YMCA of Lincoln Nebraska
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Camp Kitaki Summer Camp FAQ Page
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Summer Camps A Day at Camp Kitaki Summer Camp Activities |
Summer Camp FAQ Register for Summer Camps |
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Camp Kitaki would like you to know as much as possible about the camp experience. We have set up this frequently asked questions page to help answer many of the questions that we get in the office on a daily basis. We doubt this list could anwer all the questions that people have about camp so if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to give us a call at 402-434-9222 or Contact Us
| Q | Where is Camp Kitaki and how do we get there? |
| A | Camp Kitaki is located between Omaha and Lincoln, with over 200 acres nestled along the Platte River. The fastest and easiest way to get to camp is to get on I-80 and take the Mahoney State Park exit 426. Go south on Hwy 66 approx. 4 miles until you pass through the town of South Bend. Camp is just past South Bend and the entrance is on the left hand side of the road. View the Map to Camp Kitaki
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| Q | What time do the children need to be there and do you provide the transportation? |
| A | Transporting your child to and from camp is your responsibility. Check in is between 2:30 and 3:30 on Sundays, you can pick them up between 10:00 to 10:45 the following Saturday. If your camper is in Adventure Mini Camp Sunday - Wednesday check in is during the normal weekly check in time and check out time is Wednesday morning from 10:00-10:45. For Adventure Mini Camp Wednesday - Saturday check in is from 5:30-6:00PM and check out is during the regular weekly check out time.
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| Q | Our child is new to camp can we drop in prior to camp or visit them during the week they will be attending? |
| A | Due to safety reasons we are very conscientious of anyone on our campgrounds. We ask that you call to set up an appointment for a guided tour or consider participating in our "Family Days" so you and your child can become familiar with camp. Camp Kitaki does not have a "visitor day" during the campers week due to the short sessions and a full schedule of activities. Parents can look forward to hearing all about camp on Saturday morning!
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| Q | How does Camp Kitaki handle extreme heat? Do the cabins have air conditioning? |
| A | During extreme heat we modify activities and schedules by adding more water activities, moving other activities into the Dining Hall, and by taking things easier with frequent water breaks. Our staff will watch closely to make sure campers are handling the heat. *New for 2008* all our cabins will have air conditioning for summer 2008. Our Dining Hall and Health Lodge are also air conditioned.
We are currently accepting donations towards the goal of installing air conditioning in our cabins. |
| Q | What is the ratio of children vs. staff and how many campers are in each cabin? |
| A | We are an American Camp Association Accredited Camp, and comply with their guidelines of a 4 to 1 ratio of campers to staff at all times. Each cabin holds approx. 10 campers along with the counselors and our teen volunteers the Senior Kitaki Kids.
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| Q | My child and her best friend want to be in the same cabin together, but there is a year difference in their age, is this possible? |
| A | Campers are grouped by gender and age, along with the type of camp they signed up for (ie. a camper registered for ranch camp and one registered for summer camp would stay in different cabins). If both campers are similar in age and they both request each other we strive to honor their wishes. In most cases we will put the older child in the younger age cabin. We make every attempt to place people together, but cabinmates are not guaranteed. Most campers do not come to camp with a cabin mate and all Campers leave camp with countless new friends.
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| Q | This is the first time for my youngest to attend Camp, his older brother will also be there at the same time, will they be together or see each other? |
| A | We recommend that siblings not be placed in the same cabins. Siblings will still be able to see each other throughout the day at meals, juice jam, free time and during our all camp activities.
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| Q | I really want to send my child to Camp, but we can't afford it, do you have any financial assistance available? |
| A | Yes, The YMCA turns no one away because of an ability to pay, you can apply for our personal pricing that is available by calling our office at (402) 434-9222 or getting the application off our website at Financial Assistance. After you mail it back, and allow two weeks to process, you will receive a letter stating what rate you qualify for. Your camper can also participate in our yearly Candy sales, which gives them the chance to earn their way to camp.
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| Q | If a child has special physical or emotional needs, will they be able to attend camp? |
| A | It depends. Our camp's highly trained staff and director's are qualified to assist in most cases, however we are not set up to handle situations requiring 1 on 1 assistance or certain other special needs. Please call our office to speak to us about your child's needs (402) 434-9222. Camp Kitaki offers specialty camps run in conjunction with other organizations to serve special camper populations. View those camps here. If your child has any special needs make sure to fill out any information on the mandatory Health History sheet, so our staff will be made aware of it prior to camp.
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| Q | Our Children take multiple medications at different times everyday. How is this handled? |
| A | We have a health care specialist, certified in first aid and CPR on staff and available 24 hours a day. During check in we will verify the information you provided on the health history form, and check in any medications they need to take, and the times they need to be administered. These medications are then provided to your child at the appropriate time.
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| Q | My child is allergic to peanuts or is a vegetarian, how are these needs handled at your camp? |
| A | Special dietary needs should be communicated with camp prior to camper's arrival, and the information should be put on the health history form for staff to be made aware of. We provide regular balanced meals each day, with alternative food for vegetarians. Please contact us if you are concerned in any way about your childs special dietary needs.
