FAQs - Schoolhouse of Wonder

Our Most Frequently Asked Questions

When is drop off and pick up?
Can I drop off or pick up my child outside of the specified times?

We always strive to accommodate our families as much as possible, but please understand that drop-offs and pick-ups outside of our designated windows are not always possible and advanced notice is required. Late drop-offs and early pick-ups pull staff away from the group, so our ability to accommodate these requests will depend on staffing levels, the number of campers, and the site location.
To request a time exception, please contact the appropriate Site Manager through email, phone, or in-person. You’ll receive a field phone number to reach the site staff directly about a week before camp. Most importantly, please confirm your request with our site staff the day before. Thank you for your understanding!
What type of activities do the campers do during the day? What does their day look like?

The biggest things to know about our days are that we spend as much time outside as we can, and for most days that means the entire day! We’re hiking, exploring, and adventuring as we play games, learn naturalist and bushcraft skills, create nature art, and enjoy water time or other weather-dependent activities. For a more indepth look at the camp day, please check out Preparing for Camp.
How do I cancel a camp registration?

First, please review our program policies for specific policies about cancellations and refunds. Then, make a written cancellation request to schoolhouse@schoolhouseofwonder.org. Once we have processed your written request, we will notify you of how we can proceed with your cancellation. If refunded via credit, your refund will be processed within 5–10 business days. ACH payments will be refunded either electronically or by check mailed to the address in your Amilia account.
Can my child be with a friend or can my child move age groups to be with a friend or sibling?

For most of our camps, there is a single camp group per age group. At times where we have two groups for an age group, we’ll send out an email asking for any requests ahead of time. Although we can’t guarantee friends will be in the same group, we’re usually very successful in honoring those requests.

If you’d like to request an age exemption for your child, you may email your request to schoolhouse@schoolhouseofwonder.org. We typically require campers to be the minimum age of the camp group by August 31st of that year. For example, a camper needs to turn 7 by August 31, 2025 to be in 7–9 year old camp for that summer. This means campers who are 6 years old can be in the 7–9 group a bit ahead of their birthday and campers who are 9 could be in the 10–12 year old group a bit before their birthday. We made this change to have campers align more closely with their grade cohort in the school system.
How do I add pick-up people to my child’s account?
To add folks as approved pick-up people, please log into your Amilia account and click Members on the left sidebar. In the Person dropdown, select the camper. Scroll down click Edit next to the Contacts section. Click the blue Add button and follow the prompts to add a new contact.

There are three categories of people who can pick up a camper:

Parents and Legal Guardians: The Amilia account holder is listed as the primary guardian and may add a second parent/legal guardian to their account.

Emergency Contacts: In the Amilia registration process, you can fill out emergency contacts for your camper. We will contact these people in an emergency if we are unable to reach the parents/legal guardian(s).

Additional Pick Up People: In the registration process, you can add up to three additional pick up people. People listed here would not typically be contacted in an emergency unless we were unable to reach any parent/guardian or emergency contact after multiple attempts.

You do not need to add the same person to more than one of these categories. If someone is listed as an Emergency Contact, they do not need to also be listed as an Additional Pick Up Person.

We only release campers to pre-approved people and take the accuracy of this information seriously. If you need help, please reach out to us!
What is your plan for bad weather (including rain, wind, and heat)?

Rainy days can be a wonderful opportunity for adventure! As long as the rain isn’t too heavy and the temperatures are manageable, we’re committed to hiking, playing, exploring, and creating. A rainy day may be the most memorable of the summer — an epic muddy exploration, finding a hidden salamander, or listening to the way the sounds of the forest change. Help your camper have a good day by sending them prepared to be outside, even in the rain.

Rest assured, all our sites have access to shelters to keep everyone safe and dry during rain, storms, or strong winds. You can find specific shelter details in our Guidebook.

While it’s rare for us to cancel camp due to weather, it may happen in extreme situations like flash flooding, hurricanes, or hazardous winds. If we’re concerned about weather impacting our programming, we’ll be in touch with you as early and often as we can. Thank you for your understanding!

