Students Camp is a week-long summer camp experience in Estes Park, Colorado! As they’re fully surrounded by the beauty of the mountains, middle and high school students will get the chance to dig deeper into how they’re able to reach out to God for help in the midst of every season in their life.
During the week, there’ll be daily devotionals, worship, and teaching sessions followed by small-group discussion times along with competitive team games, free time, meals, and super fun late-night activities. Our hope for this week is that students will disconnect from their busy lives, spend time growing in their love for Jesus, and make lasting memories with friends and leaders!
Students Camp is a week-long summer camp experience in Estes Park, Colorado! As they’re fully surrounded by the beauty of the mountains, middle and high school students will get the chance to dig deeper into how they’re able to reach out to God for help in the midst of every season in their life.
Ross Lester is the Pastor of Preaching, West Congregation Pastor, and an elder at The Austin Stone. He previously served as the Lead Pastor of Bryanston Bible Church and Network Director of Acts 29 Southern Africa. He and his wife, Sue, live in Austin, Texas with their children.
Students Camp is a week-long summer camp experience in Estes Park, Colorado! As they’re fully surrounded by the beauty of the mountains, middle and high school students will get the chance to dig deeper into how they’re able to reach out to God for help in the midst of every season in their life.
Because we’ll be traveling on buses, please limit your student to one bag or piece of luggage, one pillow, one blanket, and one carry-on per student. Label all of your stuff!
Spending money for:
Estimated Costs:
YMCA Specific Free Time Activities
YMCA Camp Store and Snack Shop
Students will take charter buses from Austin to Estes Park, Colorado! While in Colorado, we’ll stay in dorm-style housing at YMCA of The Rockies. We’ll do our best to keep students together by small groups (DCOMMs) and friend groups, but they may have to be split into multiple rooms because of the size of the units! All rooms will be separated by gender. Plus, each room will have at least one fully-vetted volunteer present. Students who have invited friends will be kept together in the same group.
Any student that is currently in 6th through 12th grade! Our students are encouraged to invite any guests and friends too! We’ll make sure that any invited friends are in the same group as the student who invited them!
Students will be hanging out with their DCOMMs (small groups) and will be led by their DCOMM leaders. All of the leaders participating in Students Camp will have completed applications, interviews, background checks, child abuse prevention trainings, and other Austin Stone policy and procedure trainings. All Students directors, leads, and residents will be in attendance and will have screened all leaders coming to lead each group of students.
We typically ask students NOT to bring their cell phones to overnight events so that they can be fully present and not tempted to check out or consume content that would hinder what God might be trying to do during that event.
However, because students will be gone for almost a full week and will be several hours from home, we’re permitting students to bring their cell phones! We’ll require phones to be charged and stored by a leader’s bed at night (we’ll provide the power strips to make this possible). We’ll also be encouraging students to stay off of their phones when it’s clearly not appropriate.
Our standard retreat cell phone and digital devices policy can be found here.
Additionally, at check in you’ll receive your leader's contact information as well as your congregation staff's contact information in case you need to contact your student or you have any questions while your student is away. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s leader to check in on them!
Safety is the number one priority of our ministry and we believe it’s essential in order for ministry to happen. Here are the steps we’ve taken to prioritize the safety of your student(s) this summer.
Each room has two sets of bunk beds and one queen-sized bed. All sheets and pillows will be provided. However, we strongly recommend your student bring their own pillow and blanket that they can also utilize on the overnight bus ride. Students are not permitted to be in the rooms without at least another student AND leader. Students will never share a bed with a leader. Students may share a queen-size bed with another student.
All meals will be provided by the YMCA of the Rockies in their cafeteria-style buffet dining.
YMCA of the Rockies will be providing all of our meals and is not a food-allergy friendly kitchen. The Austin Stone will be coordinating alternative options for people with food allergies that would hinder them from eating cross-contaminated foods. While special, outside alternative food options for vegans and vegetarians will not be provided, there will always be vegan and vegetarian food options served with every meal. We will not be able to accommodate special food preferences. On the registration form, there’s a place for you to let us know your students' food allergies. A member from our team will reach out to discuss our plan and make sure we have all the information we need in order for your student to have the best week possible. At check in, students will receive a wristband with their food allergies listed on it to help our staff quickly identify students' needs.
All medications must be turned in to the camp nurse at check in in the original prescription bottle. Prescription medications will be dispensed by the camp nurse. Students are not allowed to keep any form of medication (including over the counter medications) on them or in their cabins besides inhalers and/or epi pens. You’ll complete a medical form for your student that the nurse will reference any time care is provided while at camp.
Check out our full FAQ, packing, and schedule list by clicking here!