Campus Camps Handbook
Campus Camps

Registration for Summer 2026 will open on February 9th.

Summer weekly offerings will be viewable on each program’s page starting in mid-January.

Online registration closes as soon as all spots are filled. If the camp is not full, registration will close the Thursday before camp starts. We may take phone registrations until Friday before the camp begins, if open spots remain. Contact Youth Education at 801-581-6984 or youth@utah.edufor availability.

Gain access to early registration for summer programming before it is open to the public by donating to the Parents Club. All Parents Club Donations are used to support our upcoming scholarship efforts. See scholarship section for more information.

We currently offer a 15% discount on tuition for all current U employees. Please note that this discount will conclude after summer 2026, so we encourage you to take advantage of it while it’s still available.

If a week is full for your camper’s age group, please join the waitlist. You can do so by clicking “join the waitlist” where the “add to cart” option would be.

Waitlists operate on a first come first served basis. As seats become available, all individuals on the waitlist will be contacted via email notifying them of openings in the corresponding camp. To claim the spot, follow the instructions within the email. You will remain on the waitlist in case another spot opens and will only be removed upon request. For more information, please visit our waitlist FAQ.

Our waitlist is mostly dependent on cancellations and therefore extremely variable. We cannot predict if and when spots become available as each year is different.

Drops (cancellations) made four (4) full weeks prior to the first day of the camp will be given a full refund. Refunds will not be authorized after this date, as activities and supplies have been paid for based on the number of campers registered. Refunds will also not be authorized in the event of a dismissal. Please call the office if you have any extenuating circumstances. For more information, please visit our Refunds Policy.

All camp and classes are designed for the specific age group listed. Participants who are enrolled outside of the specified age range will be notified of removal from the program. If you have questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact us before you register your camper, so we can work together to ensure the correct placement and avoid the potential removal of your camper.

If your camper has a late (summer/post-summer) birthday and will be separated from peers in their same school grade, please contact the Youth Education office and we can discuss options.

During the registration process, you will be asked to provide a list of contacts for safety purposes. This will include the primary guardian (person who completes registration), an emergency contact, and a list of people authorized to pick up your camper. This list is tied to the guardian account and will apply to all campers registered under them.

It is REQUIRED to add at least one emergency contact/other adult to the account in case of an emergency even if this individual will never be picking up your child.

Only the primary guardian, emergency contact, and people listed as authorized pick-ups on the account will be allowed to sign a camper out of camp. Photo ID is also required at pick-up EVERY DAY as confirmation of identity. Whether it is your first time picking up or your 74th, a camper will not be released to you until we can verify your identity and match it to the list.

The primary guardian can add or remove names from this list at any time by calling the Youth Education office at 801-581-6984. Instructors are NOT permitted to add or remove names from the list and should instruct you to contact the office.

If you would like to add someone who does not have a legal photo ID, please contact the Youth Education office to discuss options.

When registering online, you will be prompted to sign the liability waiver and provide additional participant information. If you need to update information or if you completed registration via phone, you can sign the waivers and provide participant information.

New waivers must be completed each semester, for each camper, but will cover all weeks of camp they are enrolled in for the summer semester.

Our partner collaboration camps often have additional 3rd party waivers. We will ask guardians to sign these waivers before the start of camp or on the first day at drop-off. If you do not complete all applicable waivers, your camper will not be able to participate in the camp.

The primary guardian will be sent an email the Wednesday or Thursday prior to the start of the camp week. It will contain important information including the location of camp, what to bring, and any to-dos (sign-ups, forms, etc).

Our current registration system only allows for one guardian email on the account. If you have another guardian who needs to receive these emails, you can contact the office to have their email added to the list. The list of additional emails is stored separately and added manually. Because of this, we do NOT guarantee that they will receive the reminder emails consistently. We recommend you forward the email to them yourself to ensure they receive the information.

Campers may be dropped off ten minutes before the start of camp. We do not allow early drop-offs as our instructors are prepping for camp. You are welcome to arrive before camp begins, but you must remain with your camper until our staff are ready to begin check-in.

The majority of Campus Camps programs take place in the Continuing Education building, 540 Arapeen Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84108.

We partner with many community organizations and University departments, and as such, some of our camps are at off-site locations. Locations of partner camps will be listed on the registration page and in reminder emails. Please confirm the location of your camp when heading to drop-off. Visit Maps page for more information.

Each Monday, instructors will check in your camper at the specific classroom door or at the partner facility. At this time, we will also confirm that you have completed all the required camp forms. Adults and campers will be given any important info for the week. This is also a great opportunity to ask the instructor any questions and confirm they have all the necessary health information.