Click here for additional information on how we deal with inclement weather!
What if my camper has medications? Do you have a medication form I should fill out before camp?

Please review our Medication Policy for details. The short answer is that we do administer medications that have been signed in following our protocols.

We ask all families to have updated and accurate medical information, including medication information in their Amilia account no later than one week before their camp begins.

Registration FAQs

Amilia & Tech FAQs

Camp FAQs

Field Trip FAQs

Registration FAQs

Can I get a discount for signing up for more than one session?

Yes! Most programs are eligible for a multi-camp discount when you register for two or more programs for the same child in the same order. Discounts automatically apply. Please note that discounts only apply to camps that are included in the same order.

Some programs may not be eligible for a multi-camp discount (i.e., half-day camps).
How do ages work for registration?

To register for a summer camp serving 5-12 year olds or CIT week, select the camp serving the age your child will be on August 31. For example, if your child will turn 7 years old on July 1st, they would typically register for 7-9 camps even if they will be 6 years old (6.9 year old) during the camp week.

For our Pre-K camps, campers must be 4 or 5 years old on March 31.
How does the Dirty, Tired, Happy Guarantee work?
What’s your Payment, Cancellation, Transfer and Refund Policy?
How do payment plans work?

We do have a payment plan option for summer camps. The first 1/3 of the total is due at purchase, the second 1/3 is automatically debited February 20th, and the remainder is automatically debited March 20th.

What if I purchase a camp on February 19th? You’ll pay 1/3 on February 19th, the second 1/3 will be automatically debited February 20th, and the remainder will be automatically debited on March 20th.

What if I purchase a camp on February 21st? You’ll pay 1/3 on the 21st and the remainder (the final 2/3) will be automatically debited on March 20th.

Unfortunately, we’re not able to offer payment plans for spring camps due to the final payment being after many spring camps have started.
Can I transfer my registration to a different week?

All transfers and other registration changes are dependent upon available space.

More than 14 days prior to the first day of camp: A $30 administrative fee will be charged per child, per change.

Less than 14 days prior to the first day of camp: We are unable to make any changes or grant transfer requests, except for adding aftercare.
Can I transfer my registration to another person?
Will I get off the waitlist?

It is really hard to predict how our waitlists will move. Some weeks a lot of people get off the waitlist and some weeks no one moves off the waitlist. We can’t guarantee which way it will go as it is dependent on other families. If you’d like to know where your camper is on the waitlist email us at schoolhouse@schoolhouseofwonder.org or call us at 919-477-2116.

Amilia & Tech FAQs

Looking for help with our Amilia platform? Look here for the most up to date help: Help Center

I didn’t get an email activation to set up an Amilia account?

If you haven’t received an email from Amilia to activate your account, first check your spam and trash folders to make sure it didn’t end up there. If you don’t find it, there are a few easy steps to try!
First, go to our Schoolhouse Amilia page and click ‘Login’ in the upper right hand corner. On the next page, click ‘Reset Password’ to test if your email address did get imported. Success? Follow the instructions to reset your password. If you see a red alert saying there is no account with that email, no worries! Just click ‘Create Account’ and follow the instructions.
How do I update information on my account?
To update your camper’s information:

Log into your Amilia account

In the Members tab, select the member’s name and scroll to the bottom.

The ‘Forms by organization‘ section lists the organizations for which a registration form has been completed for a member.

Click the blue triangle icon to view each section and Edit if you need to modify.

Save your changes.

Need help updating your information? Read more here!
I am registering both a camper and a CIT. How can I be sure they are in the same camp week?

