Camp Valor

Camp Valor at BU

About Camp Valor

Camps Valor will soon be in session! This year we have more than 70 camp sections with subjects ranging from test prep to CSI: Bigfoot! Camps will be offered June 7 - July  30 for students in preschool to seniors in high school. We are keeping safety top of mind with the procedures listed below.  

Our Safety Plan

The Continuing Education staff currently has 74 sections of camps planned for the summer with campers ranging from 4 years old to seniors in high school planning to participate. Here are the safety guidelines we will require all staff and students to follow.

Schedule
  • Each section of camp will be taught by a different instructor and held in different rooms.
  • Most camps run for one week at a time for a half day, either 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m.
  • There are a few exceptions to this – we have a reading literacy academy that will run for 4 weeks, a drama camp that runs for two weeks, two camps that occur off campus, and five virtual camps.
Arrival to Camp
  • Each day of camp, campers will check in at a designated drop off point where Camp Counselors will check them in.
  • Counselor will perform a temperature screening as they get out of the car using a contactless thermometer. If a temperature is above 100.4, the camper will be asked to get back in the car and will not be permitted to attend camp that day.
  • Counselor will also ask the students a series of health screening questions, including any symptoms they may have, if they have had Covid in last 14 days or have been in close contact with anyone with Covid.
  • Once a camper has been screened, they will receive a rubber bracelet to wear at camp showing they have been screened. These will be collected and put in a Ziplock with their name at the end of camp each day to be used the whole week. A different color will be used each week to distinguish.
  • Counselors will then take students to classroom once everyone arrives.
  • Parents will not be permitted to drop off students at the classroom as in previous years. All drop off/pickup will be done at the specified site.
  • Late arrivals will notify the office and the counselor will meet the child at their car before they can come in.
In the Classroom
  • Instructors will enforce social distancing in the classrooms by the campers. There will be times when collaboration will be required for hands-on activities, but instructors will keep the time to a minimum.
  • Materials will be shared between students as little as possible. We are making a special effort to ensure all campers have their own supplies and materials unless they are sharing something for a specific reason that they can not have their own. Anything that is shared will be sanitized often.
  • Masks are required for camp instructors, campers, camp counselors, and office staff at all times. The only exception is when a camper is eating or drinking, which we will keep to a minimum in the classroom. The drama camps will use clear masks provided by the university to ensure a quality experience. The Continuing Ed office will have extra disposal masks on hand.
  • Bellarmine will provide a reusable water bottle to each student on the first day of camp to be used throughout the week, versus bringing drinks from home, using the vending machines, or water fountains that have been done in the past.
  • Instructors will ask campers to wipe down their workspace at the end of the day, as well as during the day as needed. Hand sanitizer and hand washing will also be encouraged as much as possible.
Departure From Camp
  • All campers will have their wristbands collected in the classroom and placed in their Ziplock bag with their name on it.
  • Campers who are finished with camp for the day will be escorted by the camp counselor to the pickup zone. Counselors will watch campers to car and stay until all campers are picked up.
  • Campers who will be attending an afternoon camp will be taken to UDH for lunch by a camp counselor.
Capacity Limits
  • The capacity limit on each camp is set at or below the room capacity guidelines issued by the Registrar’s office. This includes the instructor for each camp.
  • If capacity guidelines are changed by the University, the number of spaces for each camp may be able to be increased.
Eating and Drinking
  • Campers will be asked to keep eating and drinking to a minimum.
  • Instructors will be sure to have breaks often for campers to spread out and drink from their water bottles, outside if possible.
  • Most camps will not include snacks or eating. The camp “Playing with Food” where campers will experiment with the science behind food will have a few projects that they can eat. Campers will go outside to eat their creations.
  • Advanced Center Stage; Ready, Set, Ride: Horsemanship Camp; Navigating the ACT & College Admission Process; and Small Fry Horse Lover’s Camp are full day camps where campers will be eating lunch. Students will be provided an appropriate space to eat their lunch, outside when possible or spaced out when not possible.
  • A lunch package will be provided by the University Dining Hall for campers who attend a morning camp and are staying to attend an afternoon camp. Campers will be accompanied to UDH by a camp counselor and expected to follow all UDH rules.
Illness/Quarantines/Positive Case
  • If a student becomes ill while at camp, Bellarmine Continuing Ed staff will follow the CDC’s “Student Becomes Sick at School Guidelines”
  • If a student must quarantine due to a close contact with a positive case, they will be given the option to participate virtually, if possible or be given a refund.
  • If a camper receives a positive case, Bellarmine Continuing Ed staff will follow the guidelines issued by Bellarmine University and contact the Health Services office to take appropriate steps. If the camp cannot continue in-person due to contact tracing, then it will be moved virtually, if possible.