In Person Summer Camps 2021

Memo

To: Pre-College Programs at WMU
From: Dr. Erika Carr; Dr. Chris Cheatham
CC: Dr. Terri Goss Kinzy, Dr. Jennifer Bott, Kara Wood, Roshona Porter, Joe Vanderbos, Jessica Swartz
Date: 2/26/2021
Re: In Person Summer Camps Allowable with Required Registration through the Office of Pre-College Programming and Submitted and Approved Safety Plans

The purpose of this memorandum is to inform all faculty and staff who conduct youth outreach programs that in person summer camps may be allowed on WMU’s campus for Summer 2021 with the following criteria: 

1. Register your summer camp through Office of Pre-College Programming’s website at https://wmich.edu/precollege/programregistration.  All programs must review and update, as necessary, their information annually through this website.
2. Submit a safety plan for your summer camp via https://wmich.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1815615.  This plan will be reviewed and potentially approved by the WMU COVID-19 team.  In order to secure approval before summer begins please submit those plans as soon as possible.  You cannot operate your summer camp without this approval. 
3. Faculty and staff working youth summer camps are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.  In order to get on the list and scheduled for the vaccine, please follow these instructions:
1. Collect the names of all those employed to work your summer camp in the attached excel document.  All of the information for each employee must include: first name, last name, WIN (if they have one), date of birth (01/01/1980), age, email address, cell phone, camp name, home address, city, state, zip code
2. The last entry of the spreadsheet should include the name and email address of the contact person who created the list.
3. Please send the completed .xlsx document(s) to health@sindecuse.com with the subject "Summer camp vaccine list".  If you have multiple camps you can combine them into one excel document.
4. Summer camps may also be allowed in the Residence Halls and will be evaluated on a case by case basis.  If your camp has housing needs, please contact Roshona Porter, Associate Director of Residence Life, at @email
5. Please note changes in camp plans may be required if requirements from the State of Michigan changes once a camp is approved, please be prepared to respond to changing conditions with COVID-19.

In addition, to the above criteria for in person summer camps for 2021, please also remember the additional expectations for youth outreach remain in effect:

1. Review the updated Minors on Campus Policy approved by the Board of Trustees in April 2018.  The policy can be located at: https://wmich.edu/policies/minors.
2. Ensure that the employees working your camps have received training including but not limited to Minors on Campus Policy and expectations.  The Office of Pre-College Programming can assist with summer camp training needs upon request.
3. Work with the appropriate Human Resource Representative to complete background checks every three years on all faculty, staff, student staff, and volunteers working with youth through their Human Resources representative.  Please refer to section 4.5.1 of the Minors on Campus Policy to determine which individuals need a background check and how often.   Please note that faculty and staff that have a gap in employment of 6 months or higher will need to be background checked again upon rehire even if it is within the three years per Human Resource Policy.
4. Complete Admissions data cards for all youth participating within their pre-college program and/or submit names to Admissions to be uploaded into the Target X Salesforce System.
5. Register your youth outreach program through the Office of Pre-College Programming annually.  Registration allows the institution to keep an accurate record of its outreach efforts as well as foster collaboration among pre-college programs.  Additionally, the Office of Pre-College Programming will be able to provide all registered programs with updated information regarding policies and procedures related to minors both on and off campus.  As a reminder registration can be completed through via the following website: https://wmich.edu/precollege/programregistration.

For more information on in person summer camps or any of the processes outlined above, please contact the Office of Pre-College Programming at 269-387-2773 or via email at erika.carr@wmich.edu.  There is additional information on youth outreach including sample required forms for summer camps available on the website at: https://wmich.edu/precollege.  Thank you for your time and appreciate your continued support of pre-college youth outreach. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Erika Carr, Director
Office of Pre-College Programming