You can register your camper and CIT at the same time! If you’re registering in Wake, please register your camper for the specific camp location and your CIT for Wake in general. Then you can shoot us an email to let us know you’ve got a CIT and camper in the same week. We’ll do our best to make sure they get to the same Wake location. We understand how important this is for families, and will do our best to make sure your scheduling needs are accommodated!
How do I print/download my tax receipt?
Once you log into your Ultracamp account, find and select the three lines in the upper left corner (the menu)
Select the drop-down menu (+) next to My Account
Select Finances
Select Print a Statement
Select the season you wish to view
Our Tax-ID can be found in the upper right corner if you need it.
Have any other questions? Give us a call or an email!
Am I required to pay the processing fee to pay by card?
Does my co-parent need a separate account to register our kids?
Unfortunately, having two adults on a single account is a challenge across many camp registration platforms. Currently, the answer is no, your co-parent cannot access the ‘family’ account under your name even if they are listed as the secondary parent/guardian. Amilia is currently working on a major improvement in this area that we hope will go live this year.

In the meantime, there are three work arounds we know of, each with pros and cons.

Some families have a single, shared email for stuff like this. Having a single, shared email would mean a single, shared Amilia account which two parents could log into. Obviously some pros (single account means no duplication) and cons (we can’t tell who made changes if anything gets messed up).

You could share your Amilia log-in info with your coparent. This would allow them to log in under your account, make changes to camper forms, payment methods, and registrations. Obviously some pros and cons (see #1).

Your co-parent can create their own account and you both can coordinate registrations. More pros (clarity on who is making changes) and cons (two accounts means duplicate campers in our system and a chance to double-register).

Camp FAQs

What does my camper need to bring every day?

Check out our Preparing for Camp section for a detailed list! Each day, we’ll ask your camper if they brought their four essentials: a lunch and two snacks, a water bottle, sunscreen and insect repellant, and water clothes and shoes. We recommend starting the day with sunscreen and insect repellant on.
Does my child need to be able to swim?

No, we do not require that any of our campers know how to swim, regardless of age. Our 5-6 year old campers are never in water deeper than their belly buttons. Campers aged 7 and older may occasionally enter water that is deeper, but they will always wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD), which we provide. Our staff carefully checks each PFD to ensure a proper fit for safety.
What kind of pocketknife should I buy for my camper?

We allow pocket knives to be used by campers in the 7-9 year old camp groups or older with parental permission. Please don’t send a camper in a Pre-K or 5-6 year old camp group with a pocket knife (we provide and use vegetable peelers instead!).
There are so many great options to choose from! Every knife is different. The only requirements are that the blade must be shorter than 4 inches, and it must be a fixed blade or have a locking mechanism on the knife — this ensures the knife can’t accidentally close while in use. Locking blades come in a few varieties including twist locks, button locks, lever locks and more.
If you’re looking for a pocket knife for your camper, let us know on your first day. We carry Opinel’s No. 7 My First Pocket Knife in our camp store!
What happens in the event of inclement weather?

Rainy days can be a wonderful opportunity for adventure! As long as the rain isn’t too heavy and the temperatures are manageable, we’re committed to hiking, playing, exploring, and creating. A rainy day may be the most memorable of the summer — an epic muddy exploration, finding a hidden salamander, or listening to the way the sounds of the forest change. Help your camper have a good day by sending them prepared to be outside, even in the rain.

Rest assured, all our sites have access to shelters to keep everyone safe and dry during rain, storms, or strong winds. You can find specific shelter details in our Guidebook.

While it’s rare for us to cancel camp due to weather, it may happen in extreme situations like flash flooding, hurricanes, or hazardous winds. If we’re concerned about weather impacting our programming, we’ll be in touch with you as early and often as we can. Thank you for your understanding!

Click here for additional information on how we deal with inclement weather!
How do you prepare for hot days?

The Southeast can get hot, but our camp locations are in forests that provide a cool canopy for campers to run, hide, and explore. To help everyone stay comfortable, we may reduce running activities to conserve energy, have extended water time in the creeks and rivers, stay in the most shaded areas, and have more frequent snack and water breaks. We keep a close eye on campers and make sure they stay fueled, hydrated, and protected from the sun.
What happens during an overnight camp?

