FARMINGTON, Conn. — Camp Courant is the oldest free Summer camp in the country, offering the chance for more than 700 Hartford kids a day to come to enjoy an outdoor experience on more than 30 acres by Batterson Park.
In 2020, like so many other Summer programs, 125-year-old Camp Courant was forced to hold their activities virtually.
This year, the plans are in place to bring kids in-person. “We’re not just thinking about Summer, we are planning for Summer,” said Corrianne Chipello, Camp Courant’s new executive director.
While Chipello isn’t sure yet what the Governor’s office will implement in terms of rules and restrictions, come June, she expects the campgrounds will be full, or at least half-full, of laughing, smiling kids.
“We are waiting for the Governor’s call to see what our restrictions will be and what capacity will be, Chipello said, “we need to get these kids back to camp.”
In West Hartford, Steve Boyle, the co-director of 2-4-1 Sports says he plans to have his camps open not just in Connecticut but also with Summer programs happening in the Philadelphia area, Boulder, Colorado, and Vancouver, British Colombia.
“The demand is clear,” said Boyle, who began his sports programs in 2008. “I think something as simple as Summer camp and Summer programs are one of those things people take as a gift now and it’s an opportunity to bring back some level of normalcy.”
As far as covid safety for campers and staff, Boyle added, “we will mitigate risk the best we can based on what the science is telling us and, so, we will work with families and local communities to build that trust.”
Two Girls Scout camps, Camp Katoya, located in Milford, and Camp Carlson, located in Bristol have just announced they will be closed for the Summer of 2021 due to the constraints of COVID-19.
Back in Farmington, at Camp Courant, the staff is busy working on upkeep to get the grounds ready for play for the scheduled opening on June 21st. Chipello added, “after being remote for a year, I think it’s going to be extraordinary.”
To learn more about Camp Courant click here.
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