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Wekiva Youth Camp

All of the information you need on Leadership Training, Open House, Campers,

Volunteers,Staff and Scholarships are located on our Forms Index Page.


Campers Today, Environmental Leaders Tomorrow !
wekiva youth camp

Wekiva Youth Camp is a residential nature camp, comprised of six one-week sessions.  Our camp is located in the Wekiwa Springs State Park at 1800 Wekiwa Circle, Apopka, Florida, 32712-2599, WYC Phone:  407-884-2019, Ranger Station 407-884-2009.  Scholarships are available based on financial need and deservedness.  Awarded on a first-come basis, Garden Club sponsored.  Wekiva Youth Camp is accredited by the American Camp Association. 

FFGC Wekiva Youth Camp is non-profit and self-supporting.  Camp fees cover housing, meals, sports, waterfront activities, programs, staff salaries and administration costs. The highly qualified Camp Director is assisted by a Staff of Senior and Junior Counselors. The Director and the Staff plan and supervise the camp sports program, field trips and special day/evening programs.  Adult Garden Club Volunteer specialists from all over the state lead programs that emphasize nature study, conservation and crafts.  We welcome participation without regard to race, color, religion or ethnicity. 

Special programs Camp Wekiva offers special programs to children who are completing 7th and 8th grades:

The 7th grade program offers campers the outdoor experience first-hand. Campers get a taste of truly living in nature, spending 2-3 days and nights at a camp site less than a mile from the main camp. They learn how to tent camp, cook over an open fire, and build everlasting friendships while learning the importance of teamwork, as well as about nature and the natural environment.  Away from the rest of the camp, boys and girls learn the true meaning of responsibly and determination in a fun and adventurous environment.

The 8th Grade Program is also known as Environmental Education (EE). EE focuses on building leadership skills which will stay with boys and girls long after their week at Camp! These skills are fostered through the week as campers learn to canoe, an activity which will help them learn team building, communication, and problem solving. Campers also learn and see first hand the importance of Florida's water systems and the human impact upon them.

Activities offered include swimming, canoeing, synchronized swimming, field sports/Tribal Activities, nature study and crafts, hiking, orienteering, Woodsman skills, team building games, gardening, exploring, talent/skit nights, Native American heritage, wildlife studies and speakers, bicycling, nature photography,camp songs and campfires & s'mores, and more.

Our Purpose
 

Our purpose at WYC is to instill a love and respect for wild Florida in our youth, who are the future of Florida.  WYC is accredited by the American Camp Association(ACA) and FFGC partners with the Florida Parks Service to maintain the camp.

    Our Campers

The camp is for Kindergarten through 8th grade students, with accommodations for 104 campers on a weekly basis.  Critter Camp is for the K-2nd graders, and serves as an introduction to camp for our youngest campers.  Wekiva Leadership Training Weekend is a session offered once a year for planning and preparing for the upcoming Camp Session. Prices are kept at affordable rates and Volunteers are welcomed; it is not necessary to be a Garden Club member to be a Volunteer at Camp!

All who attend or serve at our camp have an unforgettable experience teaching youth about nature, crafts, and the art of enjoying the beauty of the natural world in a magical, beautiful and pristine setting. At Camp our boys and girls enjoy a unique outdoor living and learning experience, with close supervision. They explore the beauty of wild Florida and enjoy the plants and animals of Wekiva. They create beauty from nature with crafts using bits from the natural world. they discover the importance of conservation for the future of our state and our planet. Our motto for our youth is, "Campers Today, Environmental Leaders Tomorrow."

Registration

Camp registration forms can be found on our forms page and sent to Registrar Chas Barber, 169 Lakebreeze Circle, Lake Mary, FL  32746.  For Registration information email Chas at wekivaregistrar@gmail.com or call Chas at 407-574-8009.

Informational Inquiries Only: Sue Angle at sueangle@comcast.net or 941-351-1103

You may also contact the following as contact persons: 


John Morand, Wekiva Youth Camp Director, E-mail:  campwekivadirector@hotmail.com
 
Sue Angle FFGC Wekiva Youth Camp Chairman , sueangle@comcast.net, phone 941-351-1103

Note:Youth Camp is for those who have completed 3rd grade through 8th grade.  Critter Camp is for those who have completed K through 2nd grade.

John Morand, Director & Mickey Quigly Assistant Director
Wekiva Staff:

Chairman:  Sue Angle FFGC Wekiva Youth Camp Chairman , sueangle@comcast.net, phone 941-351-1103

Director:  John Morand, Wekiva Youth Camp Director, E-mail:  campwekivadirector@hotmail.com

Registrar: Chas Barber, 169 Lakebreeze Circle, Lake Mary, FL  32746, E-mail: wekivaregistrar@gmail.com, Camp Phone 407-574-8009

Instructors:  Garden Club volunteers and paid staff.