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| Q | We do not practice Christianity can we still attend Camp Kitaki? |
| A | Yes, we welcome campers of all faiths to our camp, our focus is more on the core values of the YMCA, caring, honesty, responsibility and respect. Spirituality, faith and God are discussed in a general and non threatening way. If you feel like your child should not participate in our vespers or chapels, please inform our staff.
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| Q | Can we call our children at camp or let them take their cell phone to call us? |
| A | Campers do not have use of a telephone at camp unless we have prior arrangements with the parents for a special purpose, or in case of emergencies. We do not allow campers to have cell phones and ask that they leave all cell phones at home, we want children to focus on camp not text messages and phone calls.
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| Q | How is the money handled for my Child's purchases at the Camp Store? |
| A | During check in you will have the opportunity to deposit money into a camp store account. We are unable to take Camp Store Money prior to check in. Campers are then able to use their account for purchases at the camp store each evening. We suggest approx. 15.00 to $30.00 for your child's account and any unspent money will be sent home with them during checkout. Campers are asked not to carry cash on them as our store only operates off of the campers store accounts.
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| Q | My child is also signing up for a sports camp, but we are unsure of the dates, will he be able to transfer to a different camp if schedules conflict? |
| A | Changes will be made only when there are available spots. Changes must be confirmed in writing and submitted 6 weeks prior to the earlier session. After April 1st there is a $20 service charge assessed for each change.
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| Q | What are the policies for arriving late or picking up a child early? |
| A | We discourage the late arrival, early pick up, or absence of a camper as it disrupts the flow of the camper week, and may cause your camper to miss something they are looking forward to. Should it be absolutely necessary we ask that you let our office know in advance, so we can be sure to let our staff know that they will be arriving or being picked up at a different time.
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| Q | What happens if my child gets homesick? |
| A | Adjusting to being away from home can be a challenge for some campers. Our staff receive a high level of training in how to deal with this issue. In some cases it might take a bit more help, our practice is to call parents and discuss with them the steps we're taking and what might work best with their camper. In the rare and extreme cases, we will ask that the parents come pick up their camper.
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| Q | How do you hire and train your staff? |
| A | Camp Kitaki has more than 70 staff members, who are selected for their maturity, patience, spiritual depth, and ability to work with kids. They are carefully screened with background checks and have undergone a minimum of 10 days of professional and in-depth training. All staff members have basic first aid training, plus CPR. In addition our rope staff and lifeguards maintain certifications. Our site directors lead these highly motivated and dynamic college age staff in all programs.
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| Q | My son wants to be in Advanced Ranch camp, and has attended the Ranch camp before can we sign him up for this? |
| A | Camp Kitaki employs a progressive system of skill verification. For safety reasons campers are asked to prove their skills in Ranch Camp before progressing to higher levels. There are 3 sub levels of our regular Ranch Camp program which allows for progression within the same camp, so even if they have attended ranch a few times, this does not mean they are ready for Advanced Ranch. To be enrolled in Advanced or Wrangler Challenge camp, a camper must have passed the progressive ranch test before enrolling. Our office has a list of those individuals that can enroll in Advanced Ranch or Wrangler challenge. Exceptions may be made into our Advanced Ranch program for first time campers who have significant horse experience outside of Camp Kitaki please contact the camp office to discuss your child's skills with our staff. No exceptions will be made into our Challenge Ranch Program.
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| Q | If the session my child would like to attend is full is there a wait list I can be on and what are the chances of getting in a session from a waitlist? |
| A | If a session is full we will place your child on a waitlist. You will not need to send any money, until an opening comes available for your child.
Waitlist availability is difficult to predict, we receive transfers and cancellations, right up to the day camp starts. Once we receive a cancellation, we will go down the list in a chronological order until the camper spot is filled. If the first person is unavailable we will move down the list. |
| Q | Why should I choose Camp Kitaki, over another Camp? |
| A | We are proud of our 100+ year history of quality resident summer camping. We provide a place where your child will be challenged in a safe, and supportive environment that is based on solid Midwestern values. The fun programs will help your child learn skills they never thought they had, nothing could build more self-esteem and positive self-image. They will also learn to develop important leadership and team building skills; these will help them face the challenges of living in our high pressure and demanding world.
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| Q | What type of activities and programs will my child be participating in? |
| A | Kitaki is a busy place. The programs have been carefully thought out and planned to include a variety of experiences. Cabin groups will be doing lots of fun-filled activities such as hikes, swimming, horseback riding, crafts, archery, canoeing and much more. There are also periods each day for chore duties and clean-up, as well as time for relaxing and doing things on an unscheduled or unplanned basis.
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| Q | What are Candy Sales? When do they begin, and how can my camper participate in it? |
| A | You have the opportunity to earn your way to camp by selling candy bars or pogo cards, your camper will earn a portion of what they sell towards their camp session only!
Candy Sales will begin the second week of March, and ends the first week of April, you must register your camper prior to signing up for candy sales. Any additional questions can be directed to our office at (402) 434-9222 |
