G.E.T. Wild Child Summer Camps

• How much does camp cost? Why has the price increased?

  • For the four days of camp, the price of summer camp is $250 per week. This reflects the extra day of camp that we are offering this year. We have unfortunately also had to raise the price due to specific grant funding no longer being available. We understand that this is a big change for families that have been with us a long time, however, in order to keep offering camp and cover all personnel costs, this was a necessary increase. ​

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• Will there be scholarship options? 

  • Scholarships will be very limited as we are a small camp. Application information for scholarships are located at the above link.  Due to the volume of applications, we will be closing Scholarships at 2pm on Friday, March 28th. Scholarship recipients will be notified by Monday, March 31st.

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• What time does summer camp run?

  • Summer camp runs Monday-Thursday from 8 am-4 pm. Again, your camper will only attend the week that they are registered.

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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 Youth@pagosacommunityinitiative.org. 

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• Do the weekly camp spots fill up quickly?

  • Typically, Yes! We encourage you to sign up right away for weeks that you know you will need camp for your kiddo.

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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? 

  • You can select which week! This is a week-by-week sign-up camp. Our camps are not the whole summer. They will run Monday-Thursday, which involves lots of travel to hiking trails, historical sites, and parks.  We have great community organizations like Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership and the Audubon Society that pitch in for lots of hands-on education with experiential elements.
     

• 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. We will facilitate activities for all age groups. We require that campers have completed 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 program director taking the lead on all planning and presenting for camp days. Another 2 adults (a driver for each vehicle) and two high school leaders. These leaders have served with us in the past and are phenomenal. They also work in our after-school programs and will be familiar faces. The ratio with those 5 people is typically around 5 to 1. For certain events, such as Audubon walks and climbing experiences, we will have more adults/specialists.
     

• Where would students meet daily for camp? 

  • Base camp will be in the art rooms within Pagosa Springs High School, 800 South 8th Street. 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, 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 them off.
     

• 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.
     

• 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. 

 

• What does my child need for a typical day at summer camp?

  • Cold lunch, 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. 
     

• will I be completing any paperwork before camp? 

  • We will be emailing you through our registration and communication 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 and we will be happy to help! Youth@pagosacommunityinitiative.org 
     

• Is it an issue if kids aren't strong swimmers since there's a lot of water play?

  • Not an issue at all! 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. 
     

• 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.