On all remaining days that week, campers may proceed directly to the classroom and check themselves in. You may also accompany your camper each day to check-in.

If you are running late, please call the Youth Education office so they can let the instructor know.

Out of respect to our partners and other campers, we will not wait for campers before departing for any applicable field trips. We understand that things happen, but please be mindful of our staff and the effect late arrivals can have on them and other campers.

The end time listed on each camp is the time you should pick up your campers.

If you will be more than 15 minutes late to pick up your camper, please call our Youth Education office. Any late pick-up after 15 mins that is not communicated will result in a fee.

Camper pick-up occurs at the same location as drop-off unless otherwise stated in reminder emails or communicated by Youth Education.

At pick-up, staff may discuss any circumstances or situations from the day that the adult should be made aware of. If the conversation requires more than a simple chat or escalates, leadership will be involved to ensure the instructor can safely check out the remaining campers.

Only the primary guardian, emergency contact, and people listed as authorized pick-ups on the account will be allowed to sign a camper out of camp. Photo ID is required at pick-up EVERY DAY as confirmation of identity. Whether it is your first time picking up or your 74th, a camper will not be released to you until we can verify your identity and match it to the list.

If someone attempts to pick up your camper and is not on the list, staff will call the guardian and/or emergency contact to confirm the addition of that individual to the list. Staff will not allow any unauthorized individual to pick up your camper until we are given the guardian’s verbal confirmation.

If you need to add someone to the pick-up list, please call the Youth Education office at 801-581-6984. Instructors are NOT permitted to add or remove names from the list.

Campers 9 years and older are allowed to check themselves out with permission from the primary guardian. You can select this option for your camper during registration or by calling the Youth Education office. Only the primary guardian and/or emergency contact may request self-checkout. Self-checkout selection is tied to the account and will apply to all camps they attend.

All campers 9 and under will need to be physically picked up from their camp by a guardian, emergency contact or authorized pick up, with a valid ID.

If you need to pick up early, please call the Youth Education office at 801-581-6984 so they can coordinate with the instructor.

Parking is available and is free at the Continuing Education Building (540 Arapeen Dr.). Please follow all signage in the parking lot and drive SLOW. There will be one lane for pick-up/drop-off that allows students to get in or out of their vehicle on their own if their guardian does not need to assist them in check-in or check-out. Be sure your student qualifies and is marked as self-checkout if you utilize this lane.

If you need to go into our building to pick up your camper, please proceed to a parking spot.

For off-site locations, some will have free parking, and others will not. Please familiarize yourself with the location of your camper's off-site camp.

We aim to provide a fulfilling and meaningful experience for all participants. That said, our staff cannot provide one-on-one support because they do not receive specialized disability training.

Complete the Additional Participant Information form and provide as much information as possible to allow for a positive camp experience.

If your child requires special accommodation or you have questions about their participation in camp, contact the office to be connected to the Campus Camps Director.

Contact the Office of Equal Opportunity for more information on available accommodations.

The weekly reminder email will contain specific information on what to bring to camp each day and specific needs for other days. Counselors will also do their best to remind you of needed items for the next day and check that campers have their things at the start of the day.

Label everything!!! This helps us return items to their rightful owners.

Campers should not bring items of high monetary or sentimental value as these items often get lost or damaged.

All weapons, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products (including e-cigarettes or vapes) are prohibited from Youth Education programs. If a participant is caught with any prohibited items, they will be removed from the class, and no refund will be issued. Please see our Drugs and Alcohol Policy for more information.

At Youth Education, we strongly discourage participants from bringing any personal electronic devices. Not only are they vulnerable to being taken, forgotten, and broken, they discourage personal interaction and participation. Participants that bring electronic devices and accessories do so at their own risk. If participants do bring these items, staff will ask that they keep these devices in their bags and out of sight throughout the camp day. If your participant fails to meet this requirement, our staff may hold on to items until pick-up. We want participants to interact with each other and the staff while being active for the best camp experience possible! If you need to reach your child, please call our office at 801-581-6984.

Items that are left will be added to the lost & found which is located at the Registration & Information desk on the 2nd floor.

We typically clear (donate) the lost & found halfway through the summer to make room for new items. We will do our best to let guardians and campers know beforehand so we can return as many items to their owners as possible. We also will attempt to hold on to seemingly valuable or sentimental items.

Please send your camper with a labeled sunscreen bottle every day if they are participating in an outdoor related camp.

If your camper tends to burn easily, please inform the instructor. If you have particular concerns about sun protection and/or the policies below, please call our Youth Education office so that we can discuss any needs further.

For safety and youth protection reasons, our staff do not physically apply sunscreen to campers below the neck. Our instructors will visually observe application and provide verbal guidance/reminders when needed. Campers may also receive assistance from a buddy of the same age or direct relative.

