What to Expect at Summer Camp
PEEC’s Summer Day Camp has helped campers explore and grow in their relationship with the outdoors.
Campers will experience everything PEEC has to offer by spending their summer hiking, playing games, and building a lifelong appreciation for the natural spaces around them in the heart of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Our trained camp staff are equipped with the expertise necessary to ensure campers are safe, satisfied, and learning by doing.
About Our Staff
Our staff are counselors, interns, and instructors that are eager to share PEEC’s environmental fun with day campers. Staff are hired for their childcare experience, knowledge of the outdoors, and passion for sharing the environment with the next generation. All staff members undergo background checks prior to working with children in PEEC programming.
Staff obtain training to maintain a safe environment and create camp fun. Safety training includes PEEC-specific safety procedures, risk management in working outdoors, and a certification in basic first aid and CPR/AED. Camp-specific training covers childhood behaviors and developmental stages, group management and conflict resolution, social emotional awareness, and environmental topics and activities.
Camp groups are staffed by a minimum of two counselors, with additional staff added according to the American Camp Association’s Camper-to-Staff Ratio standards:
Tadpoles have one counselor for every 6 campers.
Polliwogs have one counselor for every 8 campers.
Wet & Slimies have one counselor for every 8 campers.
Junior Naturalists have one counselor for every 10 campers.
Senior Naturalists have one counselor for every 10 campers.
Camp staff serve as leaders, role models, and a source of fun to spend each day with, creating camp memories to last a lifetime.
Activity Schedules
Summer Day Camp schedules are designed to keep campers active, engaged, and having fun throughout their time at PEEC. Camp activities are planned in advance to provide structure to the program and are adapted as needed.
Activities are designed to be developmentally appropriate for each age group, and follow a path of progression as campers move throughout age levels over the years. Some age groups have different activities built into their schedules each week with this concept in mind.
Tadpoles have 45 minutes of quiet time after lunch each day to rest and recharge.
Junior Naturalists have the opportunity to stay until 8pm each Thursday evening to enjoy some of PEEC’s evening activities and cook their dinner over a campfire.
Senior Naturalists can join Junior Naturalists each Thursday, and have the additional choice to stay overnight in one of PEEC’s cabins.
Senior Naturalists also venture off of PEEC’s property each Wednesday to expand their natural learning throughout the Delaware Water Gap and beyond.
Every week, each age group’s schedule will include community building activities, a hike on a PEEC trail, tie dye, and an all camp activity.
Due to the nature of the program, we are unable to share weekly activity schedules outside of our operations. Families will be notified of the timing of tie dye and water play each week to ensure campers are adequately prepared.
Day to Day Communication
Camp families will receive regular emails throughout the week to share information about what is ahead. Regularly scheduled emails will include:
The Thursday before each week, families will receive an email with each camper’s group assignments, which will also include when campers will be participating in special activities such as tie dye and water play.
Each Monday, a welcome email is sent to share pertinent contact information to use throughout the week.
The day prior to their occurrence, families will receive reminders of special activities, including tie dye, water play, and late nights.
On Friday, a survey is shared along with a heartfelt thank you for taking part in Summer Day Camp.
For needs prior to the camp season, please reach out to Sinead Roche, Summer Camp Manager.
(570) 828-2310 ext. 223
camp@peec.org
For needs during the season, please direct phone calls to PEEC’s main office.
(570) 828-2319
Photo Philosophy
Photos will be shared throughout each week of camp as staff time allows to provide camp families with a look into the camp fun. To share these photos, PEEC utilizes BAND, an app and website that provides us an effective platform to do so. Access links to PEEC’s BAND are shared only with registered families, and will shared before the summer and throughout the program.
PEEC does not employ a dedicated media or photography team. Photos are taken as time allows by our instructors, counselors, and management staff throughout the camp day. As such, we cannot guarantee that every camper or every activity will be featured. Photos are intended to highlight the general camp environment rather than serve as an individual record for each camper.
In order to be included in photos shared through BAND, campers must provide media release to PEEC in the appropriate form during the CampBrain registration process. As outlined in the Media Release form, campers without media release will not be included in photos shared through BAND.
To read more about our Photo Philosophy and better understand our practices, click the link below for the full document.
Where summer camp comes naturally