Camp Nurse:  Garden Club volunteer  - trained in nursing

Counselors: 11th & 12th grade & college age selected.

CIT Counselor in Training:  9th & 10th graders.

Swimming instructor:  Paid qualified instructor

Security person

Cook and helpers
Who: Camp is for those who have finished 3rd grade through 8th grade.  Send a child that is interested in nature and who likes the outdoors. Open to all races, religions and national origins.  Campers do not have to be a Florida resident.

Location: Wekiwa Springs State Park, Apopka, FL.  Just north of Orlando. Wekiwa Springs Road, off State Road 434.  Our telephone number at camp  is 407-884-2019.

Cost includes:  Lodging, meals, crafts, canteen, and nature study supplies.

When:  Six weeks from mid June through July.

How many campers:  Up to 104 each week.


Camper Fees 2009


Camper NOT sponsored by a Garden Club   $ 275.00

Camper sponsored by a Garden Club           $ 200.00

Child/Grandchild with Camp Volunteer           $100.00

Activity Fee                                                   $  35.00 per camper

Registration Processing Fee                             $5.00 per camper



Can you identify the following?






How about this one?



You will learn to identify animal prints, like this deer print above, and also many wildflowers like this scull cap.

Letter from John Morand

Wekiva Youth Camp Director

 
Greetings!
 
Having been a camper in Michigan, a counselor in Ohio and an Assistant Director at Camp Wekiva, I have met some of the finest people I have ever encountered through my participation with youth camps. Summer camps seem to attract a really neat and dedicated blend of people who enjoy being outdoors, working with others who share that same enthusiasm, and, most importantly, enriching the lives of children.
 
Wekiva is a wonderful camp in so many ways! My hope is to help continue to build upon its already-rich history of educating youth about the natural environment in Florida and providing a setting for fun and true friendships to form and evolve.  Perhaps someday, more and more of our former campers and counselors will say that Wekiva Youth Camp was their inspiration for choosing environment-focused college majors and professions, enabling them to study, learn even more and eventually educate others about it.
 
We are beginning now to prepare for a terrific summer, with new faces and new ideas, building on the great tradition and history of previous years. We will WELCOME our campers, staff and volunteers with enthusiasm and energy for the '09 Camp Session!
 
John Morand
 
 
John's Background
    *  Born in Detroit, Michigan
    * Attended Camp Sancta Maria for seven years as a camper
    * Counselor at Camp Campbell-Guard in Hamilton, Ohio
    *  Attended University of Cincinnati-Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
    *  Social Worker for six years(four in Ohio, two in Michigan)
    *  Sales for three years in Ohio
    *  Attended Ohio State University-Master of Education in Educational Theory and Practice
    *  Teacher for the past nine years in Ohio and Florida
    *  Supervising Teach and Team Leader
    *  Currently Behavioral Resource Teacher(called a Dean in many schools)
    *  Family:  Wife Donna-Occupational Therapist, children Olivia(10) and Ben(8)
    *  Interests: Outdoor activities(camping, canoeing) and sports.  Currently play hockey,     
       softball and coach soccer








Wekiva Youth Camp Photos















Critter Camp Photos

K - 2nd grade












WEKIVA YOUTH CAMP

Join us at Camp Wekiva January 30, 31 & February 1, 2009 and while enjoying the peace, tranquility and beauty of Wekiwa Springs River Basin with new and old friends alike, witness first hand what a wonderful opportunity FFGC offers youth through our nature camp.

Wekiva Leadership Training

If you love nature, the outdoors, creating crafts, teaching leadership and camping skills, working with our youth.....
Whether you plan to volunteer for summer camp or just want to enjoy a “Garden Club Weekend Away”--“WLT” (Wekiva Leadership Training) IS FOR YOU!!!

Bring a Friend! You don’t have to be a Garden Club Member to experience WLT!
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DATE:    January 30, 31 and February 1, 2009
TIME:      Begins Friday 1pm, Ends Sunday 12 noon, followed by Open House 1 – 3pm
PLACE:   Wekiva Youth Camp, Wekiwa Springs State Park
COST:    $65, Includes great food, lodging, activities
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•    Explore and experience camp curriculum, wildlife encounters, and nature at its finest in the beautiful Wekiva River Basin setting
•    Practice planning and preparing for the 2009 Camp Session
•    Have a FUN time as you interact with other Wekiva volunteers
•    Learn teaching strategies for working with youth
•    Follow this link to attend the Wekiva Volunteer Leadership Training Weekend.



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