Our camps with an overnight usually are regular day camp with one night of the week scheduled as an overnight camp out.
On the day of the overnight, your camper will bring everything they need for that day of camp, overnight, and the next day of camp. You’ll receive a detailed packing list before the camp week, but it generally includes two lunches and snacks, pajamas and clothes for the next day, a sleeping bag and pillow, medications taken at night, and a flashlight. Tents are optional and we usually have a fantastic time sleeping out under the stars!
After the regular camp day concludes, our staff will help campers set up their campsites. Dinner, provided by us, will be served before the evening activities begin. Past favorites have included classic Schoolhouse games with a nighttime twist, twilight water time, storytelling, and camper-led variety shows. As the night winds down, everyone will change and get ready for bed, and nighttime medications will be administered.
The next morning, we’ll serve breakfast (also provided by us), and once everyone has eaten and changed, we’ll kick off another exciting day of camp!
We always cross our fingers for clear skies, but in the event of inclement weather, we have alternate sleeping accommodations available. In some cases, we may need to reschedule or cancel the overnight portion.
How will you keep my child safe while they are in your care?
Physical and emotional safety is always our first priority and something we deeply think about, hire and train for, strategize for, analyze data about, and take really seriously. We’ve got a lot of big picture and micro-strategies we use in creating a safe community, and one of the most effective is that we value relationships so deeply. Each camper is a unique individual that we aim to genuinely see and know. It’s not hard to care about safety when you care about who you’re keeping safe.
Will your camper scrape their knee or be the once-per-summer camper who breaks an arm? Honestly, maybe. And at Schoolhouse, we find the benefits of kids running through the woods, developing decision making skills, knowing their limits, and managing risk outweighs the physical risks we often encounter. With 35 years of experience, we’ve developed a balanced approach that emphasizes trusting kids, encouraging personal growth, and ensuring their physical and emotional safety.
A few ways we ensure a safe and high quality program:
Competitive hiring practices that result in a dedicated, responsible, and caring team of mentors.
All staff maintain First Aid and CPR certifications, with many staff having advanced medical training or experience such as Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Wilderness First Responder (WFR), or Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).
Each staff member undergoes a comprehensive background check, including a National Sex Offender Registry search, to ensure a safe environment.
Extensive staff training on child development, behavior management, emergency response, bullying prevention, and more.
Annual training on recognizing and preventing child abuse and neglect, emphasizing the mandatory reporting responsibilities of all staff.
We maintain low camper-to-staff ratios to provide attention and support.
Educating campers about common hazards in the camp environment (e.g. poison ivy, biting/stinging insects, snakes, ticks).
An organizational emphasis on engagement that places our experienced staff right next to your child while they explore, learn, and grow.
Year-Round staff with over 150 years of direct experience in outdoor programming with children.
How do I prepare my kid for camp?
What if my camper has medications? Do you have a medication form I should fill out before camp?

Please review our Medication Policy for details. The short answer is that we do administer medications that have been signed in following our protocols.

We ask all families to have updated and accurate medical information, including medication information in their Amilia account no later than one week before their camp begins. To update your camper’s information, log into your Amilia account and select the camper you need to correct. Click on Other Questions to update their medication information.
The camp I am interested in is already full; is it worth joining the waitlist?

We highly encourage you to join the waitlist, as camp spots often become available. In some cases, we can schedule additional staff and create more groups if we have enough advance notice of interest. Your chances of securing a spot increase significantly by being on the waitlist!
Where are your camps held?

We are proud to offer camps in Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties. See our Camp Locations for more information on our camp locations!

Where are Durham summer camps held?

Since 1989, Schoolhouse has primarily operated our Durham camps at the 400-acre West Point on the Eno Park (5101 North Roxboro Street). We are excited to share that we are also now running camp programs at Eno River State Park. Learn about all our locations.

Where are Wake County summer camps held?

