Traditional Camp

Grades 1st-9th

Traditional camp is everything you expect from a California summer camp: a wide variety of activities, meeting new friends from all over the world, and positive, enthusiastic counselors. Coppercreek’s Traditional Camp is where we all come together; it is family, support, fun, and new opportunities.

We offer over 50 activities run by a professional staff whose average age is 23. All activities are included in Traditional Camp. Each day the schedule changes and we allow campers to choose the activities that interest them most. Campers from ages, 7–15, participate in Traditional Camp which creates a fun, family environment to live and play in. We work hard to make sure every camper feels welcome, connected, their physical and emotional needs are met and they are making the most of their stay with us.

We believe the real gift of Coppercreek is time away from the constant bombardment of technology and the ability to connect with new and old friends while enjoying the natural world. We are completely technology free; campers and staff are not to have cell phones or computers. By leaving technology at home, campers learn to communicate with each other face to face. Campers gain self confidence by using eye contact, body language, smiles, and words to communicate rather than hiding behind a screen.
We are an intentionally smaller camp so we can provide a personalized camp experience. For example, when a younger camper needs extra support, we assign them an older buddy from our Junior Counseling staff to help them get to activities, provide extra supervision and company making them more connected to camp. Older or more experienced campers can dive right into activities like: riding lessons, wake boarding, learning how to skate board, roll a kayak or maybe just hold a baby chick or pet a piglet.

We offer different special events each session from Carnival Day, Beach Party, Cardboard and Duct Tape Boat Races, to Camp Spam. Once each session, the entire camp sleeps under the stars on Outpost Night, roasting marshmallows and telling stories around the campfire. Pairs of cabin groups are matched by grade level for Outpost Night and they go together one of our campsites along the creek. Of course, we also include the traditional favorites: Campfire, Talent Show, Capture the Flag and themed dance parties.
Closing night is always emotional with lots of tears, hugs, sharing of addresses, and then the decade’s old tradition of Counselor Serenade. Ask any alumnus, and they will tell you, Counselor Serenade is forever engrained in their heart. After the campers are tucked in and the lights are out, the counselors armed with guitars, tour the cabin area and sing “good bye” to the campers. It is a beautiful and special tradition, one that every camper can’t wait to participate in when they are on staff. The words filtering out of the cabins from the campers, “love you”, “miss you”, “sing more”, “I’ll be back”, wrap everyone in a warm blanket of friendship and belonging.

Counselors In Training (CIT)

Grades 10th-12th

Our Counselor In Training (CIT) teen-leadership program helps teens develop valuable interpersonal, group-living, communication, organizational and team-building skills. CITs receive training in discipline, behavior management and communication skills. Our hands-on learning environment allows CITs to work into responsible roles leading kids’ summer camp activities.

We have two staff members, CIT Directors, that solely focus on guiding teens through the CIT program. They provide support, positive feedback, and individualized programming to help each teen make the most of their camp experience. 

At the beginning of a session, CITs fill out interest forms to inform the CIT directors of the activities they want to try, are nervous to try, and definitely don’t want to try. Based on these interest forms, the CIT directors schedule the teens to their activities each hour. Even though the CIT is there to help the staff member leading the activity, they still have the chance to participate. 

Some CITs decide to intern as Junior Instructors (JIs) in our specialty summer camp programs: kayaking, climbing, lakefront, drama or horseback riding. They work with our talented staff as apprentices in their chosen program areas, learning marketable skills, instructional techniques and safety regulations, and assisting with preparation and maintenance chores. As a JI, the teen spends the majority of their day in that program area. This might mean they have less time to do other activities, but it gives the CIT a chance to master that area and even teach younger campers skills.

*Please note, if a CIT wants to take riding lessons, he or she has to be a JI in the equestrian program.

Once a session, CITs have a camper day where they are able to choose their activities just like campers. CITs will also have a morning on the high ropes course, an afternoon and evening at the lake stand up paddle boarding, water skiing and wake boarding, and they have teen social evenings at Lynne’s Pond roasting marshmallows and bonding around a campfire without younger campers. 

Once teens complete four weeks of the CIT program AND are going into their senior year of high school, they are able to be invited back to our Junior Counselor program. CITs may complete their training in two-week sessions spread over two summers, or do a four-week CIT-training program in one summer, living with other same-sex CITs while learning their counselor-in-training basics.

We aim to provide teens a summer camp training program that fosters personal growth, encourages strong relationships and enables CITs to enjoy meaningful experiences that enhance their college applications, career aspirations and lives!

The CIT program is co-ed and is limited to 20 participants per session.
This program fills up fast – sometimes as early as October!
For further information, or if you have specific questions, please contact us!

Junior Counselor (JC)

Grade 12 upon invitation

Our Junior Counselor program is for campers who have completed four weeks of the CIT program and are going into their senior year of high school. Based on the teen’s performance as a CIT, they may be invited back to camp as a Junior Counselor.
Junior Counselors receive an abbreviated staff training that goes more in-depth into safety, discipline, child development, communication, and supervision at the beginning of each camp session. JCs have more responsibility than CITs. They can run small activities, provide day-time relief for cabin counselors, run special events like Talent Show, and they make counselors lives much easier!

Junior Counselors have a reduced tuition and can stay for up to four weeks depending on availability. We are often happy to provide references for teens who complete the our Junior Counselor program. We also often hire our JCs to be staff once they have taken at least one year off from camp, have spent a year at college, or have spent a gap year traveling the world and gaining valuable life experience to share with younger campers.