Cary Academy Summer Quest
2015 Program Overview
CAMP LOGISTICS
Camper Profile
Cary Academy Summer Quest will offer half and full day camps for rising grades 2 through 12. Camps will be grouped by as
follows: rising grades 2-3, rising grades 4-5, rising grades 6-8, and rising grades 9-12. Additional mini-session camps will be
offered from 4:15pm to 6pm for grades 9-12. There will be no exceptions to this grade grouping in order to ensure a
developmentally-appropriate experience for campers. Beginning this year, our participants in rising grades 9-12 will have
their own “camp within a camp” experience. Programs, lunch, and extended care for this age group will physically take
place in a separate location and staffing, programming and activities will be provided that is targeted to this age group.
Cary Academy welcomes campers of all abilities as long as they are able to participate in camp with reasonable
accommodations and do not significantly adversely impact the experience of other campers.
Dates and Hours of Operation
Camp Weeks
Summer Quest will offer 5 week-long camp sessions beginning on a Monday and ending on a Friday as follows: June 15 to
19, June 22 to 26, July 6 to 10, July 13 to 17 and July 20 to 24. There are no camps the week of June 29 to July 3.
Main Camp Hours
Half day camps run in both the morning (9am to 12pm) and the afternoon (1pm to 4pm). Full day camps run from 9am to
4pm. High school mini-session camps run from 4:15pm to 6pm. The camp day will begin with an opening assembly (songs,
skits and camp highlights) from 8:30am to 8:55am and end with a closing assembly (slide shows, songs and camp
celebrations) from 4:05pm to 4:30pm. Both assemblies will take place in the Sports and Education Annex (SEA) Gym.
Instructors will be responsible for picking up campers from opening assembly and bringing campers to afternoon assembly
each day.
Lunch and Extended Care Hours
Centralized lunch care supervised by Summer Quest staff takes place each day between 12pm and 1pm. Campers in lunch
care are picked up from morning camps, brought to lunch and then returned to their afternoon camps by Summer Quest
staff. High school participants (rising 9-12) will have their own lunch location and experience separate from all other
campers.
Centralized extended care supervised by Summer Quest staff is offered to extend the camp day for our working families.
Before care is offered from 7:30am to 8:30am. After care is offered from 4:30pm to 6pm. A healthy snack and drinks are
provided to campers during aftercare. Parents must sign up for a full week at a time; extended care is not available on a
day by day basis.
Camp Fee Structure
The standard weekly fee for camps will be as follows:
 Half day camps - $195
 Full day camps - $390
 Mini-session camps (grades 9-12) - $140
 Before Care - $30
 After Care - $50
 Lunch Care - No charge (only available to campers who are with Summer Quest for the full day)
1
Instructors and partners should plan their camps using this fee structure. Any requests for changes to this fee structure will
be evaluated on a camp by camp basis and must be approved by the Cary Academy Auxiliary Programs Director.
Instructor/Partner Payment Structure
All corporate partners will be paid 65% of net registration fees for each camp delivered. All independent contractors and
individual instructors will be paid 60% of net registration fees for each camp delivered. All corporate partners, independent
contractors and instructors will be responsible for purchasing supplies, guest speaker fees, field trip costs and other campassociated expenses. Cary Academy will bear the full cost of registration and credit card processing fees (the $10 per
registration fee has been eliminated).
Net registration fees are defined as registration fees collected less:
 Early bird registration fee discounts (for a limited time) and various marketing discounts (offered until April 1);
 Cary Academy 50% employee discount (no more than 2 per camp);
 camper refunds;
 Background checks conducted for partners by Cary Academy ($69 per check);
 Charges for Summer Quest staff requested to assist in the camp setting (2015 rate is $10 per hour in 30 minute
increments); and
 Any other mutually-agreed upon adjustments.
Payment will be made to partners and independent contractors on the Wednesday after the end of the camp session. Cary
Academy employee instructors will be paid through Cary Academy payroll on the last working day of each month for camps
completed by the payroll deadline that month.
Camp Registration
Online camp registration will open on Tuesday, February 10, 2015. Camp registration and extended care registration will
close each Wednesday at 5pm for the camp session that begins the following Monday. All campers must register through
the Summer Quest online registration tool. From the time in which registration opens in February until the end of the camp
season, Summer Quest maintains a fully staffed office and phone presence to assist camper families with camp registration,
questions and concerns.
Cancellation of Camps
The Summer Quest marketing plan is multifaceted to include various means of program promotion until April 1. After that
time, camps with low numbers will be reviewed and final decisions on camp cancellations will be made on a rolling basis no
less than three weeks prior to the first day of the camp session. Cary Academy reserves the right to cancel a camp for low
enrollment or for other operational reasons. No payment or reimbursement will be made to partners or instructors for
camps cancelled within the established timelines.
