Welcome to our Outdoor Classroom!

Camp Jewell YMCA serves more than 5,000 students per year through our Outdoor Center. In the spring and fall we offer ample opportunities to enjoy the miles of trails at camp and to participate in many of our recreational, educational and teambuilding programs. With two separate facilities that can host groups up to 600 students we tailor or program to meet YOUR needs. Our entire staff team is focused on ensuring that your stay at camp, no matter how long or short, leaves you with memories that last a lifetime.

Our dedicated program director will meet with your school to design a program that meets the needs of your curriculum and students. We have programs that range from one day field days up to four night, five day overnight trips. Our foodservice staff is happy to accommodate most food allergies and special dietary needs and will work with you to ensure that every child’s needs are met.

Our School programs are generally split up into four categories:

Teambuilding

The Camp Jewell YMCA Teambuilding Program consists of a series of challenges for individuals and groups, requiring problem solving, communication, cooperation, trust and teamwork for their completion. The challenges draw on the strengths and commitment of each member of the group. Our staff will help you refine goal setting and explore the importance of trust and communication all while having a great time! Through large and small group games, cooperative activities, problem-solving challenges and trust building activities, students have the opportunity to come to know themselves, their peers and their teachers or group leaders in a new way.

We build our programs around “Challenge by Choice”—a guideline that teaches participants to choose their level of participation within their own level of comfort and ability. The lessons learned can be directly translated back to the classroom.

High Ropes

In addition to our low ropes activities, Camp Jewell YMCA has four high ropes elements that are spread out around camp. This enables us to serve different groups of students at the same time, and allows each group to focus on their own goals and their high ropes experience without distractions from others. All of these facilities are facilitated by our highly trained and certified staff.

Our Vertical Play Pen is a challenging ropes element that promises no two climbs will be the same. Two participants work together to try and reach the top using suspended tires, rope ladders, beams and ropes. Each level offers several options for getting to the next level and by working together students learn more about their classmates as well as themselves.

The Giant Swing involves the participant being attached to a cable that is pulled up by their team to the height of their choice. When ready, a release cord is pulled and the participant swings. By involving the entire group, and allowing the participant to choose the challenge of their choice, all students experience success together.

Our Zip Line crosses over Triangle Lake and then back again with a focus on the entire group supporting each other!

Finally our “Erratic” High Ropes course is named after the glacial erratic rock which forms the starting point to a unique team building based high ropes course.

In addition to these high ropes elements; Camp Jewell YMCA is home to two outdoor climbing walls. Mount Wood is located on main camp, while our larger climbing wall, Mount Meggido, is over 45 feet tall and can be found at Hide-A-Way Ranch.

Recreational Programs

Camp Jewell YMCA offers a wide variety of recreational programs that can be combined with any of our teambuilding or educational programs, or you can have a purely recreational visit to camp. We use our year-round facilities and wilderness areas for many different recreational adventures, and our 40-acre Triangle Lake is home to many waterfront activities– even in the winter months!

Educational Programs

In addition to our teambuilding and recreational programs, we offer a wide variety of educational programs at Camp Jewell YMCA. These programs focus on learning about specific topics, but in a fun and hands-on way.

 

We would love to talk with you about bringing your school to Camp Jewell YMCA. If you have questions or would like to check current availability please call us at 888.412.2267 or email camp.jewell@ghymca.org.