Parent Information

ABOUT SUMMER CAMP:

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR A CAMPER? The day begins by heading to breakfast in the dining hall, followed by a camp-wide morning meeting to kick off the day ("Gooooooood morning, campers!" "Goooooood morning, Chad!"). From there, we'll head to our first two classes of the day, followed by lunch, then our two afternoon classes. Once classes are over, it's time to change and head to afternoon activities, which vary from day-to-day, but are usually something active, like Frisbee, soccer, or going for a stroll. Next, we'll head back to the dining hall for dinner, then depart for clubs. Clubs are a more relaxed period of time for campers to explore areas of interest, like playing board games, reading, crafting, playing music, or learning circus tricks. In the evenings, the entire camp comes together for a different evening activity. These vary each night, with some camp favorites being the Talent Show, Cowboy Night, the Disco, the Zombie Hunt, Photo Scavenger Hunt, and New Games. Campers then spend time in the dorms until lights out.

WHAT IS HOUSING LIKE FOR A CAMPER? Our programs are located on the beautiful Berea College campus, so our campers and staff live in dorms. Residential campers are sorted into counselor groups based on age and gender, with one or two primary counselors per group. Each camper has one roommate, and counselors live on the same floor as their campers.

WHAT IS YOUR GENDER EXPANSIVE HOUSING OPTION? AICL has the goal of offering inclusive spaces for campers, including those in the LGBTQA+ community. During the registration process, you and your campers have the option of selecting interest in our gender expansive housing option, which is not restricted by gender. We are currently only able to offer this for high school age kids. You and your camper will have the option of choosing roommate preferences including roommate with gender preference and roommate with no gender preference. With this in mind, it is our policy that campers in a romantic relationship will not be permitted to share a room, and will be separated if a relationship is discovered or disclosed.

IS THERE AIR CONDITIONING? Yes! All dorms on Berea's campus have been updated within the past 6 years. We encourage campers to pack at least one sweater or sweatshirt in case they find any one room particularly cold.

WHAT IF MY CAMPER HAS FOOD ALLERGIES OR SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS? When you enroll your camper, you will be able to let us know about allergies and dietary needs (like if your camper is vegan or vegetarian). Our camp eats all meals in the Berea College cafeteria, who are notified of any allergies or needs. Staff are also notified of allergies.

CAN MY CAMPER HAVE SNACKS? Absolutely! While campers have plenty to eat, everyone is welcome to bring snacks or receive care packages with goodies they can keep in their room or in their book bag.

CAN CAMPERS ATTENDING MULTIPLE WEEKS STAY OVER THE WEEKEND? Yes! For a fee, campers can stay between programs. There will be scheduled activities, periods for rest, and opportunities to do laundry. There may also be optional weekend excursions available for an additional price.

MY CAMPER IS ATTENDING MULTIPLE WEEKS, BUT WANTS TO COME HOME FOR THE WEEKEND. WHAT DO I DO? Following the Saturday morning performances, your campers can check out with their counselor. If the enrolling parent is not the adult picking up a camper, please notify the directors in advance with the name of the approved adult (i.e. sometimes campers will go home with other campers to spend the weekend). Campers must check back in with their counselor by 4 pm Sunday afternoon.

WHAT IS YOUR VACCINE POLICY FOR IN-PERSON CAMP? We are committed to maintaining a healthy environment for our campers and staff while maintaining accessibility of our programming. For our 2026 season, while the SARS-COVID vaccination is not required to attend camp, it is strongly recommended, including booster doses as recommended by the CDC. We follow the immunization policy set forth by Kentucky public schools, and you can see our full list of required vaccines at our camp policy guide. We reserve the right to make changes in our policy as necessary depending on the latest public health recommendations.

WILL MY CAMPER LEARNED WHICH CLASSES THEY'VE BEEN ASSIGNED PRIOR TO CAMP? Campers receive their class schedules during check-in. Part of our Sunday schedule provides campers with an opportunity to experience a mini-version of the class and request changes before the first class Monday morning. 

WHO DOES WHAT AT CAMP? Our organization is currently lead by our Board of Directors and our Executive Director, Jenn Conner. Jenn is onsite at camp to support the three Camp Directors, who are responsible for day-to-day camp functions. This year, Jamie Turner, our Curriculum Manager, will lead the Education Department, overseeing Teachers and classes. Will German, our former Head Counselor, has taken on the role of Counseling Director, overseeing Counselors. He is responsible for dorm life as well as afternoon activities, clubs, and evening activities. Working across departments, Noah Johnson is returning to her role as Youth Leadership Director. She will be handling all leadership work as well as overseeing the Camp Apprentices. Our long-time Directors, Chad and Jessica are each transitioning into new roles this year. Jessica Young will be our Medical Director and Chad Watson will be our Education Managing Director. Both are acting as mentors to our new Directors as well as helping the organization strengthen and expand its programming.

