Registration for Camp Available January 2024
Camp Registration will open in January 2024. Secure your spot by registering for the week/session of your choice. If your preferred week/session is already full, don’t worry – you can join our waitlist on your Camp Brain registration account. If you have any questions about availability or the waitlist please reach out to registration@ketchaoutdoors.org.
We’ll make sure to keep you informed if any spots become available. Don’t miss out on the adventure and fun at Camp Ketcha. You can “pre-register” (completing the required paperwork) ahead of time by visiting https://campketcha.campbrainregistration.com,
- Pre-Registration: January 5, 2024 at 9:00 AM. Pre-registration does not secure a spot in camp for your child but is highly recommended to make registration day easier. All families registering during phase 1 will need to pre-register or their submission will be invalid.
- Registration Phase 1: January 16, 2024 at 7:00 AM. Phase 1 requires registration for 7 weeks or more per camper. Phase 1 registration will be completed via Microsoft Form Ketcha Staff will manually register your child on a first come first serve basis only if Pre-Registration is fully completed.
- Registration Phase 2: January 18, 2024 at 7:00 AM. Phase 2 registration will be open for anyone registering for between 1-11 weeks.
My Favorite Part of Camp Ketcha
Letter to Families
In 2024 we will continue to offer phased registration. The first phase will be registration for campers attending camp for 7 weeks or more. We hope that this ensures that families who need consistent childcare this summer can sign up without trying to beat the clock on registration day. This phase of registration will open on Tuesday, January 16th, 2024 at 7:00 AM. For this phase of registration families must register for 7 or more weeks of summer camp in either our traditional camp or our specialty camp in 2024. If you choose to register during this phase you must commit to at least 7 weeks of summer camp and sign a separate cancellation policy specific to this registration phase.
All first-phase registrants will need to pre-register in Camp Brain (our registration platform) starting on January 5th, 2024 at 9:00 AM. Then on January 16th phase one families will fill out a Microsoft form survey indicating which 7 weeks they would like to register for and Ketcha staff will manually add campers into the registration system on a first come first serve basis. If you are not fully pre-registered your submission will be invalid. The link for the phase one registration form will be on our website and go out to our mailing lists ahead of time. The form will not accept submissions until 7:00 AM on January 16th.
Phase two of registration will open up on Thursday, January 18th at 7:00 AM. During this second phase, we will allow week-by-week registration in all programs and all camp spots (traditional and specialty) will be open. This registration phase will happen in Camp Brain.
In addition to phased registration, we will also be utilizing the waitlist feature in our registration platform so you do not need to call to be added to the waitlist. Additionally, you will not be asked to sign up for pizza, early/late care, etc. until a later date. Our goal is to reduce the amount of work you will need to do on registration day, make it easier to sign up multiple children, and allow you to focus when signing up.
Please see the information below on financial aid, pre-registration, registration tips and tricks, and our weekly themes and specialty camp schedules!
Camperships and Financial Aid
Ketcha Outdoors is committed to increasing access to children who may not have the opportunity to attend summer camp. Given the increasingly competitive nature of registration for summer camp, in 2024 we will be saving spots in our summer camp to ensure that campers who need financial assistance are given the opportunity. We also hope to increase access to our financial aid program to families who may need a subsidized rate to keep up with increasing costs of childcare.
The 2024 Scholarship Application will be available through Camp Brain at a later date.
Pre-Registration
Pre-Register online beginning on January 5th, 2024 at 9AM.
*Pre-registration is highly encouraged*
Steps to complete required paperwork online prior to your registration wave:
- You can “pre-register” (completing required paperwork) ahead of time by visiting https://campketcha.campbrainregistration.com
- If you are a new user, you must create a new account. Returning families will already have an existing account.
- In order to complete your registration for Summer Camp you MUST complete all necessary forms. Please have your child’s medical and immunization information ready to enter.
- To complete these ahead of time, log into the Camp Brain Registration system, select the camper you wish to register under Step 1-Select People for Registration.
- Once a camper has been selected (or added) it will bring you to Step 2-Select Sessions. Click on Summer Day Camp Pre Registration for the session Camp Ketcha 2024 and click ADD TO CART. After a program has been added select CONTINUE on the bottom right.
- You are now at Step 3- Fill out Forms. All required forms need to be completed in order to continue.
