CampGroup's Lake Of The Woods & Greenwoods Camps Success Story: 438 Campers, 211 Staff And Zero COVID-19 Infections

DECATUR, Mich., Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this year, as parents across the county were wondering whether their child's summer camp would open during a pandemic, CampGroup President Dayna Hardin decided there were two choices: Either figure out how to open sleepaway camps safely, or don't open at all.

After crafting a plan to open safely, one of the biggest challenges she faced next was making sure that opening sleepaway camps were on the radar of legislators. The priority for the state of Michigan, home to Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods camps, was initially focused on childcare and day camps. "We believed that kids needed camp now more than ever before. School, sports, birthday parties, and even graduations were getting cancelled on them. Camp was the one thing left that kids were looking forward to. So, we set out to try to create a protective bubble where Camp would become a "castle with a drawbridge". Once everyone arrived, the 'drawbridge' would go up and no one would enter or exit until the summer ended," says Hardin. Ultimately, Governor Whitmer signed an executive order allowing for sleepaway camps to open under the camp guidelines that Hardin herself helped to craft.

Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods each tested campers and staff prior to arrival, then again upon arrival and yet again five days later. Testing was one layer of protection, but there were many other layers including portable hand washing stations all over camp, daily symptom and temperature checks for all, closing most indoor buildings for the summer and doing as much as possible outside, bringing in large tents for outside dining, setting up a satellite health center for possible COVID, masking, as well as being able to contact trace – to name a few. Hardin recalls, "I went into this thinking we had to make sure there was no COVID at camp, then evolving my thinking into preventing an outbreak because a few cases seemed inevitable based on the number of cases across the country. Very contagious doesn't necessarily equal very dangerous for the young, healthy population we serve. We felt emotional health was also at risk and we knew opening camp would give our campers a sense of normalcy."

In the end, the camp served 438 kids and employed 211 staff and kept COVID-19 out all summer. "Our plan can hopefully serve as a road map for other camps and programs to follow," says Dana Kite, director of Lake of the Woods for Girls and Greenwoods camp for Boys. "These measures were financially taxing…but worth it for the peace of mind it provided," she adds.

To try to keep COVID-19 out, the camp had to reimagine every aspect of the camp experience, from the daily schedule and how activities were taught, to parent drop off process, to touchless interactions with equipment and even food preparation. "We even went so far as to use individual salt and pepper packets so there was no touching of communal shakers," said Kite.

Hardin compares the planning process to an onion. "Every time we would implement something new at camp, there would be another potential issue behind it that needed to be peeled away and addressed."

A successful summer with no COVID-19 is proof that camps can indeed reopen safely following strict protocols. Kite recalls what a grateful camper told her, "'A day at camp masked is better than a day at home unmasked.'"

Best practice approaches for re-opening camps, written with guidance from The American Camp Association are available to all requestors.

ABOUT CAMPGROUP, LLC
Founded in 1998, CampGroup owns and operates 15 sleepaway and day camps across the country. Their mission is to enrich children's lives. CampGroup camps are leaders in teaching 21^st century skills that are critical for success in the modern world. Among these skills are independence, grit, self-confidence, teamwork, communication, and a connection with nature.

ABOUT DAYNA HARDIN
Dayna arrived as a camper at Lake of the Woods Camp for Girls in 1979. She worked her way up from counselor to assistant director before becoming owner/director of Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods Camps in 1997. Dayna is also the past vice president of the American Camp Association's (ACA) national board. She is the co-founder and president of SCOPE Midwest, an organization that sends underserved children to camp. She is a speaker at camp conferences across the country on a variety of topics and has received a number of national awards for her dedication to youth development and the camp industry.

SOURCE CampGroup