More communication around field trips, what’s included, what they should bring and expect, etc.

Improve communication - either limit messages to one platform (Camp Source, Facebook or email) or ensure all messages are on all platforms.

Pros: excellent staff, variety of activities (would love to see a "day in the life" sample schedule for a week), supportive and encouraging environment.

The cost of the camp is the main reason - at over $600/week, it is not something I would recommend. It would be helpful to understand why the cost is so high.

I think the communication this year is much improved from last year, however, the app has been confusing and no one still replies to questions on the Facebook page (for example, someone asked if the kids would swim after the field trip this week - no reply). My son was also put in the wrong age group, even after I specifically corresponded about this before camp started. My email follow up sent this week about this still has no reply (although now I feel like my son would be thrown off switching groups since he already knows the camp show song). I understand that the counselors have a lot on their plate, but that's why I emailed about this before camp started.
All of this being said, my kids love camp and feel very happy and safe there, which I appreciate the most.

I wish the calendar was accurate, it was less expensive or had an option to not have aftercare included, and that they take the ridiculously inappropriate skit about shooting someone out of the talent show.

Kids enjoyed it- hours are great for working parents and the staff was wonderful.

The walk from HS to YMCA in this heat is a lot for very young child; I was under the impression there would be some sort of swim lessons for this price but it’s only free-swim; there is almost no communication for young children including lack of schedule/activities, counselors names, etc.

The camp is very fun, but the communication between home and camp could be much better. As a parent, it would make a huge difference if I got daily snapshots and updates on what my camper is doing. This could be easily achieved if counselors shared these directly with parents of the campers in their group via the camp source app or some other app. This wouldn't require a waiver for pictures to be shared broadly- parents could be tagged to pictures with their own children in them. I would Be much more likely to recommend the camp if this improvement was made. Outside of that, it's great!

There was no communication this past month, there were no photos, there were field trips when none were listed in the app, I have zero idea what my child has been doing all day (he is only 5 and doesn't remember) no idea why his swim clothes come home dry every day, no idea why he wasn't given lunch on the first day and left to sit there and starve even though I prepaid. This camp was way too expensive to deal with all that, and I couldn't even afford the whole summer, just 4 weeks, and I will not be doing this again.

We used to love Pioneer Trails Summer Camp and have done multiple summers. This summer, a lot of the staff has changed it seems. One counselor, Nicole, seems to be a bit frustrated with children. My daughter said that Nicole told her not to sign up for Art/Makers Space because she didn't want her in the class. I don't think we will return next summer.

Affordability

My son looked forward to camp every day. There were lots of fun activities, and many staff knew him by name. Great experience!

Great program and staff. My kids loved it!

You need a full survey, not one question.

The pickup procedure needs help. It is really inefficient and parents wait a long time in a line with only three kids called at a time, if that. At other camps they hand out colored numbered cards that can be displayed in the car windshield. It helps to speed things up. My kid has also lost a lot of things at camp despite only being there for 2 weeks - I recognize this is something for parents to work on with their kids but the fact that once lost it disappears forever and there is no clear lost and found can be remedied. Drop off in one large area can also be overwhelming and stimulating for sensory sensitive kids. It would be great to rethink drop off, maybe after checking in kids go directly to classrooms. That said, we are appreciative of the hours provided as well as the activities and the opportunity to meet other kids from school for kids who are entering kindergarten or new to the district.

My experience with the YMCA Summer Camp has been very positive. My daughter has been attending the camp for the past five years, and I have no regrets at all. The staff does a great job keeping the kids engaged and entertained in a safe, structured, and supportive environment. It's a very instructional and positive atmosphere. Most of the counselors return year after year, so they're familiar with the kids, and the children feel very comfortable with them. The program is well-structured yet flexible, which works great for families.

All the activities they have the kids do and the hours

My son is having an amazing experience. Great program and great staff!

My son loves going to camp! The counselors and all the staff are amazing!

The pioneer camp - is full of different activity and loves the fact they have access to a pool every day.

The services and activities offered, the attentiveness and attention to detail and the fun that the counselors bring for the kids!!

No things to change. The experience has been great. Good communication and well structured.

My child loves it and can't wait to go to camp every day.

good activities , good time that camp is open, my son is having a blast and loves his counselors!

For parents, the experience is quite impersonal. I would like to meet and have some contact for my child's group counselor. I didn't even know their name until weeks into the camp. The communication for me has been pretty nonexistent. The Facebook pictures and email updates are not enough, particularly because my child was never in any of the posted photos. Specifically for the K groups, with such a small counselor to camper ratio, it would be really nice to have a daily picture update or something that lets us know what they're doing. Or at the very least, a space in the weekly emails where each counselor can shout out people from their group or share info about their group of kids.

I like how it's safe and my daughter loves the counselors.

