Camper Essential Functions

These are the qualities, skills and traits that all campers should have to access programming at North Star Camp. 

If a camper does not have a quality, skill,and trait as listed below, then discussions between parents and directors will be needed to see if reasonable accommodations can be made during the camper’s time at camp. 

• Campers must be able to physically navigate the spaces around camp. This includes but is not limited to: gravel or dirt roads, grass and stairs. They should have the physical stamina to move frequently between spaces and activity locations. 
• Campers must have the emotional and behavioral abilities to participate in medium and large group activities, and stay engaged with the activities, without one-on-one support provided by staff. 
• Campers must have the ability to understand, remember and follow all safety rules at camp. 
• Campers must have the verbal and emotional skills to navigate through conflict and negative feelings by using and sharing their words with others and without ever resorting to violence. 
• Campers must know how to self-soothe following a negative feeling or emotion. 
• Campers must be able to follow verbal multiple-step directions with a high degree of success.
• Campers must be able to maintain their own daily hygiene self-care tasks without hands-on assistance (brushing teeth, showering, toileting, changing clothes.) 
• Campers must be able to sleep in a bunk bed, cabin space with 8-15 other campers without significant aids such as movies, lights, technology devices. 
• Campers must be able to eat all meals in a large group setting. At times, the environment where campers eat will have elevated noise levels. During meals, campers must independently plate their own food and choose options that will help sustain their energy needs. There will be multiple food options available. Campers must be able to find suitable foods from the ones that are provided. 
• Campers must be able to complete daily camp routines and activities without the use of screen technology devices. 
• For campers who have ongoing medical or mental health conditions, they must have a basic understanding of their own condition and be able to communicate about it with appropriate camp staff. Campers should also be able to identify and recognize when they are having symptoms associated with medical or mental health conditions and tell others in order to seek help or treatment. If they require outside or virtual medical treatment while they are at camp, their condition should not remove them from the camp schedule more than one time per week.