Sponsoring Youth to Camp

A How-to for Organizations

Pack Forest campers during Hunter Safety

2012 Updates

Camp will run for seven weeks, starting July 1, 2012
Campers who are 11 now may attend camp (must be minimum age by December 1, 2012). In order to accommodate the younger campers, we have shifted the age groups for the two programs. Youth camp is now for 11-13 years old and Teen Ecology Camp is for 14-17 years old.
Pack Forest will have five weeks of the 14-17 year old Teen Ecology program (Weeks 1-5)
Camp Rushford will have one week of the 14-17 year old Teen Ecology program (Week 5)
Hunter Education classes are offered for all 11-13 year olds, except for weeks 3 and 7 when Bow Hunter Education is offered instead
Bow Hunter Education is offered for all 14-17 year olds and also during weeks 3 and 7 for the 11-13 year olds
All applications will be accepted starting with a postmark date of January 28, 2012
There will be no staggered registration dates for sponsors and parents in 2012, all applications can be postmarked starting on January 28, 2012
The fee for 2012 is $350 a week
Campers may attend more than one session of camp, however there is no overnight stays on Saturday. If campers choose to attend two weeks back-to-back, they must get picked up Saturday morning and be dropped off the next Sunday afternoon for check in. Each week at camp cost $350; full payment for all weeks is expected at the time of registration.

Application Guidelines

Since space is so limited, interested campers are urged to get their applications in early, keeping in mind the postmark dates indicated above. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis according to postmark date. If campers are attending more than one week of camp, payment for the additional weeks must be sent in with the application; failure to do so could delay the campers registration.

All four camps, Colby, Pack, DeBruce and Rushford, educate youth who are 11 to 13 years old. Pack Forest and Camp Rushford are also open to campers 14 to 17 years old during specific sessions. These older campers will participate in the DEC Teen Ecology Workshop. Campers must be the minimum age by December 1, 2012 in order to attend camp.

Any organization may sponsor campers. We encourage recreational organizations, sportsmen's clubs, environmental groups, school associations, houses of worship and civic groups to:

select a qualified candidate who wants to spend a week at a DEC camp
help the camper pay for the camp session
invite the camper to a meeting of the organization to recount his or her camp experience.
Parents who would like their child to be sponsored should bring the program to the attention of an organization in their area. If a sponsoring group is not available, parents may pay for the child's stay at DEC camp.

Sponsorship

This page addresses sponsoring organizations only. If you are the parent of a potential camper, please refer to our How to Apply to Camp web page.

For more information, or to request an application by mail, please call or write to:

NYSDEC Camps
625 Broadway 2^nd Floor
Albany, NY 12233-4500
(518) 402-8014
E-mail: edcamps@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Listserve: http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/decenvironmentaledcamps