LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN!
Hello UAS summer families,
Thank you for registering your Squad member for UAS Summer 2025!
Be sure to scroll down for important program info, including what to pack.
Your Squad member can expect a summer jam-packed with joyful outdoor learning in our city's beautiful green spaces. What better way to spend a summer week than being immersed in the urban ecosystem, creating nature-based art, learning to advocate for your local species and waterways, and having a blast with other kids your age? UAS summer programs include observing and identifying wildlife up close, exploring tree science, learning to protect our watershed, creating art and design projects, mastering engineering challenges, going on daily hikes, and enjoying summer classics like lanyards, friendship bracelets, and hackysack. We believe in balancing structured educational time with unstructured play time.
Summer is meant for being outside! Studies show that simply hearing birdsong can increase cognitive function and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. We can't wait to explore and learn outdoors in so many beautiful greenspaces in the District. We're very grateful for our community partners who provide UAS with the space for outdoor learning adventures--we couldn't do it without them. And we're grateful for you, the Squad families, who believe in our model of joyful outdoor learning.
Urban Adventure Squad's summer 2025 lineup:
June 23-27 at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 9:00am-3:00pm
"THEME: TBD"
July 28-August 1 at Christ Lutheran Church, 9:00am-4:00pm
"THEME: TBD"
August 11-15 at Washington Youth Garden, 9:00am-4:00pm
"THEME: TBD"
August 18-22 at Temple Micah, 9:00am-4:00pm
"THEME: TBD"
GENERAL SUMMER PROGRAM LOGISTICS
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.
Summer program dropoff is 8:45-9:00am
Summer program pickup is 3:55-4:00pm*
*Note: June 23-27 at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens ends at 3:00pm.
Please be on time for pickup. We are unable to offer aftercare, and our staff needs to close up, go home, and rest for the next day.
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."
Thank you for registering your Squad member for UAS Summer 2025!
Be sure to scroll down for important program info, including what to pack.
Your Squad member can expect a summer jam-packed with joyful outdoor learning in our city's beautiful green spaces. What better way to spend a summer week than being immersed in the urban ecosystem, creating nature-based art, learning to advocate for your local species and waterways, and having a blast with other kids your age? UAS summer programs include observing and identifying wildlife up close, exploring tree science, learning to protect our watershed, creating art and design projects, mastering engineering challenges, going on daily hikes, and enjoying summer classics like lanyards, friendship bracelets, and hackysack. We believe in balancing structured educational time with unstructured play time.
Summer is meant for being outside! Studies show that simply hearing birdsong can increase cognitive function and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. We can't wait to explore and learn outdoors in so many beautiful greenspaces in the District. We're very grateful for our community partners who provide UAS with the space for outdoor learning adventures--we couldn't do it without them. And we're grateful for you, the Squad families, who believe in our model of joyful outdoor learning.
Urban Adventure Squad's summer 2025 lineup:
June 23-27 at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 9:00am-3:00pm
"THEME: TBD"
July 28-August 1 at Christ Lutheran Church, 9:00am-4:00pm
"THEME: TBD"
August 11-15 at Washington Youth Garden, 9:00am-4:00pm
"THEME: TBD"
August 18-22 at Temple Micah, 9:00am-4:00pm
"THEME: TBD"
GENERAL SUMMER PROGRAM LOGISTICS
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.
Summer program dropoff is 8:45-9:00am
Summer program pickup is 3:55-4:00pm*
*Note: June 23-27 at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens ends at 3:00pm.
Please be on time for pickup. We are unable to offer aftercare, and our staff needs to close up, go home, and rest for the next day.
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."
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.
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.
Meet our educators by checking out our UAS Staff Bios page.
- 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 of 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.
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.
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: [email protected]
Christy Brock, Director of Programming: [email protected]
Elana Mintz, Founder/Executive Director, Urban Adventure Squad/Urban Learning and Teaching Center: [email protected]
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 [email protected]
We’re looking forward to an adventure-filled summer together!
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: [email protected]
Christy Brock, Director of Programming: [email protected]
Elana Mintz, Founder/Executive Director, Urban Adventure Squad/Urban Learning and Teaching Center: [email protected]
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 [email protected]
We’re looking forward to an adventure-filled summer together!
