Hello UAS summer 2022 families,
Thank you for registering your Squad member for UAS Summer 2022! Your Squad member can expect a summer jam-packed with joyful outdoor learning in our city's beautiful green spaces. Our programs include tree science, watershed education, art and design projects, engineering challenges, local history, daily hikes, and summer classics like lanyards, friendship bracelets, and hackysack. UAS loves an outdoor adventure. The majority of our programs take place outdoors. We'll be sure to take lots of breaks, adjust our plans when necessary, and keep our Squad members (and Squad leaders) hydrated!
UAS is running summer programs during the following dates:
June 27-July 1 (Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens)
July 11-15 (Christ Lutheran Church)
July 18-22 (Christ Lutheran Church)
August 8-12 (Washington Youth Garden)
August 15-19 (Washington Youth Garden)
August 22-26 (Omni Shoreham Hotel)
This page has general information about our summer programs. You will receive an email closer to the program date with dropoff/pickup directions for your particular location, cell phone numbers for UAS educators leading that week's program, and other information specific to that week.
PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION MUST BE PROVIDED
FOR CHILDREN ATTENDING SUMMER 2022 PROGRAMS
How to upload your child's vaccine card if you haven't already:
1. Log into your UltraCamp account: https://www.ultracamp.com/clientlogin.aspx?idCamp=996&campCode=lpa
2. Click the three bars to pull up the menu on the left-hand side of your screen
3. Click "My Account," then "Overview"
4. Under "Account Members," click your child's name
5. Click "Edit My Bio Information"
6. On that page, scroll all the way down until you see "COVID-19 VACCINE CARD"
7. Click browse and select the vaccine card photo from your computer to upload. Make sure the file format is an image file like .jpeg or .png, UltraCamp won't accept .pdf uploads.
8. Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit "SAVE"
9. You should get a green message saying "The action was completed successfully."
10. Do this for every child you have enrolled in UAS programs on or after April 11th
SUMMER PROGRAM LOGISTICS
DROPOFF AND PICKUP:
June 27-July 1 st Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens runs 9am-3pm.
All other summer programs run 9am-4pm.
Please be on time. There is no aftercare.
If you're running late in the morning or afternoon, please call or text to let us know.
If you pick up your child after 4:00pm, we will charge a late fee. Fees will rise depending on the actual time of pickup. Please be on time; we are contractually obligated to clean up and vacate our spaces. We don't want to charge late fees--they are an administrative burden to us and not fun for you.
PICK-UP AUTHORIZATION: We will not release your child to anyone—including another UAS parent—unless we have permission from a parent or legal guardian. If you let us know in advance, we’ll include the info on our printed rosters. To add an authorized pickup to your account, follow these steps:
1. Log into your UltraCamp account
2. Scroll down until you see Pickup Authorization. Click the plus (+) sign next to it.
3. Click "Edit Authorizations."
PREFERRED PAIRINGS. We can place siblings or friends in the same group. Generally, students are split into three groups by age. Keep in mind that the middle school group sometimes has more advanced program content and more strenuous hikes than our younger groups, so consider this before requesting a younger student be places with their middle school sibling or friend. If you'd like to request a pairing, please email us your request.
OUTDOOR MASKS ARE OPTIONAL
Masks are optional--outdoors only--for programs that we host. We will remain fully masked during the indoor portions of our programs, with no exceptions. We request that all participants wear a KN95 or surgical mask for all indoor time. The Squad will provide these to any child who doesn’t have them.
We expect that we will continue to remain masked indoors through the summer, and that, unless local and state guidance on outdoor masking changes, we will continue to make masks optional when we are outdoors.
WHAT TO BRING:
NO ELECTRONICS. Please do not send your child with electronics. We will be busy all day hiking, birding, drawing, playing, and fishing, and cannot keep track of expensive electronics.
ALLERGY PROTOCOL. If your child has an allergy protocol, please email that to our staff (emails listed below). UAS educators carry Benadryl but will only administer it if we see the signs and symptoms you indicate in your allergy protocol. If a child with no known allergies exhibits a mild to moderate allergic reaction, we will call you to get permission to administer Benadryl. If a child with no known allergies exhibits a severe allergic reaction, we will call 911 and then call you. All UAS educators are First Aid/CPR/AED certified and trained in Epi-Pen administration.
SNACKS. None of our snacks contain nuts, but some carry a disclaimer saying the product may contain traces of nuts. If you don't serve snacks with these labels at home, please let us know and send extra snacks with your child. Squad members and Squad leaders DO bring lunches that carry nut products; we discourage food sharing and encourage hand-washing after meals, but we are not a nut-free environment.
Meet our educators by checking out our UAS Staff Bios page.
