Status of Camp
Following a meeting between Cosmosphere Camp leaders, its senior executives and the Reno County Health Director, the Cosmosphere Camps scheduled to start on or after July 5 are a go. If you have a camper registered in one of those camps, we will continue to contact you regarding registration and payment requirements.
The protocol for our summer is based on CDC COVID-19 Guidelines; the State of Kansas Plan to Reopen and Reno County Guidelines. If your state has different restrictions or “stay-at-home” orders, you should comply with those orders. If that means your camper will be unable to attend camp, you will receive a full refund by following the REFUND PROCEDURES outlined in this document.
Plans for some of our longtime vendors for activities such as flight experiences have been impacted by COVID-19. We are working with them and with other suppliers to ensure our programming will go off as promised. If plans have to be altered, we will create an equally engaging activity that meets the goals of the camp.
Health and Wellness Policy
The Cosmosphere has been working throughout the pandemic to follow best practices for the industry and to stay in contact with state and local health officials to ensure the safest environment is provided for campers, guests, staff and volunteers. We are taking the following extra steps to ensure the safety of your camper.
Steps Prior To Camp
- Two weeks from the start of camp, the parent/guardian for all campers will be asked via email to review and respond to an online Pre-Camp Screening form. You can view a sample form at THIS LINK. Note: the official online form will be emailed out closer to the start of camp.
- Following the travel-related mandates set forth by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KSDE), campers coming from areas identified on the KDHE Travel & Exposure Related Isolation/Quarantine page two weeks prior to camp, will not be allowed to participate in camp. You can view the KDHE website at THIS LINK. This list can and has changed so we will use the most up-to-date version at the time of each camp.
Steps At Camp Check-In
- The parent/guardian for all campers will be asked to re-confirm their child’s health and sign the Pre-Camp Screening form.
- Temperatures will be taken of all campers and documented as a baseline for reference. Any camper with a temperature over 100 degrees will not be allowed to participate in camp.
- All campers and family attending camp orientation will be asked to wear a mask. Disposable masks will be available for campers and family attending orientation, but we encourage you to bring your own. The orientation will be streamed in the Cosmosphere lobby and online for those who choose not to wear a mask.
Steps During Camp
- Camp staff will be required to wear masks while interacting with campers. Campers will not be required to wear masks, but may do so if desired. Your camper is encouraged to bring and use any safety equipment you feel appropriate, such as a mask, gloves, disinfecting wipes, etc. We will make it socially acceptable among the other campers to do so.
- Campers in a camp session will be part of a closed group that will have minimal interaction with all other camps. While our intent is to keep groups separated, we ask that campers take part in maintaining social distancing with other groups.
- In dorm rooms for overnight camps, two to three campers will share a room. Should a camper show symptoms of illness or have a temperature, they will be moved into a separate room and the parent/guardian will be asked to provide transportation home.
- Camp spaces will be cleaned and sanitized between activities.
- Additional classroom spaces will be utilized to ensure adequate space exists to comply with social distancing.
- Meal times will be staggered to limit the number of campers eating at one time.
- Hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the camp areas.
- Camp staff nurses will have more interaction with the camp structure and are always on call.
- We will continually monitor camper and staff health throughout camp. Parents will be contacted immediately if campers exhibit or express any of the following symptoms. Upon review by camp nursing staff, we reserve the right to remove the camper from activities or camp if they exhibit two or more of the following symptoms as outlined by the CDC at THIS LINK. • Temperature over 100 degrees • Coughing or wheezing • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing • Fever • Chills • Muscle pain • Headache • Sore throat • New loss of taste or smell
We welcome your questions and input. If you do not feel comfortable with these procedures and precautions, you are absolutely entitled to follow the REFUND PROCEDURES outlined in this document.
Camp Session Size
Our normal camp session size is a maximum of 30 campers. In most years, it is common for almost all of our sessions to reach this capacity. This year, we have made the decision to limit the group size of all camp sessions. While the camp size varies per camp, the number of campers will be below the limit allowed by our State and Local Reopening Plan. We will follow the protocols outlined above to ensure adequate space per camper.
Refund Procedures
If you would like to cancel your camper’s registration, please send an email to camp@cosmo.org prior to May 15 for a full refund (minus the $50 registration fee). Refund requests made after May 15 may not be accepted and you will not receive a full refund without a physician’s written verification, or within the parameters of other circumstances outlined above.
If your camper is registered for a camp session that has been cancelled by the Cosmosphere, you don’t need to do anything. We will contact you with information and your options. You can reschedule your camper in a different session that is still available or request a full refund.
Refunds will be processed within 30 days after receiving the request.
Important Dates
May 8 – Final determination will be made regarding moving forward with the summer program.
May 15 – All cancellation requests are due. We will offer a full refund (minus the $50 registration fee) for any request made by this date. Follow the REFUND PROCEDURES outlined in this document.
May 15 – All camp payments are due. For campers that are registered and plan to attend camp, the full balance for camp is due. Payments can be made directly through the camp portal. NOTE: We still have scholarship money available! You can apply for a scholarship using the application found on the camp portal at cosmocamps.org.
May 18 – New registration features will be launched on the camp portal. This includes roommate requests, shirt sizes, medicine information forms and more. All campers will receive email instructions about these features on May 18.
May 25 – All camp registration information is due.
Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns that you would like to discuss, please contact Nathan Meyer, Vice President of Education and the head of the Cosmosphere Camp program, directly at nathanm@cosmo.org or 620-270-1122.
Note: This plan is contingent upon the State of Kansas following its anticipated schedule for reopening. Should the schedule be altered and affect the Cosmosphere’s ability to hold camp, registered campers will be notified immediately.
For more information on Cosmosphere Camps visit cosmocamps.org.
Click here to see our Coronavirus Safety Plan infographic for the public.
Find out what safety measures you can expect when you visit:
✅ Safety of the public, here.
✅ Safety of our staff and volunteers, here.
