FAQs Please see some frequently asked questions below and don’t hesitate to reach out if you still have more questions! Contact us. Why choose Marimeta? Marimeta has so many incredible features that make it special. One of the most important things to know about Marimeta is that we are a values based camp. We focus on leading with our values and imparting that same philosophy on our campers. Our size sets us apart from other overnight camps. Marimeta is an intimate experience where your camper will get to know every camper at camp and will create relationships with girls of all different ages. We give individualized support to each of our campers and ensure that your family is a part of our family. These are just a few of the reasons why Marimeta is incredible, among our wonderful program, staff, and community that is filled with love. Are you accredited? Marimeta is accredited by the American Camping Association. This means that we operate by a large set of standards that relate to our program quality, the health and safety of our campers, and more. We participate in a peer review process to ensure we are providing the best possible experience for your daughter. Through our accreditation we partner with the ACA and other experts to create an environment that is committed to safety while promoting growth for your camper. Do you offer tours? How can I schedule one? We love when families visit Marimeta! This will give your camper an opportunity to see where they are going to spend their future summers and get comfortable with the idea of going to camp. It will also give you the chance to learn more about us, see our facilities and get a picture of what camp looks like in action! Usually, families like to visit the summer prior to sending their daughter to camp! If you would like to schedule a tour, you can call or text us at (715) 479-9990 or email us at office@marimeta.com! Where do your campers come from? Our campers come from all over the world! We have campers from across the United States and even out of the country! At Marimeta, your camper will make friends with different backgrounds and experiences that will leave her with a network of people that will be in her life forever. Who are your staff? Our staff are the foundation of Marimeta. We have a staff to camper ratio of 1:3 ensuring that your camper will receive plenty of support while she is away from home. Our staff endure a rigorous interview process to ensure we are hiring the best possible individuals. During the multiple round interview process, we ensure that our staff members are child-centered and that they will be a good role model for your camper. They participate in background checks and thorough reference checks. Our staff come from all around the world as well as right from Marimeta! We recruit some of our staff at international camp fairs or local college job opportunity fairs. A good portion of our staff went to Marimeta when they were young kids! Many of our staff return year after year to help create the best possible experience for your camper. Additionally, we have a counselor in training program to help shape our campers into incredible staff members. Before your daughter arrives at camp, our staff participate in a intensive staff training. Throughout this training, counselors learn about safety and risk management, child development, brain science, educational strategies and tools, our culture and philosophy, and more from experts that we bring in each summer as well as from our leadership team. What if my camper does not know anyone attending camp? Before camp, we will make sure that your camper meets at least one of our current campers, if not more! We have a fantastic big sister program where our returning campers become “Camp Big Sisters” to our new campers. In the spring, big sisters will be asked to contact your camper and get to know her before camp. She will also ensure that when she is at camp she is adjusting well and will be there to support her if she needs it! Additionally, we are happy to set your daughter up with other campers her age so that she can start to talk with them before camp! We will hold a new camper party in the spring where she can come and meet all of the other new Marimeta campers and some of our Senior Cabin (oldest campers) too! Going to camp not knowing anyone can be scary, but we work to facilitate relationships early on and within the first day of camp. We are certain that your camper will feel like she has people she can rely on! What is your technology policy at camp? The only piece of technology a camper is allowed to bring is a device that plays only music (i.e. an old iPod, Mp3 player, the Campfire Player, or the Mighty Vibe). Any device that is capable of playing games or videos is not allowed. Camp is one of the few places where campers have the opportunity to be completely immersed in nature and away from the distractions of technology. We feel strongly that there is value in being device free that makes room for reconnection with our community. Why can’t my daughter come for a shorter period of time? We believe in the full camper experience. Regardless of your daughter’s age, the first week at camp will be an adjustment. She may miss home, be questioning her decision to attend camp in the first place, and wondering why she signed up to come to somewhere she has never been with people she doesn’t know all that well. The second week, your camper will start to get used to the routine of camp. She will start to feel comfortable with her cabin mates and feel like she’s finally getting the hang of it. The third and forth (or fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth) weeks are filled with pure fun! Your camper will feel accustomed to camp and confident in her routines. She will start forming deep friendships with her peers and will feel like camp is her home away from home. While we understand that four weeks sounds like a long time, we are confident that it is necessary to give your daughter the best possible experience for fun, learning, and growth! How can I communicate with camp? You can find all of our contact information here. You can call or text us anytime at (715) 479-9990 or email us at office@marimeta.com. What happens if my camper misses home while at camp? It is very important that your camper understands that missing home is not a bad thing. In fact, it means that they love home, which is wonderful! Normalize missing home by letting your camper know that it is okay and perfectly normal for her to be sad, cry, or long for the comforts of home while she is at camp. Talk with her about what she can do when that happens (talk with a friend, her big sister, a counselor, or a lodge staff member). Remind her that missing home is part of being away and that you know she can get through it! By providing the belief in her, you are encouraging her coping skills and independence. You should not promise to come pick up your camper at camp if they miss home. Part of going away to camp is learning to push through challenges. We will support your camper in doing so and it’s important that she knows she can get through it! What happens if my camper gets sick while at camp? We have an incredible health center team made up of nurses or physicians assistants that live at camp throughout the summer. They take great care of our campers. Should your camper have a fever or not feel well enough to participate in camp, she can stay in our health center where she will be monitored by our health staff while she recovers. If your camper requires an overnight stay in our health center, we will call you! For routine injuries or illnesses (i.e. headaches, small rash, bumps and bruises—our nurses will only reach out if they are concerned). We also partner with PediaTrust, specifically with Pediatric Partners in Highland Park. Should your camper require a video visit with a pediatrician, we will schedule her an appointment to have her seen by our wonderful partner doctors. If your camper requires an appointment with a doctor, we will call you to keep you informed! In case of an emergency, we are just a short 7 minute drive from the local Eagle River hospital. Should your camper require emergency care, we will notify you immediately. Whatever your daughter’s health care needs are while at camp, we’ve got you covered! What are the cabins like? Our cabins are amazing! We have bunk beds within the cabin for campers and staff. There are no separate counselor quarters meaning that the counselors sleep in the cabins with our campers ensuring maximum supervision. Within the cabins, campers have access to their own bathrooms with a private toilet and sinks. Our cabins have hot and cold running water as well as electricity. Are packages allowed? We do not allow packages at camp. Prior to putting this policy into place, we received an excessive amount of packages and camp certainly isn’t about who can get sent the most items! If there is an essential item that your daughter needs (clothes, a book, equipment) you can email the office to receive permission to send the items. Many necessary items we are able to provide for campers through our canteen and can get it much more quickly than if you are sending it from home. What if my daughter is not a strong swimmer? We teach our campers to swim at Marimeta! All of our campers are required to take swimming daily. Every other day swimming will be lessons focused on skill building while the alternate day will be swim games! Our waterfront staff will work to evaluate your camper’s swimming skills upon her arrival at camp. From there, she will work during swim class to strengthen her swimming abilities! We take waterfront safety extremely seriously and have many procedures in place to ensure that your camper is safe in the water, even when her skills are not where you may want them to be.