Why did you change registration to be this way?

• We felt and received feedback that our previous registration process was becoming too competitive, making it inequitable and stressful for families.
• We believe moving to a lottery system will help us become more equitable and inclusive. As summer camp slots have continued to fill more quickly each year, this new process will allow families to register at a more reasonable time and pace.
• The lottery will take more coordination up-front on our end which will require some patience from registrants, but we believe this will give more families in our community an opportunity to experience summer camp at ALNC.

How does the lottery work?

• Registrants must complete one lottery entry form per family. Additional entries will not increase your chances of being selected.
• In support of our inclusion initiatives, our enrollment form includes some weighted questions, which will help us identify campers who may have been historically underserved and underrepresented. These families will be given more entries in the lottery.
• We will randomly select registrants for the summer camp sessions from families who sign up during the 10-day registration period.
• Once we have selected campers, we will contact families who can either accept or decline a spot at camp.
• If they decline, we will randomly select another camper.
• If they accept, we will put the remaining families on the waiting list.

How do siblings factor into the lottery?

• Siblings will be paired together for the lottery. If one child is chosen for a session, their sibling gets chosen for that same session as well (with each put into their appropriate age group).
• If siblings want to attend different sessions, you will need to fill out a separate lottery form for each child.

Can I sign up for just one week of camp?

• The only option for a 1-week full-day camp is Session #4 (August 21-25).
• If you’re seeking a more flexible summer camp experience, we do have separate morning camp sessions from 9-11am M-F that you will be able to register for 1 week at a time. This registration will begin on Tuesday, February 21 and will not be a lottery.

If sessions are three weeks, can I sign up for three different weeks that aren’t in a row?

• No, the sessions are preplanned.
  • Session #1: June 12-30
  • Session #2: July 10-28
  • Session #3: July 31-August 18
  • Session #4: August 21-25 (1 week only)

Can I sign up for more than one session?

• To increase access, children who do not enroll in the full summer session may attend one three-week session AND/OR the final week of summer camp.

When will I be notified and how?

• All registrants will receive an email by February 17 notifying you whether your child got into a camp session or was placed on the waitlist.
• Once a family makes their deposit payment during the acceptance period, we will send additional enrollment materials and information.

How long do I have to accept?

• You will have 48 hours to accept the camp session your child got into. You will need to confirm your acceptance and make a non-refundable $200 deposit during this time period in order to reserve your spot. Please let us know if this amount is prohibitive for you and we can discuss an alternative amount.

Can I get on a waitlist?

• Once the lottery is finished and all families have been notified and accepted, we will create waitlists for remaining families for each session option.
• We will keep in touch periodically with families on waitlists to let them know of their status.
• If you miss the January registration lottery window, you can still be added to the waitlist after the fact in the event an opening becomes available.
• There is no deposit required to be/remain on the waitlist.

Can I make a buddy request for my camper?

• Once your child gets into a camp session, there will be forms to fill out and you can put a buddy request on those forms.

Do I have to pay or make a deposit to enter the lottery?

• No, you do not need to make a deposit or payment to enter the lottery. You will only need to fill out the lottery enrollment forms during the registration window from January 20-29.
• Once you are notified that your name has been selected through the lottery, you will need to make a non-refundable $200 deposit within 48 hours to hold the spot.

Do I have to pay all at once? How does payment work?

• Families who are accepted into sessions will need to make a non-refundable $200 deposit to reserve their spots.
• The following payment plans are available for each session:
  • Full summer | $3,650 | June 12-August 25 – $200 deposit required to reserve spot; $1,150 due June 1; $1,150 due July 1; $1,150 due August 1.
  • Session #1 | $1,095 | June 12-30 – $200 deposit required to reserve spot; 50% of balance ($447.50) due May 1; remaining balance ($447.50) due June 1.
  • Session #2 | $1,095 | July 10-28 – $200 deposit required to reserve spot; 50% of balance ($447.50) due June 1; remaining balance ($447.50) due July 1.
  • Session #3 | $1,095 | July 31- August 18 – $200 deposit required to reserve spot; $50% of balance ($447.50) due July 1; remaining balance ($447.50) due August 1.
  • Session #4 | $365 | August 21-25 – $200 deposit required to reserve spot; remaining balance ($165) due August 1.
  • WI Shares payments are accepted. Families are responsible for any remaining balance not covered by WI Shares. If you need tuition assistance from ALNC to cover this amount, please indicate this in your lottery enrollment form.

How does tuition assistance work?

• If you have financial need for assistance, you will have an opportunity to indicate this on the lottery form. If your name is selected in the lottery, we will work with you on tuition assistance and financial needs as indicated on your form.

Are there themes for each week?

• Yes, there are still unique and engaging themes for each week. They are listed on our summer camp brochure.

Are you offering overnight trips this summer?

• No. With all of the advance reservations and planning required for adventure camps, we do not feel that we have the capacity to plan trips this year while also rolling out a new registration process.
• We will evaluate this for future summers.

We already know we will be missing days or weeks during the sessions we’d like to register for – will we be able to receive refunds for these?

• No. To account for our new more accessible enrollment process, the sessions must be used as a full block, and we’re not able to make exceptions for absences. However, the sessions are priced in bulk rates to account for this. You can still sign up for a session even if you cannot attend all of the days.

Whom do I contact with questions?

• Contact Lauren Mordini, Camps Manager, with any questions.
• Email: camps@aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org
• Phone: 608-216-9374