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Welcome to Ripples!
Parents, please be sure to register your child by clicking the ONLINE REGISTRATION link above. It is critical that we have your child’s contact, medical, and other required information in the event of a weather, medical, or food/allergy event. This information also ensures proper group placement and tshirt sizes.___________________________________
Campus Recreation is proud to present the 22nd year of Ripples summer day camp. Ripples is a nationally accredited by the American Camping Association, an important distinction and assurance for parents and families. Ripples provides a summer camp experience for children ages 4-15. The camper to staff ratio is a very safe and nurturing 5:1 and 4:1 for younger campers. Ripples provides age appropriate instruction in team and individual sports, aquatics, and the arts along with fun field trips and themed events. Most importantly, Ripples provides campers with multiple opportunities to feel good about themselves while developing skills to improve self-confidence and success.
A Letter from the Ripples Camp Director
The Department of Campus Recreation is proud to present the 22nd edition of the Ripples Summer Day Camp, a Nationally Accredited Summer Day Camp, as recognized by the American Camping Association.
The 2013 Ripples experience will continue to create a “World of Good” that will warm the hearts of youngsters, their parents and our staff as we continue to strive beyond excellence to provide children’s summer programming as only Ripples and Tulane University’s Reily Student Recreation Center can.
This summer we will create an awe-inspiring life changing experience for the hundreds of campers, parents and the highly dedicated, motivated and energetic staff who are employed in our two, four week session summer camp experience. Whether campers are enrolled in one session or two, noticeable achievements are reached as children and young adults are provided with opportunities that allow them to believe in themselves through successful achievement in recreational/social and/or athletic areas. For some of our campers, this experiential learning will be the first time that they are able to fully explore the possibilities and challenges of learning new sports or achieving their personal best.
We continue to observe the residual benefits of instilled confidence and the strength of bonds that are created within our campers and staff as evidenced by the campers desire to carry the spirit of the Ripples family throughout the academic year. The foundation of the Ripples family grows within each of us year after year, as evidenced by the retention rate of our campers and our staff. We are very proud and honored to be part of your children’s lives and over the years we have started to work with campers whose parents were once Ripples campers! We are now a part of inter-generational growth within our camp families which is a source of tremendous pride for us.
Our philosophy has always been that we work in partnership with our parents whose trust we are given each and every day to ensure the physical and psychological well being of their children. We are open to suggestions and the thoughts of our parents at all times. Parents may visit the Reily Student Recreation Center at any time to observe their child’s activities. We communicate with our parents through personal conversations, as well as weekly, monthly and at times daily written communications to reassure them of their children’s exact whereabouts and the fun their children are having. All communications are also posted online.
Our progressive heartfelt programming features mature, certified and seasoned staff, many of whom are accredited teachers or who are pursuing specialized certifications in teaching, nursing or counseling fields. In 2013, we are proud to announce that 100% of our staff are returning staff members and many are former Ripples’ campers.
Ripples provides children with a “World of Good!” through a varied and structured schedule of age appropriate cultural, social, artistic and physically challenging daily activities. Programming includes traditional team and individual sports, cooking, American Red Cross Swim Instruction, weekly field trips, theme days, cycling, gymnastics, aerobic training, archery, racquetball, tennis, canoeing, horseback riding, rock-climbing, drama, arts and crafts, and professional in-house performances.
Our staff further instills confidence and enhances camper self-esteem through our character education program and specialized programs such as our sport specific “Mini-Camps”, Ripples Color War, Carnival, Game Shows, and the culminating Musical Theatre Performance in which every child has the opportunity to participate either individually or as a member of their group.
Just as importantly, our highly trained staff is also a sensitive one. It is quite humbling and refreshing for me to lead a wholesome group of young professionals as they pull together and work as a team. Each staff member, will at one time or another, reach out to their campers both on and off the field of play to reassure them or provide them with the added encouragement that may be needed. A simple gesture of reassurance can at times be just what is needed to support a child as they try something new.
This summer we will provide an opportunity for our oldest campers, aged 12-15 to culminate their summer with a fun filled and adventure packed trip to Orlando to visit the theme parks of Universal and Disney.
Campers between the ages of 4-15 are eligible to enroll in Ripples. Our staff will continue to provide a 5:1 camper to staff ratio with our oldest campers and 4:1 camper to staff ratio to our youngest campers. Campers are grouped according to chronological age and gender. Camp begins at 9am and dismisses at 4pm daily. Before and After Care is now included in all registration fees and is available as early as 7:30am-and as late at 5:30pm. Professionally prepared, great tasting, and nutritionally balanced lunches and afternoon fresh fruit snacks are provided as part of our daily routine and are provided by our certified university’s culinary staff.
All the best,
Coach Bruce
For further information please contact us at 504.865.5375 or Bruce Bershad at bbersha@tulane.edu or Member Services at 504.865.5431
“Our staff of caring educators create a family atmosphere where camper self-esteem and parental trust are our first priorities.”