Page 1 Summer Camp at Camp Gray Information Packet Page 2 Table of Contents 3. About Camp Gray — Philosophy & Values 4. 2019 Dates 5. Activity Highlights 6. Cabin Life at the Coast 7. Camp Food 8. Camp Map 9. FAQ Page 3 About Camp Gray In the 1960’s, building on the success of OMSI’s first residential site at the Hancock Field Station in eastern Oregon, OMSI began Science Safari camping programs at various locations along the Oregon Coast. Since then, OMSI’s coastal camps have always been about exploration and adventure. Between San Juan Island, Washington down to the Redwoods in Northern California, decades of OMSI campers have hiked, canoed, and explored the coast. In 2016, The Coastal Discovery Center at Camp Gray opened as the new home for OMSI’s coastal programs. It was the culmination of a five-year, ten-million dollar capital campaign and sixty years of programming west of the Cascades. Camp Gray now serves more than 4,000 participants annually from across the United States, as well as from Japan. Nestled between Yaquina Bay and the expansive dunes of South Beach State Park, there are numerous opportunities to explore the wide range of ecosystems on the Oregon Coast. On a walk straight from the cabin door to the beach, campers investigate the connections between the ocean, geology, and ecology. OMSI summer camp is designed for children entering 2nd through 12th grade to learn about science, the natural world, themselves, and each other while forming lifelong friendships. We achieve these goals by fostering a spirit of community, adventure, and growth. Our Philosophy We believe that every child deserves the chance to be outdoors and learn new things in a safe and inclu- sive community. We take a traditional summer camp approach and turn it on its head by weaving in themes of adventure, science, exploration, and community into daily life. Our experiential, concept-based style of teaching is effective, nurturing, inspiring, and memorable. Our Values and Our Vision Campers come to Camp Gray bubbling with excitement, enthusiasm, and curiosity. It is our goal to en- sure they leave with a greater sense of confidence, independence, and knowledge. The residential camp experience can be genuinely life-changing. We foster an environment that ensures each child feels wel- come, special, and as though they can learn and grow as individuals while forming a sense of belonging in this unique community. It is our hope that staff, parents, and campers learn something new, have fun, and discover new and long lasting friendships. Page 4 Camp Gray 2019 Dates Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 June June July 1—5 July July July July Aug 5—9 Aug Aug 17-21 24-28 8—12 15-19 22-26 29-Aug 2 12-16 19-23 All camps are five days (M-F) unless otherwise noted. Financial Aid may be available. Visit: https://omsi.edu/camps-classes-financial-aid. OMSI members receive 20% off all camps! More summer camp opportunities available! See Camp Hancock for more sessions! 2nd & 3rd Grade 4th & 5th Grade Camps for young children going into 2nd Camps for children going into 4th or 5th or 3rd grade next school year. grade next school year. Week 1: Naturally Creative Week 1: Seashore Explorers Week 2: Yaquina Quest Week 3: Eco-Explorers (3-day) Week 3: Eco-Explorers (3-day) Week 5: Seashore Explorers Week 4: Pacific Coast Scientist 6th - 8th Grade Week 5: Naturally Creative Camps for those going into 6th, 7th, or 8th Week 9: Yaquina Quest grade next school year. Week 10: Pacific Coast Scientist Week 1: Coastal Ramblers 9th - 12th Grade Week 2: Expedition Oregon (10-day) Camps for teens going into 9th, 10th, 11th, or Week 4: Coastal Ramblers 12th grade next school year. Week 6: Coastal Ramblers Week 2: OMSI Surfing Adventures Week 7: Design Naturalists Week 4: Backpack: Ollalie Week 8: Backpack: Teen Girls Weeks 5 & 6: Backpack: Canadian Rockies (2 weeks) Week 9: Salt, Sand, and Sea Foam Weeks 6 & 7: OMSI Ambassadors (2 weeks) Week 9: Backpack: Three Sisters Week 7: Backpack: Wallowas Week 10: Design Naturalists Weeks 7 & 8: Coastal Documentary Explorers Week 10: Backpack: Steens Mountain Page 5 Activity Highlights Each program at Camp Gray has a theme. Whether it is action, adventure, science, or an excursion, there is something for everyone at every age level. Through the age groups, our camps follow a progression and campers will experience new and different skills, challenges, and activities. Below are some highlights. Coastal Ecology Camps Science Art and Design Camps ● 2nd-3rd: Seashore Explorers– tide pools, marine ● 2nd-3rd: Seashore Explorers– tide pool & fossil art mammals ● 4th-5th: Naturally Creative– sand sculpting, fish ● 4th-5th: Pacific Coast Scientists– tide pools, shark prints, collaborative art ecology, squid dissection, build a whale at ● 6th-8th: