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camp faqs

camp faqs

you have questions… we have answers!

If you can’t find what you need below, or if you’d like help with scheduling… just email us at camp@curiousjane.fun. You can also call or text us any time at 347.770.0420.

We know parents do things at odd times of the day… if it’s after-hours, your voicemail comes to our email – very handy! Think of it as your CJ Camp Concierge.

how does curious jane camp work?

At Curious Jane, the experience is all about building confidence through making things. In other words… thinking with your hands!

Camp registration is on a weekly basis, and campers sign-up for their favorite *theme* each week – like Spy Science, Kitchen Chemistry, Room Makeover and Toy Design. Our campers are actively working on their theme projects for the main portion of each day.

All our projects revolve around science + engineering + design, with different themes designed for different age groups.

Depending on the location, we have options for rising K-1st graders, 2nd-3rd graders and 4th-6th graders. Rising 7th-9th graders can join us for our CIT (counselor in training) studio program.

IN SUM – Choose your location, your week(s), and your theme(s)… and you’re ready for some serious summer fun!

who is it for?

Curious Jane Camp is for girls who like to make things!

At camp, we work with age groups entering K-1st , 2nd-3rd and 4th-6th grades. 

Our camps are open to anyone who identifies as a girl. 

The question of Curious Jane “for girls” or “open to all” is one we consider constantly and thoughtfully.

We are delighted to include everyone in our project-making in some areas – like parties, after-school programs and online workshops.

At camp, we are appreciative of the all-girls environment as a place of confidence-building. And we are respectful of families who specifically look to Curious Jane as an all-girls space. We are in favor of gender- and identity-affirming environments that are places of connection and positivity. We just happen to work with girls.

what is the daily schedule? what do i need to know?

The camp day is 9am – 3:30pm.

Early-bird starts at 8am. After-camp goes until 5pm.

Camp is a full-week experience, so we don’t offer drop-in days or pro-rated weeks. The camp week is designed as a full arc from start to finish. And we always end Friday with a Museum Tour for campers to share their projects with each other!

A typical day looks like this ––

9:00 – drop-off and welcome activity
9:30-10:30 – project time
10:30-10:45 – healthy snack break
10:45-12:15 – project time
12:15-1:00 – lunch break and outdoor play
1:00-2:00 – project time
2:00-3:00 – all-camp collaborative activity
3:30pm – wind down, pack up, pick-up

Campers bring their own lunches and water bottle, and we provide snacks. We don’t take field trips or go off-site; we are *way* to busy making things! And we don’t have swimming, but when it’s super hot, we may have water play!

Though campers are working on their theme projects for a majority of the day, classroom time is active and full of energy. 

who is leading it? who is behind it?

Leading CJ at Camp

We create amazing staff groups for each Curious Jane location. The Director ovesees camp; Instructors lead the classes, and Counselors assist in a thousand ways.

Our staff is all-female, and we extend our mission of building confidence, providing leadership opportunities, and inviting creative collaboration to all ages.

Directors have backgrounds in education, and have been part of the Curious Jane community for multiple summers. They know camp from the ground up and bring a wealth of experience with them.

Instructors also have (or are earning) degrees in education, and are fun, creative and ready to lead *and* learn.

Counselors are college-age students who have strong experience working with children.

Each staff team represents a spectrum of backgrounds, experiences and personalities. It’s the CJ way!

Behind CJ Year Round

We’re a small, strong team. Samantha, our Founder, coordinates all the moving parts and connects everything together – she has 20 years all-girls and camp experience. Elissa, our Super-Creative Director, oversees project design and content pacckaging. Alia, our Director of Camps and Programming, creates the curriculum, hires the staff teams, and oversees summer operations. She has her background in international education, and – even at her young age! – has spent 14 years with Curious Jane. Lauren, our Director of Denver Operations, has been with us almost as long! She translates everything CJ to the Colorado community, and grows our programs out west.

what about health and safety (including COVID vaccination)?

Camper health and safety is always the top priority at camp. We keep the setting safe so we can focus on the fun. Staff are trained in CPR / First Aid and review all camper health information prior to camp.

Campers are required to provide a standard health form and health insurance information.This is easily submitted, at any time, through the online registration system. (you can sign up first, submit later).

The health form can be whatever your pediatrician provides, and the exam needs to be from within a year of program attendance. You do *not* need to get a separate exam or have a separate camp form signed.

If your child has medications, allergies or any additional physical, mental or emotional health needs we should know about – please tell us! This is incredibly helpful for us to make sure your child has a positive, fun and safe experience at CJ.

• • • • •

COVID Vaccination Policy for Summer 2022

UPDATE as of Feb 1, 2022 ––
All staff and volunteers are requirerd to be vaccinated. Campers (under the age of 12) are strongly  recommended but not required to provide proof of vaccination to attend camp.

This is why  –
We expect that almost all of our attending campers will have beenn vaccinated. However, there are some families who are not able to vaccinate their children due to other health conditions and risks and / or due to having the antibodies. We do not want to exclude these children from an experrience at camp. And we are fully prepared to provide for everyone’s safety.

We ran in-person programs in 2021 (prior to vaccine availability for the 5-11yo grroup) and did not. have a single positive case. All our staff, families and host venues participated in health protocols for the good of the community. 

• • • • • 

Campers who do not provide proof of vaccination, are asked to provide a negative COVID test rresult prior to the start of the camp week. Each morning during the camp week, these families will complete a simple health-form online daily. This policy is set given current antipcated state of safety in Summer. If and as things change, we will adjust accordingly.

