

FAMILY FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WE'RE HERE TO HELP.
Here are some answers to typical questions prospective camper families often ask. For more information about any of these topics, or for other questions, please give us a call or send Jess an email. We'll be happy to help you.
Click to visit a particular set of topics or scroll down to see them all!
HEALTH, SAFETY & NUTRITION
Camp Hawkeye is licensed through the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). With one of the most comprehensive and intentional set of statewide standards and guidelines for camps in all of New England, NH rules support safe programs. New Hampshire oversight for camps includes all areas of the program and community including hiring and background checks, food safety, staff training, and site safety guidelines.
Our Director, Garrett, sits on the Board of Directors for NHCDA (New Hampshire Camp Directors' Association), a professional organization which works directly with the state agencies, including DHHS, to ensure that camps run safely.
Yes; and she is AMAZING! DeAnn has been with us over a decade. She is an RN (a Registered Nurse) and is licensed in both Massachusetts, where she lives during the year and has worked for many years as a school nurse, and in New Hampshire. DeAnn is a member of our leadership team and also heads up our Health Management Team. She lives on camp all summer.
That's not a problem at all, and they won't be the only one.
DeAnn, our nurse, is in charge of storage and distribution of all medications. Campers and staff must check in any and all medications with her upon arrival. Medication is all stored locked in the Health Center. No medication of any type is allowed in the camper cabins.
All medications must be in the original containers. Parents are asked to be sure that all needed medications for the duration of a camper’s stay is available upon arrival and that any deviations from printed instructions on the container are given in writing and signed by a physician. Medications are distributed regularly at meals and before bed, and other regimens can be managed as needed.
In addition to our live-in, full-time Registered Nurse, we work with a local clinic 15 minutes down the road. Specialists (as needed) and the hospital are within 30 minutes of camp and the local fire, police, and ambulance services are just minutes away. We communicate with the local fire, police and ambulance to let them know when we will have participants on camp and to do a pre-season check-in on our emergency preparedness procedures.
Allergies are part of our regularly managed health regimen for campers and staff. Those with prescription medications are required to bring them to camp. Over the counter remedies for infrequent use are stocked in the Health Center.
Participants with anaphylactic allergies are required to bring un-expired epi-pens with them to camp. Our dining hall, meals, and snacks are all nut free and food is not allowed in the cabins. There are bees and other stinging insects around camp, of course, and counselors are kept informed of all camper needs and any safety plans in place.
Great! For every meal, our chef provides versions of, or alternatives to, the main meal. That might look like spaghetti and falafel balls instead of spaghetti and meatballs, for example. There will be a place on the pre-camp health forms to indicate your child's preference.
For most alternatives, like lactose-free, vegetarian, etc., there are multiple staff and/or campers per session with those needs and so our kitchen is pretty well stocked. If your camper is vegan, we can certainly make that work, though we may need some help stocking specific alternatives that your child prefers. We’ll work together to make them comfortable and happy.
Please note that we do not have a kosher kitchen/are not able to offer kosher options.
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What child isn’t to some extent? Our menu is simple, clear, and intended to meet both the dietary needs and taste preferences of our campers. In addition to the meal, there is always an alternative option. If that isn’t a good fit, our staff will work hard for that child to make sure they have a full belly. No one goes hungry at camp - we promise.
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COMMUNICATION
Campers receive and can send mail every weekday and Saturdays too. Letters, postcards, and care packages are great (no food or electronics please). Some families send their first mail in advance of bringing their child to camp so that on the first day a letter will be waiting for them. Everyone on camp is required to send a letter home on Wednesday. The local post office is not a major hub so please understand that everything will move a little slower than you might expect.
Yes please! Talking to your child on the phone is great; you get to hear about their friends, new things their learning, and the adventures too. There are also designated daily times for phone calls which are scheduled through the website in advance. We would be happy to set up a time for you to speak with your child - we do ask that you please wait until Wednesday of their first week to alleviate possible homesickness.
Your child should not bring their cell phone or ANY electronics to camp. If a camper accidentally brings a cell phone or other electronic device to camp it will be kept safely in the main office until departure day.
Campers that use camp transportation or fly in to a nearby airport are encouraged to bring cell phones for use during travel times only. Phones will be checked in upon arrival to camp, then charged and given out at departure from camp.
Yes, though it is not a preferred method of communication. You may send an email through the camp office, by sending your email to jess@camphawkeye.com. Otherwise, we recommend that you stick to letters and cards and scheduled phone calls.