REGISTERING FOR CAMP:

WHO DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE TECHNICAL ISSUES WITH REGISTRATION? You can direct all technical questions about registration to ExecutiveDirector@appalachianinstitute.org.

DO YOU OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS? We do have a robust scholarship program to eligible campers in need of financial assistance, but the amount we're able to offer varies year to year. You can see our 2026 scholarship information here.

WHAT IS YOUR REFUND POLICY? A $50 deposit is required to reserve a spot for your child at summer camp. The deposit is applicable to the tuition. Tuition is, in the event of withdrawal, refundable (less $50 deposit) if written notice is received by the camp office by May 19th. No refunds will be made after May 19th, except in the event of documented physical illness of the camper or due to a significant hardship (death in the family, emergency, etc.). In such event, 50% of the unused portion of the tuition will be refunded. Upon written request, we will apply the unused registration fee and tuition to next year’s tuition.

Dismissal due to behavior: Campers dismissed from camp due to unacceptable behavior will not be issued a refund.

GETTING READY FOR CAMP:

HOW DO I ARRANGE PICK UP OR DROP OFF AT THE AIRPORT? If you are interested in learning about our airport drop-off or pick-up policy, please reach out to us at ExecutiveDirector@appalachianinstitute.org.

DOES AICL OFFER TRANSPORTATION TO AND FORM BEREA?  To support families moving with us from North Caroling to Kentucky, AICL intends to offer a free shuttle to Berea. Those interested will be contacted closer to camp, as we plan on using the interest form to finalize logistics. If interested, please complete the 2026 AICL Shuttle Interest Form.

WHAT SHOULD MY RESIDENTIAL CAMPER PACK? A pillow, sleeping bag and/or sheets for a twin bed (keep in mind that sometimes dorm mattresses are a little longer than typical mattresses), clothes for an active week, bathing suit, toiletries, towels, wash cloths, two comfy pairs of shoes (in case one gets wet), sweaters/sweatshirts for cool evenings, raincoat or umbrella, sunglasses, reusable water bottle, light backpack, flashlight, and prescription medication with dosage guidelines.

Optional: extra snacks for the evenings, toiletry caddy, outfit for the dance, sunscreen, bug spray, a notebook, and laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and a laundry basket for campers staying multiple weeks.

WHAT CAN MY CAMPER NOT BRING? We have a strict policy that campers may NOT bring cell phones, iPods, iPads, or computers -- these items WILL BE CONFISCATED and returned at the end of camp. There may be exceptions (i.e. a camper has an online class and requires some access to a computer), but any exception requires the approval of the Executive Director prior to camp.

Additionally, campers may not bring unnecessary valuables (electronics, expensive jewelry, etc.), any substantial amount of cash, weapons, pets, or cigarettes. These items will be dealt with on a case by case basis. Campers discovered with alcohol, drug paraphernalia, marijuana, non-prescribed prescription drugs, or any illegal substances may be sent home immediately without refund.

DO CAMPERS HAVE ACCESS TO LAUNDRY FACILITIES? Yes! The dorms are equipped with free washers and dryers, so no change is required. If your camper is younger or maybe not used to washing their own clothes, they can receive assistance from staff. If your camper is staying two or three weeks, they will be allowed time to wash clothes over the weekend. While there is often access to laundry soap, we advise campers bring their own just in case.

WHAT IF MY CHILD FORGETS SOMETHING? Counselors and Directors will allow campers to call home with specific requests. But campers can also find travel toiletries and other such items in the camp office. We even have extra water bottles, sweaters, and pillows. Campers are welcome to stop by the camp office during dorm time in the evening or before breakfast in the morning. And, thanks to the AICL Unionize! class of 2025, we have posters for all hallways reminding campers where to go and when.

CHECK IN:

WHAT IS THE CHECK-IN PROCESS? Check in will be the Sunday afternoon before each program begins. Our registration process will be staggered by LAST INITIAL to avoid crowds. Please do not arrive early. We will require that families stay in their cars the entire time for drop-off. Staff will help campers take their belongings to their dorm. See arrival times below:

• 2:00-A-D
• 2:30 E-H
• 3:00 I-L
• 3:30 M-Q
• 4:00 R-Z

In order to support campers transition into camp mode, family will not be allowed into the dorms. This means you will need to drop all your campers belongings off at registration and they will be assisted to their rooms by our staff.

