4-H Camp Overlook
Sunday Registration!
Spring is here and summer will be here before we know it! The 4-H Camp Overlook Team is looking forward to all our campers arriving at the red gates for a week (or multiple weeks) filled with camp fun. Last year we shifted to a drive-thru registration to protect all of us from COVID-19. The drive-thru style had many great aspects that we would like to keep this year. Each camper will receive a staggered Sunday arrival time between 12:30pm and 3:00pm. During this time, staff members will be masked until all guests have left and all campers have finished their COVID-19 rapid tests.
As you arrive a staff member will help your camper complete a rapid COVID-19 test. We received tests for the summer from… Once your camper’s test is finished, they will head over to meet with our Camp Registrar, Teresa, and our Summer Camp Director, Zac. The camper will sign in and receive their name tag that includes their cabin for the week and class schedule that was chosen online during registration.
If your camper will be staying in Running Deer, Kanentiio, Saksare, Onondoga, Seneca, Minnehaha, or Tuscarora the next stop will be to drop all your things off at the cabin. At the cabin you will meet other campers you will be spending the week with and your cabin counselors! The cabin counselors will complete a lice check at the picnic tables here and you can take a moment to choose your bed and set up anything with your adults help before heading over to the Nurse’s Station. All campers will stop at the Nurse’s Station which will be set up outside the Infirmary and Great Hall. If your camper has any meds, this is where they will go, we will also make sure we have all the health-related information needed for a successful week at camp. After stopping at the nurse’s station, campers should return to their cabins to be with their counselors until the registration time frame is complete. If your camper will be staying in Big Moose Down, Big Moose Up, Cayuga, Little Moose, or Oneida the next stop will be the Nurse’s Station first and then you may head to your cabins.
We do ask that when adults dropping off their campers are done the registration process, that they do not linger to long at camp so that there are no unnecessary traffic congestions. But we also would like you to know that this summer we will have a much more robust camp store at camp! The Camp Store will be located outside the Nature Center. At this time, we can only accept cash or check, but the camp store will be open during the registration time frame and during pick up. New inventory will include crewneck sweatshirts, new t-shirt designs, the beloved sunglasses and baseball caps, and so much more!
In past years campers would head to the beach for a swim test, this year campers who have not attended camp in previous year will complete their test during free time. Campers who have attended in previous years will have their swim level already on their name tag. If they would like to retest as they feel that they have made significant progress since last summer, they will have the opportunity to retest in their Monday swim class. All swimmers must have a designated level by someone who is Red Cross WSI trained.
The 4-H Camp Overlook Team wants to ensure that everyone enjoying camp this summer is happy, safe, and healthy. While we know that the situation is constantly evolving, we believe that this registration format will keep all our families, campers, and staff feeling ready for the summer of 2022. We are happy to provide a camp format that allows campers to choose the classes that they’d like to take throughout the week, while still staying attentive to sanitation, continuing our tradition of family style meals outside, and following the registration changes above. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out at campoverlook@cornell.edu.
We still have a few positions open for the summer of 2022, if you are interested in joining us check out those positions here: https://4hcampoverlook.org/employment/
If you are ready to register your camper, head over here: https://4hcampoverlook.org/summer2022/online-camp-registration/
Respectfully,
The 4-H Camp Overlook Team
New Activities for 2022!
Check out our activities for Summer Camp 2022!
We are excited to announce that with 2022 personal class selection is back! We have 5 NEW classes, as well as favorite we have brought back by popular demand.
To view our class choices please visit: 2022 Summer Camp Activities
Registration for Camp opens February 1st!
Limited Spaces left for Summer 2021!
Because we are limiting spaces in our bunks, we are filling FAST for summer 2021! If you are thinking of signing your child up now is the time.
Some of our weeks are FULL. You can chose to be added to the waitlist (our capacity might increase heading into summer) or chose another week. To register online, please visit: https://4hcampoverlook.org/summer2021/online-camp-registration/
To learn some of our COVID precautions we are following, visit: https://4hcampoverlook.org/2021/02/02/overlook-covid-summer-2021/
Overlook, COVID, & Summer 2021
Dear Camp Families,
With the approach of summer 2021, we wanted to send out a quick note to let our valued camp families know that we are taking steps to ensure a safe, healthy, and FUN 2021 Summer Camp for all of our campers, families, and staff at 4-H Camp Overlook! While the situation continues to evolve, we are making plans based on the general guidance that we have received from the American Camp Association, the New York State 4-H Program, the CDC, The New York State Camp Directors Association, and the experiences of the hundreds of camps that did run in some capacity in 2020. We are confident we can run a safe, fun, and wonderful camp this year, but the final decision to allow summer camps belongs to the Governor.