• • • • •

Further details on our Summer 2021 ––

During summer 2021 (prior to vaccinations for 5-11yo) we deligently followed safety protocols specifically designed for COVID, and did not experience a single positive case in the CJ community. Thank you families!

Our 2021 COVID guidelines are below:

• All staff were fully vaccinated.

• Campers provided a negative COVID test result prior to their first week with us.

• All campers and staff completed a daily health questionaire via MyMedBot app, and temperature check as needed.

• We reduced classroom size to ensure proper social distancing.

• All classrooms were well-ventilated and cleaned daily.

• We observed mask-wearing at all times indoors.

• Campers worked from individual work stations and supplies, and class groups operated as pods.

• In the event we had experienced a positive case within the CJ community – we would complete the appropriate reporting, immediately notifiy families and observe contact tracing.

what is the cost? do you have scholarships?

Weekly cost varies by location due to different classroom rental rates in different areas.

Brooklyn locations are $645/week.
Manhattan locations are $695/week.
Denver locations are $495/week full day, and $295/week half day. $25 materials fee.

Cancellation Policy
The deposit to reserve your space is $100/week and is non-refundable. Any additional payments made are refundable before June 1. Balances are due June 1, and after that date, no refunds can be made.
• In the event that in-person camps are cancelled due to reasons outside our control (such as shut-down mandates), we will transfer your deposit to online programming or hold it on your account as a credit.
• In the event that Curious Jane cancels a program due to enrollment, refunds will be honored.
• If a family needs to cancel or change weeks, we will apply any payments to new programs if available.  

Scholarships
While we don’t have a formal scholarship or financial aid package, we do try to work with families on an individual basis to help make it possible to attend.

Our business has been greatly impacted by COVID, so our budget is not what it typically is, however, we encourage you to email us – and provide as much information as you can – if you are in need of a tuition reduction.

what is the cancellation policy?

Let’s break it down! And please know, we are here to help. We know schedules are ever-shifting, especially this summer.

1// Registration Deposit + Balance Due June 1
There is a $100/week deposit required upon registration. The balance is due June 1, and is automatically charged to your card on file. If you need change, just let us know!

2// Schedule Changes + Cancellations
Once you are registered with us, we can help with any changes in weeks, locations or class themes. You will *not* lose your deposit due to these changes.

3// Refunds
The deposit is non-refundable, but it is fully transferable to different weeks or open balances. For example, if you registered for 3 weeks, and need to cancel 1, we can apply the deposit to the open balance on the 2 weeks you are keeping.

If you need to make a full cancellation before June 1, we will retain the deposit as a credit on your account. If you need to make a full cancellation after June 1, we are not able to make a refund.

All of this is to say — if you want to grab some weeks, do sign up! Think of it as “pencilling it in” on your calendar, and let us know any changes you need to make.

how do i sign up?

We’ve moved to a simpler system to allow you to sign-up and check-out directly from our site.

Head over to our camp registration page. Scroll the full set of options or use the location filter to find the specific ones you’re looking for. You can register for multiple weeks (or multiple) children at once. 

what is the deadline?

Registration is open and rolling. However, we recommend registering sooner rather than later.

And if you need to switch locations, dates or classes, we can always help you with that on our end. As long as space is available, we’ll make the transfer.

can i be in the same group as a friend?

Absolutely! Just sign up for the same week, same class and you will be together.

You can also list your friend in the “friend request” field at registration, so we have a heads-up.

what if my schedule changes?

Email us with your child’s name, and any details about scheduling conflict or changes – we’ll make the switch and / or send you options.

These past 18 months have proved life to be a series of curves and swerves. And Curious Jane is always committed to working with families in the best way we can.

If you need to switch weeks or classes, change from in-persom to online (or vice versa) or have an issue of greater impact… please be in touch. We can help and make changes on our end, to lessen the scheduling strain. As long as their is availability, we can be nimble.

how can i reach you?

The best way to reach us is via email. That’s camp@curiousjane.fun

There are two of us, Alia and Samantha, working on an individual basis with each family, so please do be patient, and thank you in advance!

You can also call or text – 347.770.0420. Please know we are often working remotely, and email will bring a faster response.

Email also allows us to have an incredibly useful path of communication, so that as each of us replies, we can access your camp account for details, and have a clear picture of everything we need to know for your family, specifically.

We are good spirited, optimistic, and excited about what we have designed. And we are also deeply impacted by COVID 19. We are receiveing a lot of undertstanding and support from our families, and we are grateful!

what about middle school students (counselors-in-training)?!

In Brooklyn and New York – girls entering 7th-9th grades can join our C.I.T. STUDiO program at all our New York locations. Please pop over to read more about it here.

In Denver – girls entering 7th-9th grades can participate in the CIT program. 

All or our CIT programs are fee-based programs.

Rising 10th-12th grade students may join us as volunteers at camp, and students who have graduated high school can apply for a counselor position.

what about high school students (volunteers)?

This summer we are able to once again offer the Volunteer position for rising 10th-12th grade students, and there is a simple online form that you can use to apply. 

The volunteer position is a bridge between the (fee-based) CIT program for middle school students, and the opportunity to become a counselor (a paid staff position) in future summers. It is a strong experience … and, a fun one! … and can be an excellent growth experience to include on college applications.