WELLNESS AT CAMP

Keeping campers physically healthy is our top priority. Simple preventative steps make a big difference: wearing sunscreen and bug spray, eating a balanced diet, and getting a good night’s sleep, for starters. We ask campers to wear closed-toed shoes after 8 p.m. every night and hold weekly all-camp tick checks! (Kids are reminded to check all those warm, moist places on their bodies, which usually gets a lot of giggles.)

Health Center (a.k.a. Infirmary)

Walden employs three camp health officers (CHOs)—non-medical professionals—and houses rotating doctors-in-residence who change weekly (MDs, DOs or NPs). Our health center is stocked to handle common camp medical issues: bites, bruises, colds, and sore throats, e.g. The camp doctor oversees “sick call” immediately following breakfast and after dinner for campers with medical concerns.

Medications

Daily prescription and over-the-counter meds must arrive at camp pre-packaged, via the CampMeds pharmacy. This system, and a medication-management fee structure, will be presented to you in the late winter and the information available in your CampInTouch account.

State law requires that all medications, except for emergency inhalers and Epi-pens, be kept in the health center. This includes over-the-counter pain killers, inhalers used daily, herbal remedies (such as melatonin), and allergy and cold medicines. The camp health officers will deliver morning medications at breakfast, lunch and dinner, so no trip to the Infirmary is necessary—this includes daily asthma “puffers” and multi-vitamins. In the evening the CHOs deliver nighttime medications to counselors during evening programs. If your camper takes a regular dose of medication any other time of the day, they will visit the Infirmary.

Braces and Glasses

Campers whose braces break or become uncomfortable during the summer will be taken to a local dentist for treatment or to the orthodontist in Petoskey. If your child wears glasses, please be sure to send either an extra pair or the prescription (or both!).

Arriving Healthy

It’s vital that you send your children to camp well-rested and illness-free! Group living situations provide a mecca for contagious illnesses and infestations. A child who arrives at camp in poor health puts many others at immediate risk. We ask that you let us know if your child has been exposed to any communicable diseases in the weeks leading up to camp (flu, chicken pox, head lice, etc.) Our health officers visually screen all campers within 24 hours of their arrival.

Pre-camp lice checks are required for all campers. These checks must be performed by a trained technician. Have your camper checked for lice no more than five days before camp starts (If s/he is arriving on a Monday, then Thursday would be the first day for a check). Walden works with various Lice Check professionals who deliver to us the list of children checked. We will send emails specific to this issue before camp starts.

diversity, equity, inclusion

Walden understands that a relevant camp community requires the harmonies of many voices—not only those that inspire, but also those that instruct and challenge. We strive to be a camp where diversity is celebrated and supported, and where each camper and staff member is provided the resources and opportunities to succeed. Our mission of teaching empathy and respect is incomplete if it only serves those who think and look like we do. We believe that our camp can be anyone’s camp, and that our greatest strength lies therein.

Walden is an Equal Opportunity Employer that hires qualified staff regardless of their race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.