BEHAVIOR AND EXPECTATIONS
A few important things to remember that will help make it a great summer of learning and adventure:
Safety is our highest priority. Safety comes before anything else at the Squad. We maintain a respectful, safe atmosphere throughout the day in which everyone--children and adults--is welcomed and accepted. We do not tolerate physical aggression, inappropriate language, or repeated failures to follow basic safety rules regarding street crossings, bullying, or the use of electronic devices. We do our very best to help each Squad member adjust to these expectations. We foster an environment of mutual respect and safety, and we are firm on our expectations. The family-UAS relationship is critical; we rely on families to reinforce our expectations.
If, after repeated reminders, a Squad member fails to comply with our rules of safety and conduct, UAS reserves the right to dismiss a student from our program, either for the day or for the week.
We are a very small organization and we do as much as we can with limited resources. We are not a camp, but a small and growing, year-round outdoor education organization with a mission to provide equitable outdoor learning to school and school communities across DC. We do our very best to make communication easy, and to be accessible to you. Our program educators are a smart, warm, engaging group of people, and we are trained in making our atmosphere a welcoming and accepting one.
If we fail to do that, we want to hear from you. Please note these important addresses and save them to your contacts. And please check your spam filters if you're waiting to hear from us!
General email: info@urbanadventuresquad.org
Christy Brock, Director of Programming: cbrock@urbanadventuresquad.org
Peter Merlo-Coyne, Deputy Director of Programming: pmerlocoyne@urbanadventuresquad.org
Elana Mintz, Founder/Executive Director, Urban Adventure Squad/Urban Learning and Teaching Center: emintz@urbanadventuresquad.org
Those are the basics. We want to ensure everyone has the best possible summer experience, so we’re available for any questions or concerns you may have--please don't hesitate to ask! We can help ease Squad member (and family!) nerves, discuss allergy concerns and protocols, or anything else that may come up.
Please direct your questions to info@urbanadventuresquad.org
We’re looking forward to an adventure-filled summer together!
Thank you for registering your Squad member for UAS Summer 2022! Your Squad member can expect a summer jam-packed with joyful outdoor learning in our city's beautiful green spaces. Our programs include tree science, watershed education, art and design projects, engineering challenges, local history, daily hikes, and summer classics like lanyards, friendship bracelets, and hackysack. UAS loves an outdoor adventure. The majority of our programs take place outdoors. We'll be sure to take lots of breaks, adjust our plans when necessary, and keep our Squad members (and Squad leaders) hydrated!
UAS is running summer programs during the following dates:
June 27-July 1 (Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens)
July 11-15 (Christ Lutheran Church)
July 18-22 (Christ Lutheran Church)
August 8-12 (Washington Youth Garden)
August 15-19 (Washington Youth Garden)
August 22-26 (Omni Shoreham Hotel)
This page has general information about our summer programs. You will receive an email closer to the program date with dropoff/pickup directions for your particular location, cell phone numbers for UAS educators leading that week's program, and other information specific to that week.
PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION MUST BE PROVIDED
FOR CHILDREN ATTENDING SUMMER 2022 PROGRAMS
How to upload your child's vaccine card if you haven't already:
1. Log into your UltraCamp account: https://www.ultracamp.com/clientlogin.aspx?idCamp=996&campCode=lpa
2. Click the three bars to pull up the menu on the left-hand side of your screen
3. Click "My Account," then "Overview"
4. Under "Account Members," click your child's name
5. Click "Edit My Bio Information"
6. On that page, scroll all the way down until you see "COVID-19 VACCINE CARD"
7. Click browse and select the vaccine card photo from your computer to upload. Make sure the file format is an image file like .jpeg or .png, UltraCamp won't accept .pdf uploads.
8. Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit "SAVE"
9. You should get a green message saying "The action was completed successfully."
10. Do this for every child you have enrolled in UAS programs on or after April 11th
SUMMER PROGRAM LOGISTICS
DROPOFF AND PICKUP:
June 27-July 1 st Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens runs 9am-3pm.
All other summer programs run 9am-4pm.
Please be on time. There is no aftercare.
If you're running late in the morning or afternoon, please call or text to let us know.
If you pick up your child after 4:00pm, we will charge a late fee. Fees will rise depending on the actual time of pickup. Please be on time; we are contractually obligated to clean up and vacate our spaces. We don't want to charge late fees--they are an administrative burden to us and not fun for you.
PICK-UP AUTHORIZATION: We will not release your child to anyone—including another UAS parent—unless we have permission from a parent or legal guardian. If you let us know in advance, we’ll include the info on our printed rosters. To add an authorized pickup to your account, follow these steps:
1. Log into your UltraCamp account
2. Scroll down until you see Pickup Authorization. Click the plus (+) sign next to it.
3. Click "Edit Authorizations."
PREFERRED PAIRINGS. We can place siblings or friends in the same group. Generally, students are split into three groups by age. Keep in mind that the middle school group sometimes has more advanced program content and more strenuous hikes than our younger groups, so consider this before requesting a younger student be places with their middle school sibling or friend. If you'd like to request a pairing, please email us your request.