To ensure we are running the safest program possible, there will be a number of changes at camp this year. Changes to our registration process, camper check-in, daily schedules, class choices, cabin groups, health and sanitation and more. But you know what isn’t going to change? The opportunity for campers and staff to build healthy, thriving communities at camp. The positive, life changing experiences that happen at camp every day, simply because of the culture we have developed over 75 years of summer camping. Campers are still going to have great experiences, make new friends, try new things, and gain the independence that comes from a week away from their families. These experiences are the cornerstone of what 4-H Camp Overlook is all about. And so, while some things may look different this year, we are beyond excited to get back to camp and see so many smiling, happy children playing outdoors again!
We know you have questions, and many of those questions revolve around what we are doing this year to protect your child. The truth is, a lot. Below are some examples of the steps we are taking this year to enhance the health and safety of our campers and staff in 2021.
Paperless Marketing and Registration: We are changing the way we reach out to campers, and how to register for camp. Though we’ve had an online registration system for several years now, we will not be printing postcards and distributing them by mail or distributing brochures to schools. Saving trees feels good! As always, if you need a printed copy of the registration form, just email us and we’ll be happy to mail one to you!
Staggered Camper Drop Off: Nobody enjoys standing in long lines to drop off campers on registration day. This year, we are working on a new drop off procedure that will give families a check-in window. You’ll be able to drive into camp, be greeted by a staff member who will conduct a basic health screening right at your vehicle, and then help your camper unload their gear. Parents won’t even need to get out of their cars!
Squad Up: This year, campers squad groups will be assigned based on cabin and age. Based off current expectations, squads will include 2-3 cabin groups. These squad groups will be important, as they will become the “family group” that rotates through the daily schedule together. Campers and staff assigned to a particular cohort will have limited interactions with campers and staff from other cohorts. This will allow us to run a safe camp and minimize camper risk.
Masks: While we are still awaiting firm guidance from the New York State Department of Health, we anticipate that masks will be a requirement for all campers, staff and guests of camp through the 2021 season. Overnight campers should plan to bring a weekly supply face covering, in a large, zipper style plastic bag, with their name on it. Campers will be responsible for managing their masks properly throughout the week under the guidance and support of their counselors. Absolutely no sharing of masks will be permitted. Camp will have a supply of disposable masks available if needed.
Sanitation: We have acquired bulk hand sanitizer, which will be available throughout camp, including inside the doorways of most buildings. Each Squad will be provided with a Sanitation Kit including liquid sanitizer, paper towels, and sterile wipes, so that campers and staff can sanitize program areas before they leave, preparing them for the next group. Program supplies will be sanitized between uses, and we will be hiring additional maintenance staff to ensure sanitization of communal spaces like the restrooms and the dining hall. We have portable handwashing stations being added in more remote locations where access to running water is limited.
Reduced Capacities: Based on current guidance, we will be reducing the numbers of people in certain spaces together at the same time. Our current plan calls for a reduced capacity in many cabins, Great Hall, and any other indoor spaces. This plan may be subject to change as we await further guidance from the New York State Department of Health.
Meals: We are privilege at 4-H Camp Overlook to already have outside eating as part of our wonderful camp tradition. We will be continuing this tradition with a slight restructuring to require squads to be eating lunch at the same table. In the event of inclement weather, we will look at the possibility of eating staggered inside our Great Hall. This plan will ultimately depend on final guidance from the Department of Health.
Daily Schedules: Big changes are coming to our daily schedule! We have developed a schedule that allows our campers to rotate through the shared programming spaces so that no more than one squad is using a particular location at a time. With all our campers on site and different squads, there’s a lot of moving parts! Our camper squads will be rotating through all class programs throughout the week, so rather than selecting four favorite classes this year, campers will enjoy all our camp programs programs during the week. Special programs like Counselor in Training will be run in the Squad format as well! We are excited that campers will be allowed to experience all that Camp Overlook has to offer in a safe format.
We hope that you will consider joining the fun in 2021! We are aiming to be able to open registration for our overnight camp in mid-February. If you know anyone who is interested in working at camp, staff positions have already been posted on our website! https://4hcampoverlook.org/employment/
Please know that due to the evolving scenario with the covid-19 pandemic and the development and distribution of the vaccine, any and all programming is subject to change. As we move closer to camp, if things change, we will be updating our website, and we will post changes to our Facebook and Instagram pages, so be sure to follow us on those platforms, and/or check your email regularly. We will be in touch!
