The Community Roots Day Camp Program hires a staff team who plan a week-long day camp program, and then we work in collaboration with local churches and volunteers to facilitate the program in communities throughout Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
While there are many details that set us apart, there really are two main things.
The first is that every piece of camp is about wondering and exploring. We don't just tell campers a bible story and then exactly what it means, but offer a story and then wonder about it together. In a similar way, our art and science projects also invite campers to think creatively and imagine what might happen. Kid's imaginations are magic, and we encourage them to tap into them as much as possible.
The second is that we really tailor each week of the program to the community that the camp is happening in. This looks different in different places, but some examples from past camps include:
We also focus on encouraging relationships between campers and between campers and volunteers, helping them to make meaningful connections with one another. We believe that by encouraging these community connections, we strengthen the relationships that campers have with their local community, and with the people in it, which helps campers feel rooted in their community, and the stronger those connections are, the healthier our communities will be!
We maintain a maximum ratio of 1 adult leader for every 5 campers. The leaders are volunteers from the local church community. Camp staff will be on site as well, and they are in addition to those leaders so we have some backup in case something comes up and a leader isn't able to make it one day.
All staff and volunteers are screened in accordance with our Diocesan SafeR Church Policy and the SafeR Church Plan of the local parish. While the specifics may vary from place to place, this screening always includes a Police Records Check with Vulnerable Sector check and often includes an interview and reference checks.
All staff and volunteers complete the following training:
In addition to this, camp staff provide ongoing supervision of all volunteers.
Yes. For both full day and half day camps, we provide snacks and are happy to work with parents or guardians to ensure that all snacks are appropriate for their child if there are any dietary concerns. For full day camps, campers bring their own lunches, and we will communicate any relevant information about allergies to all parents and guardians to ensure campers are as safe as possible.
Acknowledging that there is a wide range of disabilities, this answer will be pretty general, so if you have specific concerns, get in touch with Allie at youthandfamily@nspeidiocese.ca.
As much as possible, we hold our camps in accessible buildings, and will work to ensure barrier free access is possible. We can also tailor camp activities to suit the physical abilities of campers.
Unfortunately, it is beyond our capacity (both in terms of the number of people available and the training of staff and volunteers) to provide one-on-one support for children who need a significant amount of support. That being said, we are more than happy to work with support people who are able to accompany children to camp to offer that support.
We strive for our program to be as accessible as possible, so please don't hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions or there is anything we can do to make camp work for your child.
Nope! All children are welcome to participate in our camps regardless of what their past experience of church has been.
It is worth noting though, that this is an explicitly Christian camp. We start and end each day with worship, and our camp theme is rooted in the stories of the Christian tradition. We are open to and respect the beliefs (no lack thereof!) of others, are super open to questions, and won't ask anyone to commit their life to Christ, or tell them that they need to be redeemed from their sin, but we won't shy away from talking about God. If you have any questions or concerns about this, don't hesitate to be in touch at youthandfamily@nspeidiocese.ca.