CAMP LIFE
A resounding YES! New campers are welcomed with warm greetings and great kindness. Current and returning campers are very excited to learn about new campers and get them acclimated to the Hawkeye program.
We pay particular attention to our session assignments and group dynamics and ensure that new campers are not starting a session as the only one. If you have any concerns, please don't hesitate to call Jess. She will also check in with you early and often about how your child is settling in.
There are multiple program areas from which each camper can choose on a daily basis: swimming, athletics, archery, low ropes, arts & crafts, drama, climbing tower & zip line, woodworking, bugs & dirt, Iron Chef, multimedia, and expeditions. Each program area is overseen by a Program Counselor who has excellent skills, is experienced and has all necessary certifications.
Additionally, all campers have a weekly out-of-camp adventure trip (hiking or boating), have a sleep out with their bunkmates, and participate in all-camp Special Activities.
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The Camp Hawkeye staff is key to making your child’s experience unforgettable. In order to become a staff member in our community, each person has to go through a rigorous application process including in-person (or video-chat) interview, reference checks, and background checks. We take great pride in getting to know our counselors before they are hired.
It is necessary that each person is passionate about working with kids and being in the outdoors. Staff members must have excellent references, be eager to learn about youth development and be geared up to dedicate their summer to the care and supervision of our campers. Additionally, we are committed to bringing together a staff team that is reflective of our campers and our Hawkeye community as a whole.
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The short answer: life is for all humans!
The long answer: Camp Hawkeye is designed to provide certain benefits of both a gender-identity inclusive and a single gender-identity experience. Both age & gender-identity specific, as well as mixed group, activities are run every day. Campers are taught appropriate and kind interactions with all peers at the same time enjoying low pressure experiences surrounded by those that respect and accept them.
Hawkeye is not like school nor is it like some other co-ed or gender inclusive experiences; the expectations about exclusive and/or romantic relationships is clear and unequivocal. The relationship pressures that kids are experiencing at an ever younger age in school is not tolerated at Hawkeye. We seek to partner with parents in this approach and help kids just be kids for a little while longer.
ALL THE REST
Most Hawkeye campers drive to camp with their families. Families not within driving distance can take advantage of camp transportation.
We offer transportation from Boston Logan Airport, Boston South Station, Manchester Airport (NH), and Concord (NH) bus station for an extra fee. Availability is limited and assignments are first-come-first-served. You will receive detailed travel-to-camp information in the Spring with your getting ready for camp materials.
You can expect your camper to miss home. That's a normal part of being away whether at camp or vacation. For most campers (and staff too), missing home is a minor part of their experience and is associated with early participation anxieties. Will I make friends? Will I be good at it? What's coming next? As the uncertainties of the new experience are made familiar everyone relaxes into a feeling of comfort.
Missing home can be compounded by a parent's anxiety or things going on at home during a child's time at camp. Let Jess know how things are and what might be on your child's mind before and when they come to camp. We treat missing home like any other challenge: naming the issue, coming up with a plan together, and committing to solving it together.
No. Camp Hawkeye has no specific or general religious affiliation. We recruit campers and staff from myriad backgrounds and faiths and strive for shared acceptance and understanding.
Hawkeye does not offer religious services of any kind nor do we provide transportation off-camp for observance. We do accommodate individual needs on-site, like specific time or space for personal prayer. Please connect with Jess ahead of your camper's arrival if there is anything we can do to help.
We have specific visiting days during our changeover weekends which happen every two weeks on Saturday. Authorized adults can pick up camper(s) between the hours of 10am-12pm to take them out either for the day or overnight. Campers who stay out overnight should return back to camp by 12pm on Sunday.
If your child is at camp for more than 4 weeks and this changeover day does not work and you would like to see your child, please contact Jess to arrange something that works for your family and the camp’s schedule.
You can follow along with what your camper is doing through our social media to stay up to date while they are at camp.
No problem! There’s a great support and care structure in place to notice, check in and follow up on even the smallest things. Your child will have two staff living with the cabin group taking care of health and well-being of the campers in the bunk. Batteries, socks, toothbrushes and other small personal items, we’ll take care of directly. If it's something larger or personalized, like special art supplies, cleats, or a favorite stuffy we’ll follow up with you personally.
Especially when children are away from home for the first time, they may be reluctant or unaware that they can ask for help from staff. So, as part of getting them ready for camp, we recommend that you specifically discuss with your child that it is absolutely OK to rely on staff to help them while you're not there - whether it's a health need or a favorite blanket that got accidentally left home.


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