I enjoyed the variety of activities for my 2nd grader and 4th grader. The kids were active at the high school and at the Y campus. All of the staff were attentive to the children and courteous to the parents/caregivers. However, I wish there was clearer signage for where to drop off the kids at the large high school campus - such as signs at the cul de sac pointing toward the cafeteria.

Communication and daily updates/pictures

Brian the camp director is doing a wonderful job. It is really clear that his leadership is creating a professional and fun environment. Staff seem happy and calm. Kids are having a blast. Brian is also immediately available if any specific issues arise and is a great problem solver.

Sy kid is having fun in a safe friendly environment

Engaging and enriching experience!!! a happy camper at the end of the season. :)

I would like to see more field trips and more communication, possibly by email or text on arrival times of bus from trips.

My son got bullied by one of the kids there whom he knows from school. I flagged this on the first day of camp so the counselors would keep an eye on this boy and so my son would have the opportunity to make friends, as he is very social. He ended up being bullied very badly in the short time he was in camp - which happened in front of counselors. He was excluded by all of the other boys, and the counselors did nothing about. He was even KICKED IN HIS PRIVATE PARTS several times by these kids. Again, the counselors did nothing about it! It was such a horrible experience for my son that he wanted to stop going to the camp altogether and stopped going back the very next day. When I spoke with the Director about this, he didn't even let me recount all that had happened before giving me a cookie-cutter response on how he would talk to the staff. That's it. No intent on speaking with the child to tell him not to bully and influence other kids to hate and bully my kid. We are very well aware the Director was not going to speak to the parents of the boy that created this bullying situation because YMCA wants their tuition payment! YMCA only cares about the tuition payment- they very clearly demonstrated they did not care about my son but rather the tuition payment of the other kid! Horrible and very disappointing experience!

My kids both love Pioneer Trails. The staff are top notch, the programming is varied and exciting, and they come home tired and happy every day.

My son loves it!! He's always excited to start at camp Pioneer Trails!! I love that the children have both indoor and outdoor experiences.

Staff. You guys are great. You guys make the experience easy. I can tell my son, Perry, is having fun.

The camp counselors are warm and welcoming, which has been huge with my very shy kids! This is the first camp in 3 years they haven't complained about. We will definitely be back!

The staff is great, the swimming program is very strong & my son is excited to be there every day.

Our daughter loves being a C.I.T. It is a great program that teaches important skills and enforces confidence. We wish the C.I.T. program was also available for 16-17 years old too!

The kids get to swim every day including learning how to swim. They learn based on the different classes conducted snd attend field trips. The before and after care is included. The counselors are great and my daughter is having so much fun.

Security at pick up wasn't great. There doesnt seem to be much structure to the day outside of swimming. I still havent met my counselors and feel as if the kids entertain each other - there's very little detail on what is done or when we arrive very unstructured activities.

The communication needs improvement. You never sent me the welcome email, even when I reached out and asked for it. You sent me my payment receipt, so you definitely had my email attached to my account. On the Tuesday after my son started camp I was sent a link to a welcome email from 2 weeks earlier and was told it "has all of the same information." I received emails about field trips that did not apply to my son's group, but were so vague (using acronyms like Ms, Os, and CITs) that I had no idea if it related to my son's group and had to reach out to ask. We received an email alerting us that Family Night was canceled due to rain, but we were never invited to Family Night in the first place... Another minor disappointment was that we signed up for Pioneer Trails Week 7 specifically because Leo Kaitila was in the same camp this week and we requested they be in the same group. They were not. The biggest complaint is that the registration process goes through the extra step of uploading photographs of the people who have permission to pick up our kids, but in reality you don't have any protection at pickup time. You don't ask our names, you don't look up permissions, don't even have a sign out sheet. My husband picked up both Leo and Montgomery and couldn't remember Leo's last name but Leo was released to him no problem. My son had a lot of fun and wants to go back next year. But for $758 for one week you need to be more buttoned up.

My kids had a great first experience at the Pioneers Camp. It was well run and the activities were fun. Thanks!

My son had a great time with all the activities offered. Staff was wonderful and easy to work with!

The sign up process is fairly straight forward and easy. But if there are questions, no one responds to messages through the portal or email. I never received the parent handbook or weekly updates for what was occurring in camp. Yes I signed up for the FB group, but would expect more interaction with the staff.

My kid loves her counselors

I love the themes they have every week! They put in a play for all grades!! The counselors are top notch and my son looks forward to attending every year!

I don't think a 5 is a bad score. I just don't have enough insight into what my child is doing during the day to properly evaluate the program. We've had experience with 4 different daycare/ camp programs and they have all provided much more detail about what activities my child is doing during the day as well as more updates/ pictures. I've been emailed twice to provide a review but haven't received pictures of my child in over a week.

Not enough communication - planned activities don't always seem to happen - asked for my son to be grouped with his best buddy and that didn't happen, doesn't seem/look as organized as I'd like, expensive especially since I'm not thrilled with the camp…..nor is my child.

Our son is excited to get on the bus everyday and has had an enjoyable summer camp experience