Kids need camp more than ever

May 22nd Update

Enrollment for our day camp and overnight camp is open to Santa Cruz County Residents only at this time. See our Day Camp program description. Full operating details to be released soon.

May 20th Update

E-mail sent to enrolled overnight campers 5/20

It is with great sadness that we announce the cancellation of nearly all of our overnight camp sessions for Summer 2020.  We have been working hard to avoid this outcome, but due to the State’s current order, we are only allowed to serve campers from within Santa Cruz County, or from within Fresno County at Kennolyn Camps, Huntington Lake.  We are leaving one 2-week session open for campers who have an address in Santa Cruz County or have a parent who works or volunteers in the county.  Our Day Camp will operate for Santa Cruz County families and our Family Camp remains scheduled for Labor Day weekend in hopes that the State order will be altered before then.  Here is our special video message.

For our campers: our disappointment is beyond measure but our first thoughts are for you. We cannot imagine a summer without you. You bring the light to the campfire, the laughter to our lives, and you make K-E-Double N-O-L-Y-N spell Kennolyn. We love you and are working hard to imagine ways that Kennolyn can still be a part of your world in 2020. We are discussing family camps, and weekend camps in the Fall, along with other ways for you to engage with Kennolyn.

For those going through the training program, we will explain how this affects your next steps in the program. We are brainstorming something special just for you, so stay tuned. There is always the chance that the Stay at Home order will be modified enough to allow you to join us later this summer. We will be ready if that happens.

For parents: as we announced, our default option for everyone is a roll over credit. This money is yours to use at Kennolyn in 2021 or our next fully operational summer. These credits are transferable so they can be shared with siblings, friends, etc. Those of you who rollover credits will have priority for the possible activities and programs we hope to add later in the Summer. You will also get priority registration for next Summer. You don’t need to do anything to receive the rollover credit and the enhanced benefits. You have until June 14th to request a refund and after that, the rollover will happen automatically. At that time you will receive a sneak peek at our 2021 calendar and you’ll be able to pick a session or wait, it’s up to you.

We really appreciate those of you who can allow us to rollover your tuition to next year. We are looking at a 90% reduction in income for 2020. We are running a very lean operation and having enough of you trust us to hold your money over will make a huge difference. Thank you.

We think this short video from Tina Payne Bryson PhD has wonderful points for parents to help your kids deal with disappointment, sadness, frustration, and general grief that they are going through with all of the cancelled events in their lives.

Our blog post “How to talk to your camper about Summer 2020” also has some great resources.

Campers, we will be thinking about you all year long, and we can’t wait to see you in 2021!

Please know that we are here for our families. You can reach us via email and phone as normal. Our chat box is staffed throughout the day.

We are camp people. Eternally optimistic, resourceful beyond measure, and determined to help kids. We are used to re-imagining what tomorrow might look like, and that’s what we are doing.  Please expect some updates form us as we all process this situation together.  We are already working on plans to gather our campers together in person or virtually when we are allowed to do so.

The best way to get updates from Kennolyn is to join us on social media: Facebook, Instagram. We are posting fun content there for our campers and will put any major announcements on those platforms too.

This might be all you really want to know right now but our special FAQ page has a lot more information if you need it.