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FAQs

Health & Safety

Will my child be safe while at camp?

While safety is one of Cho-Yeh’s values, we want parents to know that there is always an inherent risk to being at Camp. We work hard to mitigate risk, but we believe that risk is an essential component of personal growth. At Cho-Yeh, we take calculated risks with providing activities outside of your child’s usual comfort zone to help grow them as individuals but we do not take risks when it comes to your child’s well-being.  As an ACA accredited camp, we work within the standards set by the American Camp Association to make sure our safety standards and practices are the best that they can be. The health and welfare of our camp community is our top concern. Read through our Child Protection Plan for more information.
A lot!  Camp Cho-Yeh is proud to share that we have hired camp safety consultant, Rick Braschler, to do a full safety and risk audit of our facilities, program & policies.  Rick was extremely impressed with Cho-Yeh’s culture and commitment to safety and provided some helpful recommendations to further reduce risk.  Starting with selecting excellent summer staff, each employee must fill out a detailed application, have an interview with a full-time staff member, provide three references and undergo a background check.  Before arriving at camp, staff members must complete abuse prevention training through our child safety consultants: Praesidium. With a full two weeks of staff training before camp starts, our counselors and support staff are well trained and equipped to identify and reduce risk at camp.  Our facilities have been engineered to limit private spaces such as having 12 inches under stalls and showers and having windows on all private office spaces.  Cho-Yeh has a strict “rule of three” policy, which requires that counselors never be alone with a camper in a building or private area.  Read through our Child Protection Plan for more information.

The main purpose of the ACA accreditation program is to educate camp owners and directors in the administration of key aspects of camp operation, particularly those related to program quality, and the health and safety of campers and staff. The standards establish guidelines for needed policies, procedures, and practices. The camp is responsible for ongoing implementation of these policies. ACA accreditation assists parents in selecting camps that meet industry-accepted and government-recognized standards.

There are always a minimum of 2 lifeguards on duty when kids are in the water. The number of lifeguards increases with the number of kids in the water.

Campers take a swim test in the pool on their first day and they will be given a band according to their ability: Blue-strong swimmer, Red-weak swimmer, Green-non-swimmer who will also be required to wear a life jacket while in the water (pool and lake).

Life jackets are required in the lake for ALL ages, regardless of ability.

There are always a minimum of 2 lifeguards on duty when kids are in the water. The number of lifeguards increases with the number of kids in the water.

Campers take a swim test in the pool on their first day and they will be given a band according to their ability: Blue-strong swimmer, Red-weak swimmer, Green-non-swimmer who will also be required to wear a life jacket while in the water (pool and lake).

Life jackets are required in the lake for ALL ages, regardless of ability.

It is our hope that every camper will remain healthy and fully able to participate in all aspects of camp life. Just in case, though, Cho-Yeh’s Health Center is staffed by at least 2 medical professionals 24 hours a day all summer long. We supervise the provision of medication at each meal. Want more details? Check out Health & Wellness.

It is quite rare! Our incident report analysis shows that only 0.3% campers required outside medical care.

All of these are considered “medications” and will be dispensed by our onsite Medical Staff during the session. Medications are typically dispensed during breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime. Campers and staff are not allowed to keep any medications in their cabins. Please be sure to check in all medications to our Health Center during Check-In on Sunday.

Homesickness is a reality of overnight camping, but one of the unique experiences of camping is allowing campers to gain a sense of independence. All of our counselors go through an extensive staff training before the summer begins that includes helping a homesick camper. If a camper is homesick, our counselors will do their best to comfort the camper. If the homesickness persists the campsite supervisor will talk with the camper and will connect with parents to find the best strategies for helping the camper through the session. Although we have campers each session who will wrestle with some homesickness, it is extremely rare that a camper will need to be sent home. Campers who stick it out will gain an incredible sense of independence!

Conflicts happen, even in uplifting environments like camp. We train our counselors to recognize and reduce conflict within the context of camp. They are also trained on detecting bullying and taking proper measures to defuse these types of behaviors. Our counselors and leadership staff treat each situation as appropriate, and will call parents to update as needed.

