summer camp

Not your parents' VBS: How vacation Bible schools are changing to meet new needs

8:00am August 04, 2024

by Jason DeRose

Vacation Bible schools have been a staple of summer for thousands of churches. There are fewer of them these days, and those still around have evolved to meet the needs of changing communities.

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How Ukrainian scouting culture thrives in the woods of western New York state

5:01am July 20, 2024

by Andrea Wenglowskyj

Every July, campers, counselors and administrators gather on 84 acres of hilly woods in the woods of western New York state that has been home to a Ukrainian summer camp called “Novyi Sokil” since 1950.

Students create a solar oven in a classroom

Education

WS/FCS takes a hands-on approach to summer learning

1:28pm July 27, 2023

by Amy Diaz

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools took a new approach to summer learning this year, prioritizing hands-on activities and enrichment. Officials say this is necessary, but the federal COVID-19 relief funds that supported the program are set to expire next year.

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A camp counselor plays the guitar and leads children in singing at Camp Butwin in Minnesota in 1962.

Religion

To save Jewish culture, American Jews turned to summer camp

5:33pm June 27, 2023

by Deena Prichep

The roots of summer sleep-away camps that revolve around Jewish identity go back to efforts to keep Jewish culture alive after World War II.

The CDC has softened its guidance for how to operate summer camps for kids this year. Children 12 and older can get the COVID-19 vaccine. Here, a health care worker administers a vaccine dose to a teenager in Miami.

The CDC Revises Its Summer Camp Guidance, Easing Restrictions

5:55pm May 28, 2021

Masks are optional for vaccinated kids, and other recommended restrictions have been softened, making for a more relaxed camping experience for children this summer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new guidance detailing steps summer camps should take to prevent and respond to COVID-19 infections.

National

Here's What The CDC Says Summer Camps Should Do To Prevent And Respond To COVID Cases

2:28pm April 26, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says day and overnight camps can operate in person this summer if they take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and prepare for potential infections.

Camp Robin Hood in Freedom, N.H., was one of the few around the country to offer a summer sleepover camp. This fall, it's offering a program where students can live and attend classes remotely.

Class Without Coronavirus: Students Take Schoolwork To Sleepaway Camp

12:05pm September 09, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

Some camps that managed to successfully keep the virus at bay this summer are now offering a refuge from the virus — to those who can afford it — where students can live and attend classes remotely.

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Wiley James, 10, prepares a meal as part of an online cooking camp run by a chef in Austin, Texas.

A Cooking Camp Chef's Recipe For Remote Education: Make It Ambitious

12:26pm August 07, 2020

by Ben James

Online instruction is hard, right? Well there's a teacher—a chef, actually—who appears to have cracked the code. She says her cooking classes for kids work better now than when they were in person.

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Kanakuk Kamps closed its overnight K-2 program after 41 people tested poisitve for the coronavirus, local health officials said last week. As of Monday, that number had doubled to at least 82 positive results.

At Least 82 Coronavirus Cases Linked To Missouri Sleepaway Camp

4:24pm July 10, 2020

by Jason Slotkin

Kanakuk Kamps shut down its K-2 program after 41 campers, staff and counselors tested positive. That number has since doubled, according to county health officials.

Campers with Williams syndrome on stage at the Grand Ole Opry performing their original song, "I Love Big," with country artist Chris Young in front of a crowd of thousands.

Country Music And Brain Research Come Together At Nashville Summer Camp

5:26pm July 31, 2017

by Emily Siner

Researchers in Nashville are tapping into a country music camp to learn more about Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. Many people who have it love music but don't know why.