April 22, 2020
SIU is cancelling summer camps for 2020
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale officials have made the difficult decision to cancel a wide variety of summer camps and conference housing for summer 2020 due to ongoing efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Illinois and the rest of the country.
However, details are coming soon regarding fun alternative, virtual or at-home experiences that will be available this summer.
What is canceled
Touch of Nature Environmental Center is cancelling all of its summer camp programs through July 31 while Conference and Scheduling Services is cancelling all summer camps and summer camp and conference housing for summer 2020.
The Touch of Nature cancellation includes all sessions of Camp Little Giant, children and youth EdVenture Camps and the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois sessions hosted at the facility.
The decision to cancel the camps was not an easy one, but was necessary because assuring the health and wellbeing of campers and the community is paramount, according to J.D. Tanner, director of Touch of Nature.
Refunds coming
Those who have registered online for EdVenture Camps will receive full refunds. Touch of Nature recreation therapy staff will contact those who registered for Camp Little Giant to arrange for refunds. Information on the Girl Scout camps is available at www.gsofsi.org.
Conference and Scheduling Services will also be providing refunds to all participants who have already registered for its camps; staff will be in contact with participants to arrange the refunds.
New activity options coming
Conference and Scheduling Services staff are hard at work assembling a wide variety of virtual camp and take-home/mail options for children and youth to enjoy this summer. Planning is in the works and more details will be posted in May at conferenceservices.siu.edu.
“Conference and Scheduling Services is committed to ensuring that we have programmatic options for youth in the Southern Illinois area and while that can’t be done in person for summer 2020, we are excited about having a variety of options available in a virtual or take-home/mail environment to ensure that kids can experience SIU and have something special to during the summer,” Sarah VanVoorhen, associate director of Conference and Scheduling Services, said.
For additional details
Visit conferenceservices.siu.edu or email conferenceservices@siu.edu to learn more about the camps and conferences hosted by Conference and Scheduling services as well as to get details about plans for activities in a new format this summer.
Email tonec@siu.edu or visit ton.siu.edu for more information or with questions about the Touch of Nature camps.