Selecting the
right program is often a matter of knowing your options
and asking the right questions. For comprehensive information
on how to ensure a positive summer experience for you
and your child, we strongly urge you to visit the American
Camping Association website at www.acacamps.org/newengland/.
You may also want to ask the camp if it is required
to be licensed by the State of Maine and what level
of insurance coverage it carries. Ultimately, selecting
the right camp for your child is an opportunity to learn
more about how a camp will both enrich and protect your
child’s interests.
First, they must currently be
in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grade and be enrolled
in at least one academic class through the Portland
Public School System. Second, each school has some
guidelines on community service and academic effort.
Check with your school principal for details regarding
what those guidelines are for your school.
You can only get an application
for the United Way Summer Champs Scholarship Program
from your Portland Public School principal.
Scholarship are$400, $800 and
$1,000 per child depending on their current grade level. Any costs over the $400, $800 or $1,000 are the responsibility
of the child's family. Also, if the full scolarship amount is
not used, you may not roll it over for another year
or for another child. Scholarships are offered on a per child per year basis,
as long as they meet the above requirements.
If your child's principal has
signed the United Way Summer Champs Application, then
he/she is in the program. After United Way Summer
Champs receives the application, you will receive
a mailing at your home asking you to return the Camp
Selection Form to United Way Summer Champs. Forms
need to be returned as soon as possible so they can
be processed in a timely fashion.
Most residential camps require
registration in fall or early winter. Day programs
start registration in early spring. Regardless, it
is best to sign up for camp as soon as possible to
make sure you get a place in the program of your choice,
as all programs fill up quickly.
In some cases, a camp will require
a deposit. Some camps have either waived the deposit
or they have reduced the deposit for United Way Summer
Champs participants. Either way, the camp will reimburse
your deposit once your child has finished camp and
United Way Summer Champs has paid their bill. It is
the parent’s responsibility to follow up with
the camp regarding their deposit. If, for some reason,
the camp does not reimburse the camper’s deposit,
please contact Kimberly Curry at 207-874-1000 ext.
314 at United Way of Greater Portland for assistance.
In addition to using our camp
guide, which is also available online at www.unitedwaygp.org,
you can also consult the Maine Youth Camping Association
(MYCA) catalog and website. They can be reached at
1-800-536-7712 or www.mainecamps.org. You can also
check the American Camping Association of New England
at www.acacamps.org/newengland/. United Way provides
these suggested camp lists as a way to help you start
your search for the right camp experience for your
child. However, please remember that United Way does
not own, operate, manage, certify, endorse, license,
evaluate, monitor, or select the camp that you and
your child choose to attend. It is your responsibility
to select and apply to the camp that is most appropriate
for your child.
United Way Summer Champs
has developed an extensive listing of the many programs
that exist in Maine. The camp or summer program for
which you are looking may have simply not registered
with United Way Summer Champs, or the program may
have registered under a different name. For example,
a program though the Greater Portland YMCA may be
called “Cumberland County YMCA-Saddles and Swim”.
If you are not sure, contact the camp and ask them
directly or contact Summer Champs (see below).
For more information on how to
obtain the United Way Summer Champs application forms,
please contact the principal of your child's school.
For more specific questions, please contact Kimberly
Curry at United Way of Greater Portland via email or call 874-1000 x 314.
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