Design Naturalists– make coast-inspired art Hatfield Marine Science Center with artists from the Pacific Northwest ● 6th-8th: Coastal Ramblers– tide pools, squid College of Art dissection, Sea Life Cruise, coastal birds ● 9th-12th: Coastal Documentary Explorers– film and edit your own documentary with NW Documentary Adventure and Surfing Camps ● 4th-5th: Yaquina Quest– hike, raft building, orienteering, fire building Backpacking Trips ● 6th-8th: Salt, Sand, and Sea Foam– surf lessons, ● 6th-8th- Teen Girls, Three Sisters Wilderness, canoe, camp Steens Mountain ● 6th-8th: Expedition Oregon- surf lessons, canoe, ● 9th-12th– Wallowas, Olallie Mountain, and 2 week camp 2 nights, Sea Life Cruise Canadian Rockies ● 9th-12th: OMSI Surfing Adventures– 3 day surf course, kayak in Yaquina Bay, hike Page 6 Cabin Life at the Coast Cabin time is a highlight of the camp experience. It is where campers bond as a group, make friends, get into a bit of mischief, and have epic experiences they’ll remember forever. Campers get to know other kids from all of the camps, but the cabin groups are like little families. Campers live in cabins by age group and gender. Cabins generally have 1-2 counselors and 5-7 campers. All cabins have electricity, screened windows, air conditioning, and updated, comfortable mattresses. Each cabin area has a bathroom connected by covered porch. Each bathroom has multiple toilet and shower stalls with curtained changing areas. After breakfast, campers have a short clean up period to participate in community stewardship activities called Kitchen Party and Scrub Club. There’s also time to work as a team to clean the cabin before heading off to their first activity. Cabin inspection occurs randomly each day while campers are at their activities and the cabins compete for the cleanest cabin and the highly respected, and much coveted, clean bunk award. Campers are together or in their cabin area during rest time each day. This is a time for relaxing, hanging out, writing letters and re-charging for the rest of the day. Evening activities are generally active, all camp activities but some are age group specific or by cabins, enabling groups to spend time together, play, have bonding time, and much more. After evening programs campers have time for personal hygiene activities and will do a meaningful activity with their counselor (like story time or sharing highlights from the day) before bed. Page 7 Camp Food This is how we do “camp” food. Campers and staff alike love the food here. We serve buffet-style meals and campers sit by choice at meals. Breakfast and dinner are served and eaten inside Meyer Hall, and we pack lunch to take with us after breakfast. Because we are conservation-minded, and cognizant of the incredible resources needed for food production, transport, preparation, and storage, we like to keep an eye on our food waste in a fun way. After every meal, we weigh and track any food waste. We refer to it as ‘ort’, and The Ort Report is often a highlight of the meal (close second to dessert, of course). Dietary Restrictions We are able to provide for a number of dietary restrictions, including vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. When possible, we create variations on the main meal– gluten free pasta, vegetarian sausage, or corn tortillas. Whether our specialty meals correspond to the main offering or not, we always make sure that there is a healthy and delicious option for all. While we can do our best to avoid cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee that some allergens are not present. We pride ourselves on meal service and catering to dietary restrictions, and are open to inquiries and problem-solving in advance whenever necessary. Page 8 Camp Map 3400 SW Abalone St, South Beach, OR 97366 Page 9 Frequently Asked Questions Can you accommodate non-binary, non-gender conforming, trans, and other LGBTQ youth? How does that work? Yes! We can, and we have successfully done so. OMSI respects, values, and celebrates the unique attributes, characteristics and perspectives that make each person who they are. At camp, we don’t want anyone to feel left out. We want to provide an open and welcoming atmosphere where everyone feels safe and empowered to be themselves. Because camps are traditionally co-ed, we have the obvious barriers for the gender diverse in sleeping and hygiene areas, but we’re committed to dismantling those barriers in a respectful way. Since each individual is different and has different needs, we encourage you to reach out if you have any specific questions or concerns. We appreciate any opportunity to speak directly with families about how we can work together to make the OMSI summer camp experience worry-free for everyone regardless of orientation, gender, or any other identity.