Keep it social while physical distancing! Join us on Facebook to stay connected during this isolation period.
If you create something based on a camp prompt please share follow-up pictures, artwork, or written expressions with me (Corrine, the Camp Director) to compile into a special edition Camp Newspaper for the history books. Let’s show future generations how resilient we were during this difficult time. You can email submissions to crb222@cornell.edu. Thank you, and be well!
Makers Monday
Try an activity or challege from our Activity Guide
Trivia Tuesday
Test yor knowledge with a fun camp fact or question.
Wednesday Wisdom
Practice an Attitude of Gratitude with us by sharing what you are grateful for
Throwback Thurs.
Share your fun pictures and camp memories with us!
Campfire Fridays (3pm)
Interactive virtual session for families. Register.
Did you know? 4-H Camp Shankitunk is a part of the NYS 4-H Camp Network with nine Overnight 4-H Camps and many more 4-H Day Camps. And right now, while schools across the state are closed down, our camp family is offering some pretty awesome, fun activities online. Each day, one (or more) of the camps will be offering something unique, fun and exciting for you! You do not need to be a 4-H member, or even a former/current camper to enjoy these activities! Anyone at all can tune in and enjoy some great activities. From shelter building to cooking, to crafts to nature walks, there is something for everyone. Check out the schedule of activities, below:
Sundays – 4-H Camp Overlook
Mondays – 4-H Camp Shankitunk
Tuesdays – 4-H Camp Bristol Hills
Wednesdays – 4-H Camp Wyomoco
Thursdays – Hidden Valley 4-H Camp
Fridays – Dorothy P. Flint 4-H Camp
Saturdays – 4-H Jefferson County, NY and 4-H Camp Wabasso
Check out these amazing opportunities and we hope you enjoy being a part of the bigger 4-H Camp world! #NYS4HCampsForAll
Refunds for Summer 2020:
We are offering full refunds to anyone who has already registered. While this will be financially devastating to 4-H Camp Shankitunk, it is the right thing to do. There are two alternative options if you are able to help support camp during this time. You can defer your payment to next summer or elect to donate any portion of your camp fee to cover our non-variable operating costs, including maintenance, utilities, insurance, and supporting year-round employees who depend on their camp employment. If you chose the option of a donation we are eternally grateful to you for your generosity. Please complete our reimbursement form to let us know how you would like to handle your camp fee for 2020.
Resources
Activity Guide for Families – We’re sharing some of our favorite activities from 4-H Camp Shankitunk for children, parents, and families to use at home. This guide contains both indoor and outdoor activities. It is a guide to connect with your child and the world around you in a peaceful and intentional way during this stressful time.
Supporting Children’s Emotional Well-being during the COVID-19 Pandemic (From Child Trends)
How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (From the Girlscouts)
Internet Safety Tips for Kids, a video from YMCA Camp Kitaki and Stomping Ground
Closure Announcement: May 18, 2020
Dear Camp Community,
It is with a heavy heart that 4-H Camp Shankitunk announces we will not open our facility for summer 2020. Trying to decide if camp should open or remain closed is not a decision we have taken lightly and has been a difficult process. In the end, we took some time to think back on our mission; to provide a safe, fun, and educational experience in the outdoors. Safety is our number one priority. Each and every camper and staff member is precious to us and the risk of jeopardizing your safety is not one we feel is appropriate to take when there is still much to learn about gathering together safely as NY begins to re-open in the coming weeks.
Another factor in this decision was fun. A camp without hugs, team challenge, swimming in the pool, gaga, 4square, eating shoulder to shoulder at picnic tables, silly skits, campfire circle, vespers, meeting new friends in your classes, or any one of the amazing traditions seemed unfathomable to us. We considered several scenarios and kept coming back to the realization that it wouldn’t be camp as we all know and love.
While we are heartbroken, we remain #ShankitunkStrong and recognize that we can do hard things; like finding new and exciting ways to share camp with the world because the world needs camp right now. You are experienced in the ways of Shankitunk and that campfire light burns in your heart even when you are away from camp. We hope you will stoke the fire and keep it burning bright until it is safe to gather at camp again. More so, we hope that you will share your light of Shankitunk with the world. Teach someone your favorite camp game or song, give warm fuzzies, set the table at home, find opportunities for new adventures and getting outside, be a team player in your community. You are brave, strong, resilient, and we are proud of each one of you.
That said, Covid-19 may have closed our facility, but it cannot cancel connection! We are actively putting together some alternative programming opportunities and invite you and your friends to connect with camp in that way this summer. We will get through this together, one day at a time. We would love to see your camp memories, photos, T-shirts new and old, a camp song sung at full volume, and campers getting outside this summer! It will remind us (and all of you) that the camp spirit lives on even when we are not physically at camp.
We are offering full refunds to anyone who has already registered. While this will be financially devastating to 4-H Camp Shankitunk, it is the right thing to do. There are two alternative options if you are able to help support camp during this time. You can defer your payment to next summer or elect to donate any portion of your camp fee to cover our non-variable operating costs, including maintenance, utilities, insurance, and supporting year-round employees who depend on their camp employment. If you chose the option of a donation we are eternally grateful to you for your generosity. Please complete our reimbursement form to let us know how you would like to handle your camp fee for 2020.
Thank you all for your unwavering support during this difficult time. We are looking forward to seeing camp stories and photos from you, and planning an incredible summer 2021. Please reach out to us directly anytime at Shankitunk4hcamp@cornell.edu or (607) 865-6531.
Warmest regards, John, Corrine, Cathy, & The Shankitunk Staff