January 2022 Update (NOTE: There are modifications to previous COVID policies)

 

Ijams Nature Center is excited to welcome campers and families in 2022!

 

As Ijams prepares for camp to begin, the nature center continues to modify its practices to ensure that programs will be offered safely for everyone involved. As such, all parents/guardians of participants attending Ijams camps are responsible for understanding and following the important safety guidelines concerning COVID-19.

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Key Safety Practices

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1. Participants will complete daily health screenings.

2. Participants will follow proper hand washing and hygiene etiquette.

3. Face masking will be optional, and is highly encouraged when indoors.

4. Participants who are sick or have been exposed to contagious illness will be distanced from other participants and staff, and removed from camp programming.

5. Policies and practices are subject to change leading up to and during camp.

 

1. All participants and staff will be expected to complete a health screening upon arrival each day. 

 

In addition to having campers’ temperatures taken with a forehead thermometer, the screening will include questions for campers and/or parents to answer such as:

 

• Is the participant experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, aches, chills, sore throat, headache, shortness of breath, cough, nausea?

• Has the participant tested positive for COVID-19 or been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19?

• Has the participant been asked by a health professional to self-quarantine?

 

Campers, parents, or staff who have household members who are displaying symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed at camp until cleared by health officials. Parents or guardians may have to bring a camper home upon check-in at the beginning of the day if they do not pass their health screening. 

 

2. Ijams will continue to follow best practices regarding general safety and hygiene for campers and staff.

 

• Before and after eating any food, as well as after restroom use, participants will engage in hand-washing strategies that include washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Ijams staff will provide hand sanitizer to participants if soap and water are not immediately available.

• Participants will use hand sanitizer before and after handling shared activity materials. Program materials also will be thoroughly sanitized following use and allowed to dry before further use.

• At Nature Discovery Camp base (Visitor Center), public bathrooms with private stalls and sinks are readily available and cleaned daily.

• At Nature Adventure Camp base (Mead’s Quarry), private, individual-use bathrooms, handwashing stations, and private changing rooms will be provided and cleaned daily to offer participants separate bathroom, hand washing, and changing areas from the public.  

 

3. Wearing a face covering will be at the discretion of program participants for outdoor programs. Participants are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering while indoors.

 

4. Campers and staff who are exhibiting signs of illness or who have been exposed to contagious illness, including COVID-19, will be asked to stay home or be sent home.

 

• If a participant feels sick or has flu-like or COVID-19 symptoms before coming to camp for the day, families shall keep them home and contact Ijams. 

• If a camper becomes sick during a camp day or experiences any physical, mental, or emotional challenges that prevent them from participating safely in camp, parents or guardians will be contacted and asked to come get them.

• If a participant is displaying symptoms of COVID-19 during a camp day, they will be isolated from other campers and staff by a distance of at least six feet, and sent home with instructions to contact their physician for further guidance and testing before they are allowed to return to camp.

• It is expected that families will maintain an open line of communication with Ijams staff if a camper has been in contact with someone who is exhibiting flu-like symptoms, has tested positive for COVID-19, or is currently waiting for COVID-19 test results.

• Parents and staff are expected to notify Ijams of any positive COVID-19 test results within 24 hours of receiving them. Ijams will then notify the Department of Health, which will supervise contact tracing efforts.

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5. Ijams will continue to follow best safety and health practices, which are subject to change at any time.

 

Ijams staff will update families enrolled in camp about any changes to policies, including COVID-19 mitigation, either during camp or in the preceding months, and will work with all families, campers, and staff to find appropriate solutions to health and safety concerns.

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Thank you in advance for your continued support and swift communication during this time so that Ijams remains able to offer meaningful outdoor experiences to all youth in its summer camp programs.

 

Please contact Youth Programs Manager Lindsay Whitaker at +1865-577-4717 ext. 1012 or lwhitaker@ijams.org if you have any questions or concerns.