WHAT IF MY CAMPER HAS MEDICATION? You will have the ability to enter any information regarding medication when enrolling your camper. When you check in at camp, you will have the opportunity to discuss your camper’s medications with their counselor and create a plan based on your camper’s particular needs.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE ME TO HAND-OFF MY CAMPER's MEDICATION? Jessica, our Medical Director, will be reaching out to families with more than one medication to arrange a specific time for your and your camp to check-in. We're hoping have a parallel drop-off schedule, will keep the lines moving without limiting time with our medical team.

DURING CAMP:

I WANT TO DROP SOMETHING OFF FOR MY CAMPER. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT? Please contact the administrator or directors at 1-828-782-3299 or ExecutiveDirector@appalachianinstitute.org and they will make arrangements to get the item to your camper.

HOW DO I CONTACT AICL DURING CAMP?  Our office phone is  1-828-782-3299 and our camp email is ExecutiveDirector@appalachianinstitute.org.  One member of our Admin Team will have camp phone with them at all times.   We will be happy to let you know how your camper is doing and to answer any questions you have.

WHERE DO I SEND MY CAMPER MAIL OR CARE PACKAGES? You can send mail to:

Camper Name, C/O AICL (Attn. Conferences & Events)

101 Chestnut St, Berea, KY 40404

Because the college is on their summer schedule, we are often only able to collect mail once a day Monday thru Thursday. If you wish your camper to receive mail, we recommend mailing it early. When possible, camp staff will try to send any missed mail home.

WHAT IS YOUR YEAR-ROUND ADDRESS? Year-round, our organization's address for checks or other mail items is 4015 Travis Drive Ste 211 #1201, Nashville, Tennessee 37211.

CLOSING CEREMONY:

WHEN IS THE CLOSING CEREMONY? There will be an outdoor performance/ceremony at 10:00 AM on Saturday for all campers. We will send out exact location information closer to the date. For those only attending Week 1 OR going home for the weekend between week 1 and week 2, we require that campers remain with their counselor groups until after the ceremony and they are walked back to the dorm by staff. We will send information regarding the process for pick-up closer to that time.

DAY CAMPERS:

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY FOR A DAY CAMPER? Campers will be dropped off at the Dining Hall every weekday morning at 8:30 am to join the camp assembly, and will be met by an Admin. On Monday, plan to come earlier, at 8:15 (see below).  Campers will attend two classes in the morning, have lunch (which is included), and then two classes in the afternoon. They will then participate in afternoon activities, which may vary from day to day but will be something active, like swimming, hiking, or frisbee. Pick up will be at 5:00 pm each weekday at the same location as morning drop-off.

HOW DO DAY CAMPERS CHECK IN FOR CAMP? We ask that Day Campers and their parents/guardians come to the front door of the Dining Hall on Berea Campus between 8:15 and 8:30 AM on Monday to check in for the week. Please bring names of anyone who will be authorized to pick up your child during the week. For Tuesday through Friday, day campers will be dropped off at Dining Hall every weekday morning between 8:30 am to join the camp assembly, and will be met by an Admin. Parents will be asked to check them in, and check them back out in the evening.

WHAT TO BRING EACH DAY FOR DAY CAMP:  Water bottle, good shoes to run around in, back pack, sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, camp folder, name tag, weather appropriate clothing, and any prescription medication with dosage guidelines.

WHAT NOT TO BRING FOR DAY CAMP:  Your child should not bring cell phones, iPods, iPads, computers, unnecessary valuables (electronics, expensive jewelry, etc.), any substantial amount of cash, weapons, pets, cigarettes, alcohol, drug paraphernalia, marijuana, non-prescribed prescription drugs, or any illegal substances.

WHEN IS THE CLOSING CEREMONY? There will be an outdoor performance/ceremony starting at 10:00 AM on Saturday for all campers. We will send information on exact location and the process for pick-up closer to that time. Day campers and parents of all campers are invited to attend AICL closing ceremonies.

WHAT IF MY DAY CAMPER BECOMES INTERESTED IN THE RESIDENTIAL PROGAM? They wouldn't be the first! If your camper has a tentative interest, but prefers to try new things slowly, we're entirely here for it! Just let us know, and we can arrange for them to join us for dinner, clubs, evening activities, and even a sleep over. We try to be as flexible as possible to accommodate campers.