before they arrive at camp and discuss the importance of sunscreen use with them. Campers can also wear protective clothing such as a hat and light, loose fitting long sleeve shirts.

We will be in outdoor areas with the guarantee of encountering bugs. We suggest applying bug spray before camp and sending your child with a bug spray to reapply as needed during camp.

We will have times to reapply sunscreen and bug spray throughout the camp day. If you would like staff to assist your child in reapplying sunscreen and bug spray, our staff prefers that you provide spray-on sunscreen.

Illnesses:

Camps will abide by the most current recommendations for prevention of illnesses including COVID-19 as recommended by the Minnesota Department of Health and the current policies of CSB+SJU.

If you child exhibits symptoms of an illness at camp, we will contact the parent/guardian to discuss next steps, which may include the child getting picked up from camp. Depending on symptoms, the ill child may be isolated from the other campers until the parent/guardian arrives to pick them up.

If your child is exhibiting symptoms of an illness prior to camp, please keep them home for their comfort and the safety of other campers and staff members at camp. Notify the camp coordinator (see contact information at bottom of webpage) that your child will not be attending.

Zero Tolerance Policy:

Campers and camp staff are expected to be respectful to other campers, camp staff, guests, university staff, and members of the Saint John’s community. Saint John’s has zero tolerance for harassment such as inappropriate language, gestures or behavior including bullying, inappropriate comments to or about others, or misconduct. Outdoor U retains the right to dismiss a camper without a refund for violating the zero tolerance policy. See the Non-Discrimination Statement for more information.

Behavior Expectations:

Staff Expectations:

• Provide a safe, respectful, welcoming space for each individual camper to be comfortable, learn, and enjoy themselves to their unique abilities and personalities.
• Communicate regularly with parents/guardians as to their child’s experiences at camp.

Camper Expectations:

• Be respectful to other campers, camp staff, and others that my be on campus. Keep hands to yourself.
• Be respectful to the equipment and activity areas, avoiding damage of equipment, supplies, and facilities. Be respectful to others’ property.
• Take direction from camp staff and stay with the group at all times under camp staff supervision.
• Avoid using verbal threats, disrespectful language, bullying, bullying-like behavior, or other harassing behavior.
• Refrain from any form of aggression, including lack of self-control with anger, blatant disrespect, absolute refusal of camp staff, or causing bodily harm to self, other participants, or camp staff.
• Neatly place belongings in designated areas when in camp areas and pick up activities before doing another activity.
• Be kind in words and actions – no put-downs, foul words, or suggestive language.
• Participate in planned activities to the best of your ability.
• Walk quietly and respectfully in buildings. Run only when it is part of an activity or outside safely.

Behavior Management Policies:

Our goal for camp is to provide a safe and supportive environment for campers to take healthy risks, make good choices, improve teamwork skills, and have the opportunity to fix their mistakes. Camp staff are trained to redirect behavior in positive ways and anticipate difficulties before they start. If a camper does exhibit behaviors that are not appropriate for the setting and activity, redirection from camp staff will always be the first method attempted. If repeated attempts by camp staff to redirect behavior do not result in changed behavior and better choices, the following tiered procedure will be followed:

• TALK IT OUT: camper having difficulty will discuss the issue with camp staff. We will address what went wrong, what the camper can do to fix it, and how camp staff can support the camper.
• SIT IT OUT: if camper continues to have difficulty, the camper will sit out during the activity and not participate for an amount of time determined by camp staff. Camper will remain supervised and in the program area. After the designated amount of time, the camper and staff will again talk it out, and the camper can return to the activities. Parent/guardian will be notified about behavior difficulty at pick up, and a written report may be given to parent/guardian and kept on file at camp.
• CALL IT OUT: if all attempts to change behavior do not result in the camper being able to participate in activities, camp staff will call the camper’s parent/guardian to discuss the issue. The parent/guardian and camp staff will determine from there what the next course of action will be, such as being picked up early from camp or a phone conversation between parent/guardian and camper.

For safety reasons, Outdoor U reserves the right to determine that the camp atmosphere does not cater to the camper’s behaviors, is outside of the staff’s training to handle, or there is potential of harm to self/others, and to withdraw the camper for the remainder of the camp session with no refunds.