STEM Camp Frequently Asked Questions

Our camp program operates from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.

We also offer early drop off starting at 8:00 a.m. and late pick up until 5:00 p.m. You can add this extended before care and/or extended after care to your cart at checkout when you register for camp, or purchase it later if you prefer.  Before care for the whole week is $30, and after care for the whole week is $30.  Please note, only entire weeks (not individual days) can be purchased.

Yes! Early drop off starts at 8:00 a.m. and late pick up is offered until 5:00 p.m. You can add this extended before care and/or extended after care to your cart when you register for camp, or purchase it later if you prefer.  Before care for the whole week is $30, and after care for the whole week is $30. Please note, only entire weeks (not individual days) can be purchased.

A typical day will always begin with campers sanitizing their hands under the watchful eye of camp staff.

Campers are divided into cohorts and a sample camp day schedule will look something like this:

• 8:00am – 9:00am: Before Care – purchased at time of enrollment (STEM Games)
• 8:55am – 9:00am: Camper Drop Off
• 9:00am – 10:00am: Microbit Activity
• 10:00am – 10:20am: Snack
• 10:20am – 12:00pm: Hands on Activity
• 12:00pm – 1:00pm: Lunch + STEM Games
• 1:00pm – 2:00pm: Minecraft Activity
• 2:00pm – 2:15pm: Snack
• 2:15pm – 4:00pm: Hands on Activity
• 4:00pm – 4:15pm: Camper Pick Up
• 4:00pm – 5:00pm: After Care – purchased at time of enrollment (STEM Games)

Many of our activities may take place outside, depending on the weather. Outside activities may take place onsite at the camp, or at a nearby green space or park/playground. Activities throughout the day are based on a variety of health and safety factors as well as weather.

It is important that all campers come prepared for a full day of great activities and fun. Please be sure your camper has the following items every day:

• Lunch and snacks are provided by parents/guardians, STEM Camp does not provide food to campers. There is one lunch period and 2 snack breaks, where children will have an opportunity to eat, refresh and play games. We encourage parents to pack nut free lunches and snacks (we are a nut aware camp, not a nut free camp, unless the site is nut free, which will be noted on that location’s page on our website). Be sure to read the section on allergies and restrictions later in this document. There is absolutely no sharing of food allowed at STEM Camp. Please send reusable containers as garbage items will be sent home with your camper.
• Water bottle
• Facial covering (if required by public health)
• Pencil case containing basic school supplies (pencils, erasers, scissors, markers and/or pencil crayons)
• Weather appropriate, comfortable clothing (packing a change of clothing is also advisable)
• Closed toe and heel shoes must be worn to comply with camp safety rules (preferably running shoes)
• Sunscreen (in addition to bringing sunscreen, please ensure to apply it prior to arriving at camp in the morning as well)
• Bug spray
• Hat and sunglasses
• Any doctor prescribed medications (STEM Camp staff will not administer medications except in the case of a life-threatening situation such as administering an EpiPen which is provided by the parent)

Please do not bring toys to STEM Camp and please leave all electronic devices (including cellphones) at home. If you need to contact your child, call our Support team (519-475-6600) and we will contact the camp to relay messages or plan for your child to call you if it is urgent.

No, campers will not need to (and we request that they do not) bring any devices to camp. We are very pleased to provide a laptop for campers at all locations for use at camp, which ensures all campers have equal access to the high quality technology programming we offer at STEM Camp, and to devices which are ready to go for all camp activities that they are needed for.  

Campers spend approximately 2 hours a day completing coding and robotics activities and participating in Minecraft builds.

To ensure their safety, all campers must be signed in at the time of drop off and signed out at the time of pick up, by their guardian. Guardians must indicate the names of the authorized persons for pickup on their online registration form and everyone must show identification in order to sign out a camper. You will be required to show identification every day, even if we know you. No camper will be permitted to leave camp without being signed out by an authorized adult. The same safety rules apply to all. Should a parent wish to add an authorized person(s) to the approved pick up and drop of list for their child, they may login to their account or call Head Office (519-475-6600).

STEM Camp staff will bring the camper(s) to the normal drop off/pick up location and the parent/guardian will be required to sign out their camper(s). For your camper(s) to be released from camp, the person signing them out must:

• Show Government Issued Photo ID, every time you sign out your camper. If you do not have acceptable ID with you (ie. driver’s license, passport), your camper will NOT be released. To speed up the process and avoid an uncomfortable situation for everyone involved (including your camper), please do not argue with staff who are enforcing STEM Camp rules and doing their absolute best to keep your camper safe. We will wait while you retrieve your ID. This rule applies no matter who you know at the camp and how many times you’ve already picked up your camper. Approved pick up persons must be 18 years of age or older, no exceptions.
• Be listed on the Approved Pickup List. Regardless of the relationship to the camper, anyone picking up MUST be listed on the Approved Pickup List (which is located on the “Household Form” of your online account). You filled this out when you registered your camper for STEM Camp and you can modify it at any time by logging in to your account and clicking the link for the “Household Form”.

  The same safety rules apply to all parents/guardians. Should a parent/guardian wish to add an authorized pick up person(s) to the approved pick up list for their camper, they may login to their account online or call our Support team (519-475-6600) and they will gladly assist you.

We take the care and safety of your camper(s) very seriously. Under no circumstance will a camper be permitted to leave camp without being signed out by an authorized adult that has verified their identification by showing government issued photo ID.

We post this information on the location pages as soon as we have it. In the case where STEM Camp is located at a university or a college this information can take a while to be forwarded to us as they have internal procedures they must follow to make drop off and pick up as seamless as possible. An email is sent prior to the start of each STEM Camp week with this information.

As much as possible, yes. However, this depends on the camp location and the enrollment of any given week. As a not for profit organization, we do not have the means to employ extra staff to break down into smaller groups if we cannot group easily by age. We cannot guarantee the ages of the campers prior to the camp week, nor can we guarantee how they will be grouped.