Afterschool

We believe that it is important for children to spend time playing outside! In our Afterschool program, participants end their school days exploring, building forts, playing games, hiking, crafting, and socializing within the 165 acres that make up New Hope Camp and Conference Center. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, our pool is in operation and participants have the opportunity to enjoy a nice, cool swim after school. We set aside time to complete homework if requested.

Our program provides transportation from the following schools:
Central Elementary
Hillsborough Elementary
River Park Elementary
AL Stanback Middle School

Orange County School System provides transportation from one school:
New Hope Elementary

An annual, non-refundable $125 registration fee per student is due at the time of registration. Monthly fees are added after registration.

Registration payments may only be made with credit card.

*Payment is due the 1st of each month.

Part-Time Students are accepted from New Hope Elementary School only.
These students must be registered for specific days on a monthly basis.
$23/day per child. This option is subject to our capacity, and may not always be available.

Intersession & Teacher Workdays

Intersession Camps

K-5th grade
$235/week

Our intersession camps are a fun way to spend a week during a school break. Our activities are based on exciting weekly themes. Campers need to bring their own lunch. Snacks will be provided.

Drop-off: after 7:30am

Pick-up: before 6:00pm

Teacher Workdays

K-5th grade
$55/day

We offer exciting one-day camps based on the Teacher Workday dates of our local schools. Campers need to bring their own lunch. Snacks will be provided.

Drop-off: after 7:30am

Pick-up: before 6:00pm

Unstructured Play at New Hope Camp

Unstructured Play is an important part of the New Hope Camp programming!

During Afterschool, our campers are coming from school where their day has
been fully planned out for them, and they need the ability to make some of their own
decisions.

During Intersession Camps, Teacher Workdays and Summer Camp it is incorporated into our day in between crafts, planned games, lunches, snacks, etc. We do this at camp because unstructured play is important for normal social, emotional, and cognitive development. Free play is critical in child development for humans to learn to become socially adept, cope with stress, and build cognitive skills such as problem solving. Unstructured play provides the chance for campers to work within their community to solve problems together, learn to communicate with others, and helps our campers build gross motor skills.

Some weeks, the unstructured part of camp looks different every day. Other times, the campers like to play the same thing a few days in a row before switching to a new activity. Campers are leading their activity choices during unstructured time, not the counselors. Sometimes they may choose an activity like basketball or gaga ball, and while not entirely unstructured play, it does give our campers space for a lot of the same benefits of unstructured play, such as problem solving, helping gross motor skills and interacting with their community.

Unstructured play time does not mean unsupervised play time! Counselors are present, interacting and engaging with campers, but they are not taking an active roll in planning out games or activities. This is a time to watch our campers take the lead and watch them create their own games and play and learn in their community.

Important articles about unstructured play:

Scientific American

American Psychological Association

PBS For Parents

Parent Information

2024/2025 Parent Handbook

Camper Eligibility

To be eligible to attend New Hope Summer Camp programs, a camper must be rising kindergartener – rising 9th grader. To be eligible to attend Afterschool, campers mush be kindergarten - 8th grade. For Teacher Workday or Intersession camps, all campers must be kindergarteners – 7th graders.

All campers must be able to independently use the bathroom and change into swim attire and out of wet swim attire without assistance from a counselor.
Campers must be able to communicate their needs and concerns with others.
Campers must be comfortable in a rustic outdoor setting and be able to maneuver rough terrain and distances.
Summer Campers should be able to participate safely and appropriately within a 1:8 ratio of staff to campers and a typical group size of 15. Afterschool Campers should be able to participate safely and appropriately within a 1:14 ratio of staff to campers and a typical group size of 40-60.
Any camper continually needing 1:1 assistance will be sent home for the safety of our other campers and staff.
All campers must be able to understand and comply with directions given by staff.
All campers must refrain from unsafe or harmful behaviors towards themselves and others including self-harm.
Campers are expected to function in a group setting in a positive and cooperative manner that displays kindness and respect for themselves and their community. We expect all campers and staff to contribute to a safe camp environment for all.

Intersession & Teacher Workdays

Parent Information

2024/2025 Parent Handbook

Camper Eligibility

To be eligible to attend New Hope Summer Camp programs, a camper must be rising kindergartener – rising 9th grader. To be eligible to attend Afterschool, campers mush be kindergarten - 8th grade. For Teacher Workday or Intersession camps, all campers must be kindergarteners – 7th graders.

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All campers must be able to independently use the bathroom and change into swim attire and out of wet swim attire without assistance from a counselor.

Campers must be able to communicate their needs and concerns with others.

Campers must be comfortable in a rustic outdoor setting and be able to maneuver rough terrain and distances.

Summer Campers should be able to participate safely and appropriately within a 1:8 ratio of staff to campers and a typical group size of 15. Afterschool Campers should be able to participate safely and appropriately within a 1:14 ratio of staff to campers and a typical group size of 40-60.

Any camper continually needing 1:1 assistance will be sent home for the safety of our other campers and staff.

All campers must be able to understand and comply with directions given by staff.

All campers must refrain from unsafe or harmful behaviors towards themselves and others including self-harm.

Campers are expected to function in a group setting in a positive and cooperative manner that displays kindness and respect for themselves and their community. We expect all campers and staff to contribute to a safe camp environment for all.