If you are a girl age 7 through 17, you will have more fun than you can imagine, create incredible friendships with campers from around the United States and the world, and discover gifts within you that you never knew were there. The experience of a lifetime is waiting for you at WeHaKee Camp for Girls.
Phone: (608) 787-8304
Address: N8104 Barker Lake Rd
Website: WeHaKeeCampforGirls.com
Email: [email protected]
Type of Camp: Residential
Gender of Campers: Girls
Special Needs offered:
Dates: 2-, 4- & 6-week sessions from June 17, 2024 to August 2, 2024
Hours: 24/7
Ages: 7-17
Q&A with Camp WeHaKee
What makes Camp WeHaKee unique?
Although many camps offer the opportunity to make friends, Camp WeHaKee is particularly focused on developmental relationships. We are very intentional in helping all of our campers gain strong social skills to build positive and lasting relationships with girls from around the country and the world. We also work to create a strong sense of belonging in each camper when they arrive at camp. This, in turn, helps each camper gain confidence to step beyond their comfort zone to explore new talents & gifts they may not have known they had.
What activities are offered at Camp WeHaKee?
Our nearly 40 activity offerings include horseback riding, waterskiing, tennis, pottery & ceramics, archery, sailing, windsurfing, stand-up paddling, canoeing, kayaking, painting & drawing, jewelry making, photography, newspaper, knitting, cooking, music, dance, theatre arts, basketball, volleyball, soccer, badminton, biking, outdoor adventures, fitness sampler and more!
What is the camper-to-counselor ratio?
We offer a camper-to-counselor ratio of 4:1. But more importantly, we always have a minimum of 2 staff in every group to ensure the safety of all.
How much time do the campers spend outside?
Although each camper has their own unique schedule, on average our campers spend 75% of their time outside enjoying the beauty of a wonderful Wisconsin summer!
Does Camp WeHaKee provide lunch/snacks or do parents need to provide them?
As an overnight camp, all meals are provided during their stay at Camp WeHaKee. In addition, we provide a daily afternoon snack. We are very accommodating with regard to food allergies, and special dietary needs including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc.
What is the typical daily schedule for campers?
8:30 am – Breakfast
9:00 am – Cabin clean-up – Compete for the coveted ‘golden dustpan’
9:30 am – First activity period
10:30 am – Second activity period
11:30 am – Third activity period
12:30 pm – Lunch
1:30 pm – Quiet time
2:30 pm – Fourth activity period
3:30 pm – Fifth activity period
4:30 pm – Valley Time (Trading Post, snack & mail time)
4:55 pm – Choice time – swimming, boating or valley time
6:00 pm – Dinner
7:15 pm – Evening activity – cabin night, activity night, or an exciting all-camp event
How old are the counselors and how are they trained?
All of our camp staff are 18 years old and older. Many have been a part of our staff team for several years. All of our staff receive at least 14 days of training before the beginning of our camp sessions. Topics include camper safety (social, emotional, physical), program design and implementation, group dynamics, positive behavior guidance, cultural competency, building developmental relationships, safety procedures, and self care.
What accommodations are made for campers with special needs?
If a camper has a special need we begin with a conversation with the parent to determine how we can best meet that need while the child is at camp. We continue this communication throughout the registration process, as the family prepares the child for arrival at camp, once the child is at camp, and finally following up on the camper experience when the child returns home. We partner with families with this in mind: We are the child development specialists, but each parent is the specialist on their child’s needs.
Is this an overnight camp?
Yes
Why would you send your child away to an overnight camp?
Overnight camp provides a uniquely powerful experience for children to grow in ways not readily available in other settings. Campers are provided with guided opportunities to take safe, healthy risks as they try new things in a supportive and nurturing environment. And as parents look for ways to help their child build self-confidence leading to greater independence, camp is an excellent environment to help this important development.
What does the camper’s living situation look like?
Campers live in wood-framed, lakeside cabins that are well-ventilated and have plenty of space for the cabin group. Each cabin has space for 8 campers with 2 counselors in an adjoining room. They have all been recently renovated.
How do parents and campers communicate?
We offer a one-way email service allowing parents to send messages daily which the campers receive in the daily mail. Parents can always call to talk with the directors about their child’s experience. Campers are encouraged to send letters home, a new skill for many of our campers!
How does your camp handle homesickness?
We are very intentional in helping each child gain a sense of belonging the moment they arrive at camp. This helps the child successfully manage feelings of missing home while away at camp. If a camper has difficulties adjusting to camp life, we will be in contact with the family early in order to partner with the parents to come up with effective strategies to help the child overcome feelings of missing home that may reduce their ability to enjoy their camp experience.
What are the meals like at Camp WeHaKee?
WeHaKee is known for its great food and great choices! We serve buffet style to allow us to offer multiple choices of healthy and camper-friendly meals. We are experienced and ready to adjust our offerings to meet specific dietary needs, allergies or other specific food issues.
Meals are shared in our lakeside beautiful dining hall – Breakfast at 8:30am, Lunch as 12:30pm and dinner at 6pm.
Can parents visit the camp?
Although we do not offer a specific parent day, we can accommodate visit requests at any time. We do try to keep them low-key as not all campers will have the ability to have family visits (campers come from throughout the United States and the world).
What percentage of campers return every year?
70% and more
Is the schedule highly structured, or do kids have a lot of free choices?
We have a fairly structured schedule with 5 activity periods daily. We do offer ‘Valley Time’ which is an opportunity for campers to ‘hang-out’ in the valley playing games or just chilling! They can also head to the waterfront or pool for recreational swimming at this time.
Is transportation available to and from camp?
We offer coach bus transportation from/to the Chicago area with stops in River Forest IL, Wilmette IL, Milwaukee WI and Madison WI.
We also offer bus transportation from MSP (Minneapolis/St. Paul airport). For those flying we provide gates escorts for complete support when arriving/departing MSP.