For face/ears/neck applications, campers are encouraged to apply themselves and given verbal guidance from staff to ensure coverage. If needed, staff can assist with making sure the campers do so thoroughly.

Send your camper with a medium-large, labeled, reusable, water bottle every day.

Bathrooms and water fountains are available at 540 Arapeen and at all partner locations.

Read the full Contagious Illness Policy.

Parents/guardians should not send campers to program activities if they are exhibiting signs of illness.

Staff will send campers home if they exhibit signs of illness.

Parents should ensure their camper's vaccinations are up to date.

All camper medications and medical conditions must be reported to the program prior to attending program activities. This ensures that staff are adequately prepared to respond to health and medical issues.

We do not issue refunds for absences.

See the Youth Education Medication Policy for the latest updates.

Youth Education staff are trained in First aid, CPR, and AED use on a biannual basis and each classroom is equipped with a First Aid Kit. Staff can provide the level of care they are trained to provide. In the case staff cannot provide care, guardians/emergency contacts will be notified, and if needed, emergency services will be called. An incident report will be completed any time care is provided.

All instructors taking students on field trips are required to have a First Aid/CPR certification.

Instructors carry physical copies of medical emergency response procedures/policies including common injuries (cuts, scrapes, nosebleeds, etc), serious injuries, illnesses/symptoms, concussions in accordance with the University of Utah’s concussion protocol.

For off-site locations, partners are required to have at least one staff member on site that is First Aid/CPR certified.

All camp staff are trained in and carry physical copies of emergency procedures with them at all times. All procedures follow the University of Utah’s Emergency Response Guide. The guide includes response to situations such as severe weather, evacuations, active shooters, fires, earthquakes, and more.

Lunch is NOT provided in Campus Camps programs unless it is explicitly stated in the course description (typically our full day camps include lunch).

Students are welcome to bring snacks to half-day camps if they need.

The Youth Education building is NOT nut-free, as campus and our 3rd party locations are not nut-free. That said, we encourage families to avoid packing nut products in camper lunches to help keep our campers safe. Please ensure all allergies are noted in your camper's health information.

Youth Education has a zero-tolerance policy. Any participant who is threatening the safety of themselves, other participants, or the staff will be immediately removed, and no refund will be issued.

The Youth Education policy in handling disruptive situations is as follows:

• First incident: Staff will discuss the situation with the participant.
• Second incident: Staff will contact a guardian, and the participant may be dismissed for the day.
• Repeated incident: Youth Education staff will contact the guardian and the participant will be dismissed with no refund.

Please provide any specific information that may help your camper be successful in the additional participant info form.

At pick-up, staff may discuss any situations or behavioral concerns they have. If the conversation requires more than a simple chat or escalates, leadership will be involved to ensure the instructors can safely check out the remaining campers.

For behavioral situations that do not pose a safety threat, leadership will communicate with guardians about ongoing concerns and work to resolve them before dismissal.

If you have pressing concerns regarding the behavior of camp staff or campers, please call the office or speak to the Director.

If you need to relay important information to your camper while they are at camp, please contact the office and they can pass along the information or create a line of direct communication to your camper. The presence of cell phones and smart watches can be disruptive to camp and create confusion for our staff who no longer receive important info directly. See our devices policy.

All Campus Camps instructors undergo extensive screenings and training requirements before camp begins including:

• University hiring screening/background check
• Utah Childcare Licensing background checks & fingerprinting
• CPR, First Aid, AED certification
• U of U Youth Protection training
• Emergency training
• All instructors are at least 21 years of age.

Campus Camps instructors and staff carry their phones with them as a primary form of contact. Because of this, you may see our staff on their phones at times to verify information and relay messages to other staff.

The Program Manager oversees all camp operations including staff hiring & management, all summer camp planning & operations, budgets & spending, and other general camp needs. The program manager will work directly with campers, staff, and parents to address concerns and ensure the best possible camp experience.

Instructors lead and facilitate camps and are directly responsible for campers. They are hired to lead specific subjects of camp.

There are around 20-30 instructors hired each summer with typically one instructor per class. Some camps may have an additional classroom assistant.

Partners include University campus departments and local community organizations. These departments and organizations are experts in their field and have been vetted to ensure they are delivering quality programming to campers.

All instructors within partner locations pass a background check and receive specific Safety of Minors training prior to camp.

You can contact the office at 801-581-6984 with questions, concerns, or other camp needs.

The Youth Education office includes several year-round professionals who can address your needs or connect you with camp leadership.

If you or someone you know is interested in working for Club U or Youth Education, you can learn more about the roles and find application links on our Join Our Team page.