2023 summer camp registration is now open! Early bird discounts available!*
Bell families,
relatives, neighbors, and friends
should register using an AfterCare Plus parent account. When creating a profile for a child who is not a Bell School
student, make sure to select Camp Only as the school.
To log in or
create a new account,
click here.
Bell Pricing (only until 4/10/2023*)Daily: $99/day $89/day
Weekly: $409/week ($369 for 3+ weeks) $369/week ($329 for 3+ weeks)
Full Summer: $3,199 $2,899 for the entire summer
Location: Alexander Graham Bell Elementary School, 3730 North Oakley Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618
Pickup and dropoff: The Grace Street gate will be our access point.
Campers may be dropped off and picked up by parents and authorized adults at any time between 8:00am - 6:00pm,
and for campers with offsite
appointments, parents may pick up and drop off campers as needed throughout the day.
Counselors: 21st Century Kids and AfterCare Plus staff, and familiar faces from Bell and the local community!
Age Range: For children entering grades K through 7 (Special circumstances?
Contact us)
Meals and Snacks: Free healthy breakfast (8:45am-9:30am) and lunch (11:45am-12:30pm) will be provided for every camper.
Times are tentative and subject to change. Campers may bring their own bag lunches and snacks.
A variety of free snack items will be available from 10am - 5pm (campers will have a daily stipend
and parents may opt out).
(*) Exact amounts of the early bird discounts for Bell families, relatives, neighbors, and friends are as described in your AfterCare Plus account on your child's camp registration page. For the period of 1/27/2023 - 2/10/2023, early bird discounts are about 30% off regular camp pricing. For 2/11/2023 - 3/6/2023, discounts will be about 20%, and for 3/7/2023 - 4/10/2023 about 10%.
Q. Is there a balance of indoor and outdoor activities?
A.
Our camp focus is to provide a meaningful summer enrichment experience encompassing a variety of indoor and outdoor activities daily. Activities are planned so that campers have engaging options both indoors and out. Grade level meetings will be held
twice daily and, weather permitting, one of the meetings will be held indoors and the other outside. Grade level meetings
allow us
to update campers on the day's available activities, indoors and out, so they may make informed choices and benefit from as many
activity options as they can reasonably fit into their camp day.
Q. Do campers have their choice of activities?
A. Campers are generally permitted to make their own activity choices,
subject to availability and grade-level scheduling or prerequisites. We encourage campers to try a variety of different activities
so that they may experience new things, meet new people and make new friends, as well as benefit from all that our summer camp has to offer.
Q. What are some of the activities at camp?
A. Some of what we have planned for this summer:
• LEGO Build and Play Zone
• Crafts and Creations Workshop
• Sports and Recreation Area
• Ninja Fitness and Fun Zone
• Team Sports Challenge Zone
• Science Exploration Lab
• Robotics and Coding Lab
• Art and Design Studio
• Drama and Music Studio
• Chef’s Kitchen for Kids
• Snack Bar Arcade
• Water Park and Oasis
• “Free To Be Me” Social Space
Q. What about really hot days? Is there a way for campers to cool down?
A.
Weather permitting, Wednesdays and Fridays are Water Days! We have sprinklers and inflatable
water parks to make sure that all our campers have the
chance to cool down and have a great time every Wednesday and Friday afternoon. Our Water Day scheduling keeps groups reasonably sized and allows us to keep grade levels together.
If we add additional Water Days to our schedule for anticipated hot weather conditions we will notify parents by email.
On Water Days, kids should come to
camp wearing a swimsuit under their clothes and bring extra clothing if feasible, but if that's
inconvenient we can make sure they have privacy to change inside the school. A beach
towel is advisable, and water bottles and sunscreen are highly recommended for every day at camp!
Q. Can we change days or weeks if our family's schedule changes?
A.
Yes, daily and weekly registrations may be changed to different days or weeks at any time, and
the process is now automated for your convenience. Simply log in to your parent account,
click on your child's summer camp registration link, and then select the option to change daily
or weekly registrations.
You may also contact us with any questions.
Q. What if a child starts to feel ill during camp?
A. We understand that there may be instances when a child
starts to display signs of illness (fever, cough, runny nose, etc.). If a child starts to
display signs of illness, we will provide the child a place to be comfortable while we attempt to contact parents using information provided during the camp registration process and maintained in
an online profile. We ask that parents
keep their information updated, which may be done in your online account.
Q. How will COVID-19 concerns be addressed during camp?
A. In our 2022 summer camp, our implementation of COVID-19
best practices will depend on
guidance provided by the CDC, the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, and as applicable,
the Chicago Public Schools. This guidance may change during the course of our summer
camp, and may become more or less restrictive. Also, guidance is expected to be different for
indoor activities as compared to outdoor activities.
During breakfast, lunch, and snack times,
seating is generally arranged so that campers have access to suitable social distancing space.
If any child feels they need more space, they should let a staff member know.
Q. Where is the pickup and dropoff point for campers?
A.
Parents may drop off and pick up campers using the gate on Grace Street.
Look for our new welcome station!