JCC Summer Camp Registration Opens

The weather may be cold and blustery right now, but it won't be long before the warmer months of summer will be here. That means it's time to start registering for the JCC Summer Camp.

On Feb. 1, the JCC's Summer Camp brochure will be made available online, with registrations beginning Feb. 8. Rachel Fox, JCC Camping Services director, stressed that camp fees are remaining the same as they were for the 2007 season. "We reviewed parent surveys from last year, and learned that keeping fees accessible was a high priority," she said.

"Every JCC Summer Camper participates in fun, age-appropriate activities throughout the week including arts and crafts, Judaics, high ropes course, boating, sports, free swim, outdoor survival and more," she added.

JCC Summer Camps, accredited by the American Camping Association, offer camping options for ages 3 to 25. For example, there is:

• Camp Yeladim - a camp for children ages two through three years, eight months (by Dec. 1, 2007), offered at three JCC locations: JCC College Avenue in Bexley, JCC North in Dublin, and JCC New Albany.
• Camp Ora - for campers ages three (by Sept. 30, 2007) through entering Kindergarten, and Camp Chaverim - designed for campers entering Kindergarten through third grade, both offered at the JCC College Avenue location.
• Camp Shemesh - for campers ages three years, nine months (by Sept. 30, 2007) through entering second grade, at the JCC New Albany.

In addition to typical day camp activities, campers at the JCC College Avenue location receive swim lessons by certified Red Cross instructors in the JCC pool. Camp Chaverim campers also are given time each afternoon for free swim.

If spending the day outdoors in the woods, hiking, climbing, swimming, riding bikes, or making art is more your campers' style, then the JCC's Camp Hoover, located on the shores of the Hoover Reservoir in Westerville, is the perfect solution.

Camp Hoover, designed for campers entering 4th through 8th grades, is located on a 28-acre rustic woodland. It boasts beautiful woods, boat dock, high ropes course, swimming pool, bathhouse, pavilion, basketball court, bike trails, athletic fields, archery range and art area.

Camp Arye, located at the JCC College Avenue and the JCC Camp Hoover locations, is for children, teens, and young adults between the ages of 3 and 25 with special needs, including physical, cognitive, emotional, developmental, and learning disabilities. Camp Arye's staff embraces each participant's individuality, and supports campers in an effort to focus on their abilities and to challenge themselves to achieve both new and existing goals. Children transition between adaptive physical education, adaptive movement, music, Judaics, adaptive art, swim lessons, socialization and free swim.

Camp Arye's staff-to-camper ratio of 1:3 ensures campers the opportunity for adventure and accomplishment with the safest supervision standards. Families also may provide their own aides if they feel their children will benefit from a one-to-one ratio. In addition, a registered nurse or an American Red Cross certified first aid provider is at each of the camp sites during hours of camp operation.

In addition, the JCC offers Specialty Camps for children in Kindergarten through 8th grade. For one week, these camps focus on particular activities, including Circus, golf, tennis, basketball, flag football, soccer, cheerleading, skateboarding, clay and craft, cooking, and magic, as well as a Summer Kick-off Camp and a Post-Camp Safari.

The JCC offers flexible enrollment options to meet the needs of busy families, as well as transportation and extended childcare. For more information, click here to visit the JCC Summer Camp website.