- Step 4- Payment Options and Methods: here you will enter and review payment information. During pre-registration you will only need to pay the $20.00 registration fee for the new calendar year. This year we are requiring automatic payments.
- Steps 5 & 6- Review and Submit: Review all of your information to ensure everything is accurate and submit your registration. You will receive a confirmation email following step 6.
REMEMBER: Save your log-in information and use it to log into Camp Brain on Registration day to easily complete your registration!
*Please note that this is only a pre-registration to make the process smoother on registration day. This does NOT ensure that you are signed up for camp and you will need to go back in on registration day and choose weekly sessions and pay a deposit.*
Registration Tips and Tricks
- Log into your account and be sure that ALL required forms are filled out for 2024. Even if you are sure that you have filled out the forms it is best to triple check! We will not be able to push your registration through with missing information.
- Have your most up to date immunization records, physician information, and health information ready to enter. If you have previously entered your medical form online you will have the option of verifying all previous information. We do need to update our records yearly.
- We have prepared Camp Brain with our registration dates this year so we hope it won’t take as long to process your registration. We found it was NOT helpful to exit out of a lagging page because that makes the spot available for someone else to take.
- Take a look at our attached calendar for a layout of the summer. Our website will be updated soon with Summer Camp 2024 information. This is a very important tool in being prepared to register. Here is the process I have heard works best for families when preparing for registration.
- Take some time to look at the grid and decide which weeks and services your family needs for care during the summer. This is also a good time to look at your school district’s calendar!
- Print out and mark up the grid by circling weeks that you need care for your child.
- If your child is interested in traditional camp only you are ready to register. If your child is interested in specialty camps go through the weeks and choose their first, second, and third choice and write them down. Take time to look on our website for descriptions about each camp. Feel free to reach out about specialty camp information as we work to update the website.
- No need to stress about add-ons (such as pizza lunch, after care, etc.) at this time. We will open those options up for registration at a later time.
Camp Capacity and Staffing
Unlike the past two years, we are hoping to fill up to our licensed capacity. To do this successfully we need great staff! If you know someone who would like a fun summer job working with children in a beautiful outdoor setting please send them to klarochelle@ketchaoutdoors.org
Camp Schedule 2024
Traditionally Camp Ketcha runs on a 12 week schedule to better serve our families in between camps ending and school starting. Last year we tried out an abbreviated week 12 made up of only Monday and Tuesday due to staffing challenges that week and to also give our year round staff time to rest and prepare for our school year programs that start in September. Signing up for week 12 means your camper may not be able to swim or attend all program areas (due to staffing) but we will make it an amazing two days of Vacation Camp! We will release our full rates and dates information in the upcoming weeks. For now we have provided our 2024 Summer Camp Schedule. Here you will find our camp weeks, themes, special events, and wacky Wednesdays! Traditional camp is not shown however it will be open for all 11+ weeks of summer.
Camp Hours: 9 am-4 pm
Early Care: 7:30-9 am
Late Care: 4 pm-6 pm
Ages 4-16
Open House and Tours:
Contact us at klarochelle@campketcha.org or at (207) 883-8977 ex 104 to schedule a tour.
Summer Camp offers a world of experience that no other classroom can. Opening and closing circle is a small glimpse into the world of summer camp for families. The fairy house building, arts & crafts, swimming in the pool, catching frogs, climbing up to the top of the tire on the vertical playground, flashlight tag on our overnights are the activities that are remembered and often shared. However camp is much more than just the nostalgia that makes campers and counselors yearn for the summer all year, it’s those magic moments that camp is made of that bring back children, as well as, counselors every summer.
A 4 year old camper, told me on day one “No one wants to be my friend” then to see her leave camp with lots of confidence in herself socially, and plenty of friends to say goodbye to. It was great to see! – Ketcha Counselor
Each summer, we witness incredible moments of triumph over fears and the joy of making lifelong friendships, all of which contribute to our shared story – those magical moments that define our experience. Summer camp holds a unique and cherished position in the hearts of everyone at Ketcha, and we understand just how meaningful it is for each one of our campers too. It’s a place where memories are made, bonds are formed, and personal growth is nurtured. We look forward to creating more unforgettable moments together this summer at Camp Ketcha!
Camp Ketcha is Accredited by the American Camp Association and Licensed by the State of Maine.
