Amid pandemic, some camps go virtual, in-home
Oklahoma summer camps may permanently change based on adjustments made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma, New Life Ranch, the University of Oklahoma's Camp Crimson and Science Museum Oklahoma have made changes based on pandemic health concerns, including new procedures and virtual experiences.
Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma, a nonprofit youth development organization, is offering two camp-at-home options, which include five camp activities with associated videos and “discovery time” videos for each day, said Penn Henthorn, director of programs and camps.
One at-home option includes interactive sessions in addition to the videos and activities to provide the social
aspect, Henthorn said.
“(Kids) need to build new connections and new friendships,” Henthorn said. “In this time (of) their life, they're doing a lot of personal development. They're learning who they are. We're allowing kids to grow. And this is a critical time for them to do that, for their mental
health, but also for just their personal development.”
At home camp option costs $80 and the full camp experience is $130.
Henthorn said administrators at Camp Fire Heart made the decision to make the programs virtual before spring break as the pandemic began progressing. While the administration hopes to eventually return to inperson sessions, Henthorn said the new at-home programs may allow those who can't attend due to health or personal reasons to choose that option in the future.
Unlike other camps, New Life Ranch in Oklahoma will continue its in-person program with new health and safety guidelines.
Executive Director Tom Graney said parents are asked to begin taking their child's temperature 14 days before attending New Life Ranch, and campers are asked to be mindful of where they go before attending the Christian camp.
Campers will now be divided into different “neighborhoods” within the camp to avoid excessive contact, and group activities have been limited to activities within each neighborhood, Graney said.
“I think some things that are different that we had to do, we'll say, hey, that's a really good thing (and) we'll keep doing it,” Graney said.
Administrators will evaluate the changes at the end of the summer to decide how to move forward, he said.
At Science Museum Oklahoma, the K-12 summer camps will adjust by doing more activities outside and using two large classrooms that were built while the museum was closed, spokeswoman Lindsay Thomas said.
The museum also launched SMO at Home, a set of science-related videos that allow individuals to learn from home, during its closure, Thomas said. New videos will continue to be added.
“We'll continue to update that space for the foreseeable future, and we're excited to have that as a resource for families and for teachers who are looking for different ways to continue to explore science,” Thomas said.
Cost for pre-K and kindergarten campers is $100 per week for museum members and $125 for nonmembers. For campers in grades 1-6, the cost is $225 per camper for members and $250 for nonmembers.
Camp looks different this year even at OU. Its new student orientation program, Camp Crimson, will transition from an in-person program to a six-week program over
Canvas, the learning platform OU uses to structure classes, said Bridgitte Castorino, assistant director of student life.
The new program will be flexible, allowing the students to complete modules on their own time, and groups will be chosen based on interest, Castorino said. While the goal of Camp Crimson has not changed, some aspects of summer 2020's camp may be seen in the future camp sessions.
“If things are successful, I can see us definitely taking them and utilizing them in the future,” Casterino said.