Let’s just be honest, we are all in uncertain times. However, Green Hill is committed to providing programs that are safe – full stop. Our staff team carefully evaluated whether there was any way to run an overnight camp program that was both safe and fun, and the short answer is, we can take some very intentional steps to ensure our campers have the best of experiences. Here are a few highlights:

Smaller group sizes. Normally all the kids of a similar age range that are at the camp are put into big programs together – but pursuant to the guidance and recommendations we have received from the Government of New Brunswick’s department of health, that will not be the case this year. We will instead have groups of up to 15 campers that will remain together for activities, meals, etc. based upon smaller cabin groups that will stay together. There will be dedicated staff with minimal changes to these groups to ensure we keep these communities small. Campers will not be permitted to leave mid-program for recreational activities such as ball games, dance practices, or other minor interruptions if they wish to continue – all to keep our camper community safe and healthy.

Regular screening. There will be multiple times a day where staff and campers will be checked for a fever and asked specific questions about their physical health. This will all be tracked and made available for parents upon request. This information will be collected as discreetly and non-intrusively as possible while keeping camp going. We have “beefed up” our online medical forms to help flag potential issues and vulnerable populations, and are committed to delivering, 100% of the best experiences possible.

Hyper-Hygiene. Camp is a spot where many kids learn and develop independence regarding things like brushing their teeth – and this summer we are adding infrastructure to accommodate more hand washing, less sharing of resources, and more consistent practices around sanitizing our facility. Green Hill has long prided itself on meeting or exceeding best practices across the country in this manner, but this year we will be adding even more to it.

This will require a few things from our camper families:

  1. Honesty. Please help us help all our families and let us know if there is any reason to suspect your camper may be ill. We are committed to working through to responsible solutions.
  2. Prepare your camper. This summer will be a little bit different in every way. Seasoned repeat campers will have a slightly different flow to everything to adjust to – give them a heads up and remind them of what makes camp great – it’s not things like jumping in line for tacos with 100 other people, but the one on one friendships that can last a lifetime, or the thrill of learning a new skill. None of that will change.
  3. Start good habits early. The first few times a camper washes their hands for a full 20 seconds, it can seem like it takes forever – start those habits at home now so our team can focus on the fun instead of holding back the entire group waiting for one guest who just wants to slap some soap on their hands and be done in 0.8 seconds. Teach them songs to sing or patterns to follow every time they wash their hands.

We will be posting our operational plan here in the days to come – if you have specific concerns, contact our office – we would be happy to chat with you.