Marketing
Summer Quest has a robust and multi-facet marketing program that includes the following:
 Targeted mailings and email blasts to our database of over 2,500 families;
 Radio and print ads that reach potential customers in the Triangle market;
 A full website and dedicated website address for just the Summer Quest program;
 A full and dynamic social media presence including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram;
 Camp fairs, school based and corporate;
 Strategic partnerships with larger Triangle employers; and
 A Summer Quest t-shirt provided to each camper (with a new design each year).
2
In addition, an engaging online and print catalog is designed each year with the goal of exciting our returning and new
families and providing them with the information they need to select us as their primary summer camp destination.
We do make use of early bird and other selective marketing discounts to encourage registration in our programs. Increased
enrollment as well as earlier enrollment is beneficial to both Cary Academy and instructors from a financial perspective; for
this reason, the cost of all discounts is shared by both parties in accordance with the established payment structure.
Our programs are well-respected in the community and the Cary Academy Summer Quest brand carries a long-standing
reputation for innovation, excellence and hands-on discovery, learning and fun. For this reason, any use of the Summer
Quest or Cary Academy brand or logo in partner, contractor or instructor marketing and promotion must be approved in
advance by the Summer Quest Director. The same holds true for the distribution of any marketing or promotional
materials or items to campers or parents in the camp setting.
Insurance Requirements and Coverage
All corporate partners will be required to provide Cary Academy with a Certificate of Liability Insurance evidencing a
comprehensive general liability policy with limits no less than $1 million per occurrence/$2 million aggregate. In addition,
evidence of worker’s compensation insurance that meets legal requirements is also required for partners employing more
than one instructor at Cary Academy. Higher limits may be required of camps that carry a higher level of risk; this is
determined by the Summer Quest Director. We must be provided with a Certificate of Insurance listing Cary Academy as a
named insured no less than 6 weeks prior to the first day of the camp session.
Corporate partners and independent contractors should note that Cary Academy’s insurance coverage for its Summer
Quest program does not extend to them. You should evaluate your camp program(s) and situation and take the steps
necessary on your own to meet your specific risk management needs.
CAMP OPERATIONS
Camp Program
The camp programming provided is the very core of what makes Summer Quest different from other camp experiences. To
that end, instructors are expected to deliver programs that include the following:
 Engage campers through hands-on experiences that allow learning to happen in a fun and relaxing manner; limited use
of lecture and other standard classroom delivery methods;
 Age-appropriate delivery that allows campers to engage content at their level;
 Ongoing instructor-camper interaction, support and encouragement;
 A camp environment that is safe both physically and emotionally;
 Camper behavior guidelines, expectations, and consequences that are developmentally-appropriate, respectful and
matched to a short-term camp setting (as opposed to a year-long classroom setting); and
 Use of technology and multimedia that is directly tied to the program (not being used as a tool to fill-in camp time).
Off Campus Activities and Transportation
All Summer Quest instructors are encouraged to provide experiential learning opportunities for their campers which might
include off campus activities. Cary Academy has a fleet of buses available for camps that can be scheduled in advance. All
drivers must be authorized to drive a bus; bus training is provided in May. Use of transportation other than Cary Academy
vehicles must be submitted through the proposal and needs to be approved in advance by the Summer Quest Director. At
least two staff must be present at all off campus activities.
3
Camp Ratios
Summer Quest camps require a minimum 10 to 1 camper to staff ratio. For camps in rising grades 2 – 3, two paid staff must
be present at all times. In addition, all off-campus activities must have two staff. Staff includes Summer Quest lead
instructors, co-instructors, and assistant instructors as well as paid Summer Quest staff. Summer Quest volunteers (also
known as Leaders In Training or LITs) do not count towards this ratio. Their responsibilities do not allow them to supervise
campers or be left alone with campers at any time.
Staffing Structure
Lead Instructors
Each camp must have a minimum of one designated lead instructor. Lead instructors must be at least 21 years of age and
are required to have expertise and skill in the camp curriculum as well as demonstrated experience in working with
campers of the camp’s designated age group.
Co-Instructors and Assistant Instructors
For corporate partners who choose to hire additional staff to serve as co-instructors or assistant instructors, note that all
additional instructors must be at least 16 years old to assist in the camp environment and must be appropriately trained for
the camp in which they are placed. In addition, they must attend the mandatory Summer Quest training. The placement of
family members as co-instructors or assistant instructors is highly discouraged and must be approved by the Summer Quest
Director in advance. In such cases, these individuals must be at least 18 years of age.
