If you find a camp on or off this list that your child is interested in, contact the camp directly and see if they have full or partial scholarships for low-income families or at-risk youth. Make sure you get whatever forms you need and work with the child’s caregiver to get the child registered. If there is a cost, talk to your Advocate Supervisor to see if the CASA Children’s Fund can pay for the camp.
Types of Camps:
- Day camp: Camp that usually runs during the day, the child spends the night at home.
- Overnight camp: child spends the day and sleeps at the camp at night. Some camps for a weekend, some for longer.
- Price: Partial and full scholarships available
FREE and Inexpensive Summer Camps for CASA Youth
- Location: Watsonville
- Ages: 3 to 12 years, depending on the camp
- Type: Day camp
- Price: FREE for all
- Contact: Jessica Ridgeway at 831-728-2032, lefdpdirector@gmail.com
More Information: They have Farm Camp, Art on the Farm Camp, Farm to Table Camp and Sprouts Camp. More information available at http://www.liveearthfarm.net/discovery-program/programs/farm-camps/
- Location: Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive in Aptos with field trips to local beaches, etc.
- Ages: 6 to 11 years
- Type: Day camp
- Price: Scholarship available. Contact your Advocate Supervisor.
- Contact: Yolanda at 465-3359 or yolanda@tlc.org
More Information: Kruz Kidz offers five weeks of Adventure Camps and four weeks of Discovery Camps for campers entering 1st through 6th grade. (Surf and computer discovery camps are available for those in 7th grade.) Fun skits, field trips, and Wacky Wednesdays during Adventure weeks, or for Discovery weeks with 23 different camps to choose from, from sports, cooking, dance, art, science and more! They also offer a Junior Counselor camp for campers entering 7th-9th grade.
Camp WOW
- Location: Watsonville
- Ages: 5 to 12 years
- Type: Day camp
- Price: CASA will pay camp cost of $225
- Contact: For more information, call 831-768-3240
More Information: Day camp run through the City of Watsonville. Have scholarships for low-income families.
Lizzy Fowler’s Adventure Camps
- Location: Circle Church 111 Errett Circle Santa Cruz is the home base, but the camps involve a lot of field trips. Other locations include Henry Cowell Park, Santa Cruz Main Beach, Delaveaga Park, Natural Bridges State Park, Neary Lagoon, Santa Cruz Natural History Museum, and Harvey West Park.
- Ages: Different camps for ages 7 to 13 years
- Type of Camp: Day camp
- Price: Scholarships available through the Kay Trust. Camps range between $75 up to $200 a week
- Contact: Liz at lizzyfowler@aol.com
More Information: Camps are designed to expose children to a variety of activities in Santa Cruz, and build the confidence of each child in a supportive and empowering environment. Teamwork, Fun, and Respect are important themes throughout our activities.
Camp Erin
- Location: Mount Hermon
- Ages: 6 to 17 years
- Type: Weekend camp
- Price: Full Day Weekly: $140, Half Day Weekly: $80 no field trip/$105 with field trip, Scholarships are available
- Contact: Cindi Gray at (831) 430-3039 or CampErin@HospiceSantaCruz.org
More Information: Camp Erin is a FREE, weekend long grief support camp that is designed to help children and teenagers ages 6-17, who have experienced the death of someone close to them. Camp will be held October 9-11, 2015.
- Location: Boulder Creek
- Ages: Up to 17 years
- Type of Camp: Overnight camp
- Price: FREE for all
- Contact: call (831) 338-3200 or email: info@camphammer.com
More Information: Christian Camp – Recreational
- Location: Wilderness summer camp situated on 400 private acres in the heart of Northern California’s Trinity Alps.
- Ages: 10 to 17 years
- Type of Camp: Overnight camping trips
- Price: Regular Price is $300/week. Discounted price for CASA Youth is $100/week
- Contact: Sarah Camp, Director of Camp Unalayee (650) 308-4453 or email friends@gocampu.com
More Information: As a wilderness summer camp, Unalayee is proud to have introduced thousands of kids to backcountry living while maintaining an impeccable safety record. Kids in our summer camp programs learn about themselves as they learn to live in the wilderness. The rugged terrain of the Trinity Alps provides a challenging and dramatic backdrop for wilderness adventure.
- Location: Santa Cruz
- Ages: 8 to 13 years
- Type of Camp: 6 days and 5 nights, overnight camp
- Contact: To get your child into Camp Opportunity, contact your CASA youth's social worker.
More Information: Camp Opportunity is a residential camp for children at risk of abuse or neglect and is located in Santa Cruz, California. Many of the campers currently live or have lived in foster care, and all come from families facing serious issues. For six days and five nights, campers enjoy a wide variety of activities amongst the redwoods, such as swimming, hiking, soccer, archery, arts and crafts, photography, and much more. Campers also participate in a unique skills building class, designed to increase self-esteem, teach problem solving skills and encourage self-expression Evening activities include an all camp Capture the Flag game and performances by such favorites as the Bubble Man. And every night ends with a campfire, skits and an energetic song session.
Other places to check annually for camps for youth include:
- The Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce at www.santacruzchamber.org/cwt/external/wcpages/facts/camps.aspx
- The Watsonville YMCA at www.centralcoastymca.org
- SC Junior Lifeguards www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27056
