CAMP VALUES AND RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
The activities, expectations, and decisions at camp are intentional and driven by our core values of Community, Attitude, Respect, Empathy, and Safety (or C.A.R.E.S, as we like to call it). These values are connected to everything we do at camp, and we expect campers and staff to uphold these values each day in their words and actions.
Camp is all about community, and the stronger the community the better the experience. YGP staff will lead daily community building circles to help create that foundation. We also know that conflict is a natural part of any community. YGP staff are trained in restorative practices, and conflict will be met with conversation, not punishment. Campers in conflict will engage in conflict circles, where they will learn to work through conflict as it arises, expressing what they feel and what they need to move forward at camp. Campers coming to YGP agree to engage in these restorative practices while a part of our camp community. YGP also uses Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS), which is a district and state supported behavior program also utilized at Helen M. Knight Elementary (HMK), to proactively teach and reinforce our values and expectations to all campers.
Ultimately, camp needs to be a safe and inclusive space for everyone. If a conflict ever becomes a safety concern, the Youth Programs Director will work with the families involved to determine the best course of action to keep everyone in our camp community safe. We reserve the right to require an adult to come pick up a camper whose behavior is posing risks to the safety and wellbeing of themselves or others, or is interfering with camp operations.
If a camper is barred from camp due to a safety concern, camp tuition will not be refunded for the remainder of the day or week. Deposits and payments made toward future weeks will only be refunded if the decision to bar the child from camp is made 30 days prior to the camp start date or if we are able to fill the child's spot.