OUTDOOR MASKS ARE OPTIONAL
Masks are optional--outdoors only--for programs that we host. We will remain fully masked during the indoor portions of our programs, with no exceptions. We request that all participants wear a KN95 or surgical mask for all indoor time. The Squad will provide these to any child who doesn’t have them.
We expect that we will continue to remain masked indoors through the summer, and that, unless local and state guidance on outdoor masking changes, we will continue to make masks optional when we are outdoors.
WHAT TO BRING:
- MASK. Most important is a well-fitting mask for the indoor portions of our programming. The mask should cover your Squad member's nose and mouth and fit the contours of their face. Please pack a backup mask in their backpack. Squad leaders will carry kid-sized disposable medical masks if a replacement is needed.
- BACKPACK WITH A LARGE WATER BOTTLE AND LUNCH. UAS will provide morning and afternoon snacks, but we ask that you send your child with a lunch each day. Squad members should bring their lunch and a large water bottle in a comfortable backpack. Be sure to label all items with your child's name.
- WEAR A HAT and weather-appropriate clothing. We recommend light, breathable layers in the summer. Light color layers and tall socks help for tick prevention. For UAS tick protocol, click here. A hat and comfortable hiking shoes are a must! NO FLIP FLOPS. If it's rainy, a waterproof layer or umbrella is great.
- SUNSCREEN AND INSECT REPELLENT. Please send your Squad member in the morning with a base layer or sunscreen and insect repellent and pack the bottles in their backpack for reapplication. We'll remind Squad members to reapply throughout the day.
- For younger children, if relevant: a change of clothes in a plastic bag. We get muddy and have spills, but we generally only need to change clothes in the summer if a child has an accident.
NO ELECTRONICS. Please do not send your child with electronics. We will be busy all day hiking, birding, drawing, playing, and fishing, and cannot keep track of expensive electronics.
ALLERGY PROTOCOL. If your child has an allergy protocol, please email that to our staff (emails listed below). UAS educators carry Benadryl but will only administer it if we see the signs and symptoms you indicate in your allergy protocol. If a child with no known allergies exhibits a mild to moderate allergic reaction, we will call you to get permission to administer Benadryl. If a child with no known allergies exhibits a severe allergic reaction, we will call 911 and then call you. All UAS educators are First Aid/CPR/AED certified and trained in Epi-Pen administration.
SNACKS. None of our snacks contain nuts, but some carry a disclaimer saying the product may contain traces of nuts. If you don't serve snacks with these labels at home, please let us know and send extra snacks with your child. Squad members and Squad leaders DO bring lunches that carry nut products; we discourage food sharing and encourage hand-washing after meals, but we are not a nut-free environment.
Meet our educators by checking out our UAS Staff Bios page.
BEHAVIOR AND EXPECTATIONS
A few important things to remember that will help make it a great summer of learning and adventure:
Safety is our highest priority. Safety comes before anything else at the Squad. We maintain a respectful, safe atmosphere throughout the day in which everyone--children and adults--is welcomed and accepted. We do not tolerate physical aggression, inappropriate language, or repeated failures to follow basic safety rules regarding street crossings, bullying, or the use of electronic devices. We do our very best to help each Squad member adjust to these expectations. We foster an environment of mutual respect and safety, and we are firm on our expectations. The family-UAS relationship is critical; we rely on families to reinforce our expectations.
If, after repeated reminders, a Squad member fails to comply with our rules of safety and conduct, UAS reserves the right to dismiss a student from our program, either for the day or for the week.
We are a very small organization and we do as much as we can with limited resources. We are not a camp, but a small and growing, year-round outdoor education organization with a mission to provide equitable outdoor learning to school and school communities across DC. We do our very best to make communication easy, and to be accessible to you. Our program educators are a smart, warm, engaging group of people, and we are trained in making our atmosphere a welcoming and accepting one.
If we fail to do that, we want to hear from you. Please note these important addresses and save them to your contacts. And please check your spam filters if you're waiting to hear from us!
General email: info@urbanadventuresquad.org
Christy Brock, Director of Programming: cbrock@urbanadventuresquad.org
Peter Merlo-Coyne, Deputy Director of Programming: pmerlocoyne@urbanadventuresquad.org
Elana Mintz, Founder/Executive Director, Urban Adventure Squad/Urban Learning and Teaching Center: emintz@urbanadventuresquad.org
Those are the basics. We want to ensure everyone has the best possible summer experience, so we’re available for any questions or concerns you may have--please don't hesitate to ask! We can help ease Squad member (and family!) nerves, discuss allergy concerns and protocols, or anything else that may come up.
Please direct your questions to info@urbanadventuresquad.org
We’re looking forward to an adventure-filled summer together!