Summer Quest Supplemental Staffing in Camps
Cary Academy hires a number of high school and college age students to assist with camps and extended care. All staff are
interviewed and go through a strenuous selection process to ensure the most qualified and experienced staff are hired. All
Summer Quest staff complete at least 8 hours of training in advance of opening day and many have one or more years of
previous camp volunteer experience. Our Leaders-In-Training (camp volunteers) also go through a thorough selection
process and attend the same amount of training. Each instructor will have the opportunity to request paid staff or LITs (our
volunteers) to assist in the camp setting. Note that staff and volunteers are available on a limited basis; priority is given to
the nature of individual camps, taking into consideration the order in which staff and volunteers were requested.
Other Individuals in the Camp Setting
Summer Quest does not allow individuals including volunteers, visitors or camper or instructor/staff family members in the
camp setting unless their presence is a part of the camp experience (presentations, demonstrations, performances, etc.).
Any individuals that are brought into the camp setting must be supervised by the camp instructor at all times and may not
be left alone with campers for any reason.
Background Checks
All Summer Quest instructors (lead, co-instructors and assistant instructors) must complete a background check and
provide evidence of that check to Cary Academy by May 1. Corporate partners may conduct their own background checks
on their employees as long as the check meets the criteria established by Cary Academy. Alternatively, Cary Academy can
conduct these background checks at a cost of $69 per employee to be charged back to the corporate partner. Owners or
principals of the partner organization who will also be camp instructors must have their background checks completed
through Cary Academy at the partner’s cost. Cary Academy will conduct the background checks for all independent
contractors and individual instructors and bear the cost of these background checks.
Instructor Training
All Summer Quest instructors (lead, co, and assistant) will be required to attend a training session that will be
approximately 2.5 hours long, to take place during late May and early June. Multiple dates will be offered; these dates will
be announced in late January.
4
On Mondays of each camp week, lead instructors are required to attend a brief meeting and pick up keys, first aid bags and
other camp information. This meeting will take place from 8am to 8:10am for morning or full day camps and 12:05pm to
12:15pm for afternoon camps. Instructors teaching both morning and afternoon camps are required to check in at both
meetings.
Instructor Work Hours
Summer Quest instructors are required to be available to work from 8:45am to 12:15pm for morning camps, 12:45pm to
4:15pm for afternoon camps, and 8:45am to 4:15pm for full day camps. Instructors are also expected to devote whatever
additional time is needed to set up their camp spaces and activities such that they are ready for campers each day upon
arrival. In addition, all instructors must attend the mandatory Monday meeting as discussed above. On Friday, instructors
must remain until their camp space has been restored to its original condition, all technology has been organized for pickup
as directed and all keys, bags and other pertinent camp information have been turned in to the Summer Quest office.
Dress Code
All members of the Summer Quest team including staff, volunteers and instructors are expected to comply with the camp
dress code that has been established for both safety and professional reasons. In particular, all team members are
expected to wear Summer Quest t-shirts and name badges at all times. Partners or contractors may not substitute their
own branded t-shirts for Summer Quest t-shirts.
Technology, Equipment, Resources and Supplies
Cary Academy has an inventory of tablet computers and other equipment that can be used to enhance the camp
experience. Cary Academy Summer Quest encourages a one to one camper to tablet ratio. The following technology tools
are available:







Tablet Computers and Mice
Smartboards, Data Projectors w/ Screens, or wall mounted 70 inch LED TV (to project from computer or DVD)
DVD Players and CD Players
Headphones and Microphones
Digital Still Cameras and USB Camcorders
Transparency Overhead Projector
Printing and Scanning (for in-camp projects only)
Availability of all items is limited to the quantity on hand and must be requested in advance by established deadlines.
Priority will be given to camps that require such items as a part of the camp experience. Beyond this, technology will be
assigned in the order in which it was requested.
Cary Academy has a number of specialized camp settings available including science classrooms, athletic facilities, theater
spaces, and a commercial kitchen. In addition, we also have a limited number of microwaves, ovens, sinks, refrigerators
and other items available for Summer Quest camps. Due to the limited quantity of such spaces and equipment, requests
for such should be indicated in camp proposals.
All instructors will be responsible for setting up classrooms with tablet computers, turning them on and off each day, and
handling and storing them properly. Instructors will be held financially liable for loss or damage to Cary Academy facilities,
technology, and equipment due to their negligence.
5
Cary Academy Summer Quest instructors will need to provide the following:
 VGA adapter from computer to the data projector or TV for projection
 Specialized software or technology hardware
 Specialized equipment, tools, and supplies needed to carry out camp curriculum
 All printed materials needed for camp
 Any other items not listed above
Summer Quest Office and Operations Support
Summer Quest provides significant support to our partners and instructors during the entire camp season. A fully staffed
central office is open from 7:30am until the last camper goes home each camp day. Such support includes:
 Centralized registration and customer phone support for camper families
 The handling of parent inquiries and concerns
 Safety, emergency response and first aid needs
 Before care, after care and lunch care for campers
 Instructor support including camper accommodations, serious camper behavior issues, technology and facilities
and transportation assistance, and other camp operations needs
6