Schoolhouse of Wonder’s Umstead Loblolly Summer Camp and Umstead Whispering Pines Summer Camp are both held at William B. Umstead State Park, which is located in Raleigh. The park offers a variety of natural habitats, including hardwood forests, pine forests, and creeks, which provide an excellent setting for outdoor learning and exploration. Learn about all our locations.

Where are Chapel Hill summer camps held?

Schoolhouse offers award-winning summer day camps at Brumley Forest Nature Preserve. Nature-based themes change each week so a new adventure is always on the horizon. Learn about all our locations
Are there scholarships available to campers?

We understand that the cost of summer camp can be a barrier for some families. Each year we partner with individuals, businesses, and community organizations to make scholarship funds available to as many families as possible. Scholarships are available for both campers and CITs. Please read more about our scholarship program here.
What should I do if my camper needs some extra support to address a special need?

We’re proud of the work we’ve done to support a broad range of needs in our programs, but unfortunately we aren’t able to meet every request for additional support. Whether you’re wondering about a medical, behavioral, or physical support for your camper – please email us or give us a call. We’d love to talk more about our program and how we may or may not be able to support your camper in our programs.
Is my camper ready to attend camp?
Emotionally and developmentally, we trust you to know your camper. Camp is an exciting, action-packed experience that offers challenges, adventure, fun, and connection. Our staff do a great job of meeting campers where they are and helping them be as independent as they can be in our programs.
Logistically, we have a few clear requirements campers need to meet to be in our camps.
Your camper must be comfortable and successful using the bathroom independently. We know accidents happen, but we don’t have the facilities or staff to accommodate campers who don’t meet this benchmark.
Your camper must be able to stay with the group.
Although we often provide individual attention and support, we aren’t able to provide 1:1 support for continued stretches. Every camp group has more than one camper.
Your camper must be able to follow instructions from staff, including safety directions.
Your camper must reasonably be able to take care of themselves including eating and staying hydrated (with reminders and support!)
Your camper must be able to carry their own backpack including all of their supplies for the whole day (depending on age, they likely will be walking several miles)
If you’re not sure your camper meets those benchmarks, please email us or give us a call.

Field Trip FAQs

What happens if it rains on the day of our Field Trip?

Our Field Trips do take place completely outdoors, and we are happy to run Field Trips in a light rain if you and your students don’t mind. We ask that all teachers make sure their students come dressed appropriately for the weather. However, we are not able to run Field Trips in severe weather or thunderstorms. We will monitor the weather forecast closely leading up to the day of your Field Trip, and if the weather looks bad then we will contact you to discuss options, including rescheduling the Field Trip for the next available date.
How long will the Field Trip last? Is there any flexibility on this?
Do you offer in-school Field Trips?

Our Field Trip programs are designed specifically around the historical and natural features of West Point on the Eno City Park. Although all of our Field Trip programs take place here at the park, occasionally we are able to create a custom in-school program for your students. Offerings for in-school Field Trips may be limited, and price may vary depending on the program, staffing required, and distance traveled by staff. Please contact our office if you wish to discuss program options.
Should we bring lunches for the students or is lunch provided? Where can we eat lunch at the park?

Schoolhouse does not provide lunch for Field Trips, so teachers should make arrangements for students to bring their own lunches. We highly recommend students also bring a water bottle. During a typical Field Trip, there will be a 30 minute lunch break at the large picnic shelter.
What will the schedule of the day be for our Field Trip?
A typical Schoolhouse Field Trip day will break down as follows (although we are flexible on start and end times):
9:30am to 11am: Group welcome and first program (Native Ways, Early American Life, Forest Ecosystems, River Ecosystems, Insect Adventures, or Eno Plant Walk)
11am to 11:30am: Lunch break at the large picnic shelter
11:30am to 1pm: Second program
1pm to 1:30pm: End of day celebration and farewell (storytelling and songs)
Where do field trips take place?

Our Most Frequently Asked Questions

Registration FAQs

Amilia & Tech FAQs

Camp FAQs

Field Trip FAQs

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