Campers may miss home at bedtime, during a quiet moment, or when they meet an unfamiliar routine. Staff help campers name what they feel, connect with cabinmates, join the next activity, and recognize what they have already accomplished.

Camp contacts a parent or guardian when an adjustment concern needs family partnership. Families can prepare by practicing a night away, letting the child help pack, and avoiding a promise to pick the child up as soon as homesickness appears.

Camp Ondessonk is accredited by the American Camp Association. Accreditation reviews camp practices across administration, facilities, health and wellness, staff qualifications and training, program design, emergency response, and aquatics.

Camp reports screening, child-protection education, and annual training for staff and volunteers. Its rule-of-three practice and multi-staff unit supervision are designed to support appropriate boundaries and accountability.

Review Camp Ondessonk’s accreditation and safety practices

Mini Camp unit staff sleep in a separate room inside the cabin, keeping adults close while giving campers an age-appropriate sense of independence. The setting is intentionally rustic.

Campers should bring a dependable flashlight, sleeping bag, pillow, comfortable sleepwear, and the items listed on the current packing list. A typical schedule places taps and lights out at about 10:00 p.m.

Camper units use outhouse-style restrooms and are located near shower facilities. Shower and personal-care time are built into the daily schedule. Campers should pack a flashlight, towel, toiletries, and shower shoes or flip-flops.

Counselors introduce campers to the unit routine and encourage them to ask for help whenever they need it, including at night. Bathroom accidents and bedwetting are handled calmly, privately, and without embarrassment.

Meals are shared in a community setting. Some foods will be familiar and others may be new. Camp cannot promise separate custom meals based only on taste preferences, so selective eaters should practice choosing a familiar item and telling a counselor when they need help.

Families should provide complete medical and dietary information during registration. Contact Camp before registering when an allergy, cross-contact concern, or highly limited diet requires detailed planning.

Activities, schedules, and locations may change when conditions require it. During a significant emergency, campers and staff receive instructions, and Camp communicates with families through its established channels as appropriate.

Campers should arrive prepared for ordinary summer weather with a rain jacket, closed-toe shoes, refillable water bottle, sun protection, and clothing that can get wet or muddy.

Routine calls can restart the separation from home. Parents may send letters and can use the currently offered photo and one-way message services. Campers do not reply directly to those electronic messages.

Photos are glimpses of Camp, not a minute-by-minute report. Camp contacts a parent or guardian when a significant health, safety, or sustained adjustment concern requires family partnership.

Camp’s current parent materials explain medical coverage, medication procedures, required health forms, and when families are contacted. Camper medications are kept and distributed according to Camp health procedures.

Complete every required medical field and provide medications in their original containers. Contact Camp before registration to discuss significant health needs or accommodations.

Camp’s faith identity shapes its emphasis on community, reflection, service, and care for God’s creation. Prayer, reflection, and Catholic traditions may be part of the schedule, but campers and staff do not need to be Catholic to attend.