Community Camps, Inc.

Host A Camp

The entire camp, from program development, to staff recruiting, training, payroll and management, to liability insurance and proper licensing, is handled entirely by Community Camps.

What types of camps/programs are available?

Play-Well Lego Engineering Camps:
Take a "crash course" in Demolition Derby, enter the Sumo Wrestling Competition, design a Mighty Metropolis, challenge the Battle Track, build and race a Locomotive faster than a speeding Worm Drive. Explore concepts in physics, mechanical engineering, structural engineering, and architecture while playing with your favorite creations. Children will be given instruction, design challenges, and competitions appropriate to their facility with LEGO™ Technic and System components. Camps are 5-day, 3-hour (either 9am-12pm or 1-4pm) programs, run by expertly trained and background checked staff. Camps are available for ages ranging from 5-12.

Learn more about the various Lego camp options.

Camp Scene Investigators (CSI):
Participants will mix learning and fun in this hands-on experience. By examining hair samples, taking fingerprints, testing for tell-tale substances and more, participants will work toward solving the crime by the end of the week.

Summer Day Camp:
A full-featured, full-day summer camp program, customized and staffed to meet each community's needs.

Why should we contract with Community Camps?

Years of Camping Experience
The two co-founders have over fifteen years of combined camp administration experience, in both the public and private sectors. Both are former members of the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Camping Association (CCA). Among their most recent camping experiences:

• Fred Thornley developed and directed YWCA Camp Aya-Po, an American Camping Association Accreditted camp, for the YWCA of the Hartford Region, Inc., for over seven years. Fred is currently a certified science teacher at Quirk Middle School in Hartford, CT.
• Jay Cohen, as Director of Parks & Recreation for Colchester, CT, has developed and directed many municipal day camps. Jay is also on the CT Recreation and Parks Association (CRPA) Board of Directors.

Reduction of Staff Workload
For most municipal parks and recreation programs, a summer day camp is just one program among a multitude of services that it provides for its community. Some departments do not offer a camp at all. Invariably, this important and necessary service is not given the attention it deserves, due to a combination of lack of time and/or camp experience on the part of the staff upon whom the responsibility falls.

Even when department staff manage to operate a camp, the amount of preparation and program oversight required can be a major drain on time and resources, particularly management of the camp staff.

Community Camps will take on complete operational responsibility for the camp, allowing your staff to concentrate on other tasks that may be of a higher priority.

Improved Program Offerings
Community Camps will provide your community with a "complete, traditional camp," offering fully scheduled programs to meet the needs of the community, certified specialists (e.g. archery instructor, arts & crafts instructor) above and beyond the general staffing, full day coverage (as well as pre- and post-camp options), and more.

Priority of Safety
Community Camps' top priority in all aspects of its camps is safety. Period. The physical, emotional and mental security of both our campers and staff are taken with the utmost seriousness. Community Camps models guidelines established by the CT State Department of Public Health and the American Camping Association. Recognizing unsafe playing conditions, ensuring the proper release of campers to parents, and providing a certified camp first-aider at each site, are just a few of the standards that make certain safety is our highest priority.

Incredible Memories
While safety takes the driver's seat at camp, fun is certainly its co-pilot. Our camp programs are carefully crafted to provide campers with a summer experience that they will cherish for a lifetime. The key is well-trained, caring staff. Community Camps will provide staff as recreational specialists to ensure a safe and caring environment for our campers. We provide our staff with top-quality training, resources, and equipment to assure a quality summer experience.

A Strong Developmental Foundation
Fun alone, however, does not make a top-quality camp. Community Camps incorporates child development models and goals into its programs. We strive to leave every camper enriched at the end of the summer, having reached their goals, made new friends, learned new skills and broadened their horizons.

Reduction of Department Liability
Community Camps is a fully licensed and insured provider of youth day camping. By contracting our services, we take on full legal responsibility for the campers in our care, and the staff and programming that we provide. We also provide your department with a certificate naming your department as "additionally insured" through our carrier.

A Flexible Working Relationship
While Community Camps has a basic camp framework from which it works, each camp is highly customized to the particular community we are serving. This allows your department input on the specific design of the camp program offered to your town. Lines of communication between Community Camps and our partners will always be open.

Hands-On Involvement
Not only will Jay and Fred personally develop your camp, they will select and train the staff chosen to work at your camp. We will be integrally involved in all aspects of the operations of the camp program, including site visits and providing on-going training throughout the summer.

Money For Nothing
While we do all the work, you take all the credit, and some money to boot! Your camp can be promoted as being contracted out to us, touting our expertise, or you can seamlessly promote it as one of your own programs, even giving it your own name. Additionally, you may charge any fee you choose (whether it be more than our base fee, to cover your administrative costs, or less, if your town subsidizes camp costs.)

What responsibilities will our department have in providing this camp?

Provision of Camp Facilities
While Community Camps will provide the staff and programming for the camp at reasonable rates, we can only do so by having adequate facilities provided at no cost. Typically these facilities will consist of both indoor and outdoor spaces, including sports fields, a gymnasium, a playground, a pool or swimming area (on site or nearby), proper food storage area (e.g. walk-in refrigerator), and adequate restrooms. Note that there may be some flexibility in the facilities needed for hosting a camp, however, some requirements can not be waived in order to comply with licensing standards and to guarantee the safety of our campers.

Program Promotion
We can and will create a superb program for your community, however, that won't matter if they don't know about it. Community Camps will assist you in marketing to your target audience, whether that be strictly town residents, or a larger group.

Camper Registration
All campers will register through your department. Community Camps will require your department to have the campers/parents complete and submit our registration forms, which will include participation waivers and/or acknowledgements of risk, current copies of their physical examination, and other documents as necessary (e.g. list of people authorized to sign out their child, permission to administer required medications, etc.)

How do I get more information?

Informational Meeting
We sincerely hope that this answers most of your questions about the mission, goals and operations of Community Camps and its programs, and await the opportunity to meet with your department to discuss the possibilities of bringing a camp to your community.

Please contact us to arrange an introductory meeting at your convenience.