Warmly,
The Camp Overlook Team
Overlook Cancels 2020 Summer Season
It is with a heavy heart that 4-H Camp Overlook announces it will not run for summer 2020. It was not a decision made lightly, especially since this is our 75 year, but the health and safety of our campers and staff remain our number one deciding factor. Camp Overlook is, and will remain, a special place to us in the North County.
A camp without hugs, a ropes course, swimming in the lake, blob tag, eating shoulder to shoulder at picnic tables, silly skits and talent show acts, a dance, or any one of the amazing traditions seemed unfathomable to us. We attempted to try each scenario and kept coming back to the realization that it wouldn’t be camp as we all know and love. Social distancing at camp, with children, is an almost impossible task. As a mission driven organization, we felt it was impossible to meet the mission of camp while also safely managing a pandemic for campers and staff alike.
We have decided to focus our efforts on planning an unforgettable summer 2021, and beyond. While we are heartbroken, we remain encouraged and supported by our wider camp family. It is YOU who will get us through this incredibly hard time. We would love to see old camp photos, camp T-shirts new and old, a camp song sung at full volume, and campers getting outside this summer! It will remind us (and all of you) that the camp spirit lives on even when we are not physically at camp.
As many are aware we are offering full refunds, including deposit, to anyone who has already registered. While this will be financially devastating to Camp Overlook, it also seemed like the right thing to do for our camper families and our communities. We will be contacting all our enrolled families in the upcoming weeks by phone to process refunds and appreciate your patience. There is an option to make a donation to cover our non-variable operating costs, including supporting our year-round employees who depend on their camp employment. If you chose to donation we are eternally grateful to you and your generosity to help us through this difficult summer. You can also reach out to us directly anytime at campoverlook@cornell.edu or 518.483.4769.
Thank you all for your unwavering support during this difficult time. Currently we are planning other programming options for campers. These options could include virtual camp programming, virtual campfires with camp songs and camp stories, and/or possible small group activities in person at camp later in the summer. We are looking forward to hearing camp stories and photos from you, and planning an incredible summer 2021.
Warmly,
Casey Sukeforth – Camp Overlook Program Director – cls348@cornell.edu
Patrick Ames – Cornell Cooperative Extension St. Lawrence County – pta2@cornell.edu
Glen Butler – Camp Overlook Summer Camp Director – ghb58@cornell.edu
Coronavirus & Camp
Please see updated information here: https://4hcampoverlook.org/2020/05/17/overlook-cancels-2020-summer-season/
Dear Campers and Families,
Please know that 4-H Camp Overlook is committed to the well-being of each camper, family and staff member. We are in regular communication with our Covid-19 Team at Cornell University, along with the NY Department of Health office and the American Camp Association in regards to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Currently, we are planning to be in full operation for Summer 2020. We are actively examining our arrival screenings, health response procedures, and cleaning procedures, ensuring that we meet or exceed standards required by the Department of Health. While we acknowledge that this is a constantly evolving situation, and everything is subject to change. The guidance that we have received indicates that the virus will be under control before the start of Summer Camp, and the school systems will not be extended into the summer season.
In order to help you register with confidence, we have updated our registration guidelines as follows;
- If you have already registered and wish to exercise caution, contact our office (518.483.4769 or campoverlook@cornell.edu) about moving to a program later in the summer. We are working remotely but still here to answer all your questions!
- Understanding that families need flexibility at this time, we are extending our scholarship deadline to May 1st, and final camp payments will be due June 15th.
- In the event you need to cancel your registration due to a camper or immediate family member testing positive for Covid-19, you will receive a full refund (including deposit), with a doctors notification.
- In the unlikely event that 4-H Camp Overlook (or the New York State Department of Health) makes the decision to cancel a session of camp, you will receive a full refund (including deposit) for that session.
For accurate information on how you can protect your family right now, we suggest resources found at NYS Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We are committed to keeping you updated of any changes in our plans, policies, or procedures. If you have any questions or concerns you are welcome to contact us at campoverlook@cornell.edu or 518.483.4769. Please be aware that our employees have been given the option to work from home, so phone messages may take a little longer than usual for a response. Email may be a faster route for contacting us.
Thank you for your continued support of 4-H Camp Overlook! We look forward to an amazing summer and year. See you soon!
Warmly,
The Camp Overlook Team