We’re excited to announce that JCC Brooklyn Summer Camp 2021 for ages 4-15 will be open! In light of COVID-19, please view the video, below, to view what changes we’ve implemented during the Summer 2020 season as we worked to ensure the safety of children, families, and staff. Dr. Emily Byne, JCC Brooklyn parent and Child Development Specialist, can answer many of the questions that you may have.  Please contact us at camp@jcc-brooklyn.org or 718-407-6377 for any questions

FAQ

As of March 1, 2021

Looking to build off the success of Summer Camp 2020, where we are proud to announce that there was not a single reported confirmed case of COVID-19, we know our plan for Summer Camp 2021 will be even more exciting due to having last year’s experience on the record. JCC Brooklyn will be adhering strictly to all NYC and NYS COVID-19 regulations for Summer 2021

To aid you in your decision-making process and help answer your questions about the modifications we’re making, we’ve compiled this handy Q&A.

Does JCC Brooklyn have the permit to operate camp during Summer 2021?

Yes, the JCC Brooklyn Summer Day Camp has already received its permit as a result of forward planning from the moment Camp 2020 concluded.

Are you really going to be able to effectively promote social distancing within your facility? How can groups effectively be managed?

JCC Brooklyn Summer Day Camp’s location and facilities lend themselves to social distancing. The Fort Hamilton Army Base in Bay Ridge gives us 177 acres of usable space, which includes sports fields, two outdoor swimming pools, indoor gyms, theater, bowling alley, and bike trails. This amount of space — a rare commodity in Brooklyn — allows us to place campers in groups of no more than 15*, rotating between indoor and outdoor activities every hour. Separating groups into different zones will help to ensure limited contact with other campers and will help to effectively contain any potential spread of the virus.

*subject to CDC guidelines

Did you say 15 campers per group?

Yes, 15 campers MAXIMUM per group is the CDC’s suggested guideline. As the world begins to slowly re-open, we will continue to be mindful of camper exposure to outside pods (i.e. pool, sharing a large shared space by individual sectors) to help contain any potential spread of the virus.

Can you please go into detail about your plans for personal protection for campers & staff, sanitization procedures, and medical protocols?

Our top priority remains the safety of our campers and staff. Guidelines are constantly being updated and we will keep families up to date with changes. In 2020, the following applied and will continue unless otherwise noted in future publications:

Medical form and COVID-19 waivers are required for each participating camper.
Temperature screens will be required DAILY before entering the facility.
Select staff members who will undergo individual training to conduct screenings in the proper manner and will be assigned this post on a daily basis.
All staff will be required to wear protective face coverings while on shift.
Sanitizing and hand-washing stations will be located in all classrooms, field spaces, and active usable camp spaces. Bathrooms will be deep-cleaned frequently with personal attendants on duty to provide cleanliness checks.

How will trips and transportation work?

We do not yet have a concrete answer, as guidelines have not been released in relation to allowability of trips. Rest assured we are prepared in either case as we have our incredible staff creating trip itineraries in the event clearances are granted.

Morning and afternoon transportation will follow a similar format from 2020 on our air-conditioned buses. Camp families will be provided with a list of pre-determined stop locations to select from if interested in utilizing these services. Please note that our stops have been designed to limit the amount of travel time on each highlighted route.

Detailed bus transportation guidelines will be released as they become available.

What kind of activities should we expect to see in camp this year with all of these new guidelines being promoted?

Having the Bay Ridge Campus as our location allows us to continue our fantastic activities as we bring specialists directly to us! We are putting a keen focus on providing campers with awesome specialty activities led by professionals in their fields. These include:

Arts & Crafts

Swimming

Improv & Acting

Sports*

Science & STEM

Biking, Skating

Nature

Theater

Dance

Bowling

Computers

Martial Arts

Music

Check back frequently for our exciting updates as Summer Camp 2021 will surely have some incredible new surprises.

We want to mention that swimming in 2021 may follow a similar format from the previous camp year. It will be a bit different from an operational procedure standpoint, as groups will be heavily limited while utilizing pool space.  Locker rooms will be utilized in sections with additional spaces constructed to provide a social distance-friendly changing location.

While group activities will be separated across the base, how will lunch and food distribution be handled?

Campers will eat lunch in the same groups of 15 with individual eating spaces in a picnic-style group that adheres to all social distancing guidelines.

My child has a pre-existing medical condition. Does this mean that he/she cannot attend camp?

This is a question that is very difficult to answer. The CDC has noted that children with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart conditions and breathing issues face a much greater risk of complications from COVID-19. While the decision of whether to send your child to camp is, of course, a personal one, we must note the severity and the risk associated with a summer camp for children with underlying medical conditions.

Will communication procedures to families be updated this year?

Communication has always been a key talking point for our programs. Families will be sent up-to-date correspondences whenever a relevant piece of information, both camp and procedural (COVID-19), becomes available.  Our office staff will be on call daily from 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. with emergency numbers and contact emails provided for outside of standard business hours.

I want to register for camp, but I do not know what the state of the world will be like then. What do I do?

This is perhaps the billion-dollar question, and truth be told we are in the same predicament as you are in our knowledge. It is for this very reason that we have established a refund policy that states the following:

If we cannot operate the camp, we will be offering full refunds to our families. You will additionally have the option to roll over your child’s tuition to any future program or donate it back to camp.

In the event that camp begins as scheduled, the refund policy will adhere to the same standard as previous years with deposits Fully Refundable until June 1, 2021

We’d be happy to answer any questions that you may have. Please contact us at camp@jcc-brooklyn.org or 718-407-6377