The safety of your children is our first priority. We need to know any allergies your child has. Please provide these details on your Health History form and be as specific as possible with the information to allow us to be prepared to accommodate your camper’s allergy. For more information on specific food allergies, check out our Food and Nutrition page.
Many children with ADD/ADHD are here at camp. We handle this medication for campers just as if it were any other medical treatment. Please be sure to note the ADD/ADHD on the Health History form and turn in any medications to the Health Center.

Staff

What is the selection process for staff?

We take a great deal of pride in the selection of our staff. Prospective counselors go through a comprehensive application process which includes a background check, an intensive application, references, and a personal interview with one of the camp staff. An extensive training program is provided at the start of the summer season. Staff members are trained on topics such as child development, how to recognize, prevent, and take action against bullying, behavior management, risk management, emergency procedures, Bible Study, and much more. During the summer, staff are supervised and evaluated by members of our camp leadership team and full-time staff. Check out Our Staff page for more information.
We strive to provide the best possible experience for your child. We carefully recruit and screen to cultivate the most adept counselor staff possible. While there are some variations from time to time, the vast majority of our cabins maintain a 6:1 camper to counselor ratio. This allows us to create a meaningful experience and maximize the time campers get to spend with their role models in small groups. Check out Our Staff page for more information.

Financials

Does Cho-Yeh offer Scholarships?

Yes! It is our heart at Cho-Yeh that finances never prevent a child from experiencing Camp! Check out how to apply or how to give.
Families may pay out their camp fees over a period of time. All fees must be paid in full no later than 30 days prior to your session. Contact the Cho-Yeh office, (936) 328-3200, for questions regarding payments and balances due.

Camp Life

What does a typical day at Cho-Yeh look like?

Campers stay busy at camp! From Bible Study, team competition, activities, and evening programs to cabin devotional at bedtime, our day is packed with fun! Check out our Daily Schedule!

One of the most significant elements of the camp experience is learning independence. It’s hard to be apart, however, kids adjust to camp life much more easily than we often assume. Typically, we find that there are many more kidsick parents than homesick campers! If a camper does become homesick, hearing a parent’s voice can intensify sad feelings. Therefore, we do not have campers talk to parents on the phone or allow visitation from parents.

Kids spend on average 52 hours a week in front of an electronic screen. We believe in teaching kids how to be extraordinary without being tied to electronic screens, so we do not allow phones, video games, or other electronic devices, except digital cameras. This policy gives children the gift of a technology-free environment — a place where campers, counselors, and staff are fully present with each other, transporting them to a place where we can forge relationships that last a lifetime.

Absolutely! Campers may submit up to two names for their cabin mate request. The campers requesting each other must be no more than ONE grade/year apart. While we do our best to honor cabin mate requests, we cannot guarantee that your request will be granted. We will allow for a group of 3 to request to bunk together so no camper is left out. If there are 4 or more total campers wishing to be housed together, the parents must decide among themselves how to split the group into 2 or more groups of campers.

YES! All indoor facilities are equipped with A/C and heat.
If the rain is light and steady, and there is no risk of lightning, campers will still be able to walk to the activities and programs planned for the day. Our full-time staff monitor the weather at all times and check to make sure lightning and heavy rain is outside of the set range around camp. If lightning does happen to come within the designated range, then we will make sure all the campers and staff are safe inside a building. We will then proceed with pre-planned activities that are in place in the occasion of needing to be indoors.

First-Time Families

May we see camp before my child comes?

Cho-Yeh hosts Camp Tour Days throughout the spring. These are free events to come and check out Camp Cho-Yeh! It is a great opportunity to bring your children to see what camp is like before they come for their session. The Cho-Yeh staff will be available for any questions you may have. Tours typically take about an hour. Individual tours can also be scheduled by calling the Cho-Yeh Office, (936) 328-3200, and are available during the week as well as on weekends. Once the camp season begins in June, tours will not be given while summer campers are on site.
Cho-Yeh hosts Camp Tour Days throughout the spring. These are free events to come and check out Camp Cho-Yeh! It is a great opportunity to bring your children to see what camp is like before they come for their session. The Cho-Yeh staff will be available for any questions you may have. Tours typically take about an hour. Individual tours can also be scheduled by calling the Cho-Yeh Office, (936) 328-3200, and are available during the week as well as on weekends. Once the camp season begins in June, tours will not be given while summer campers are on site.