Leadership Academy Resources

Arrival (Afternoon of Opening Day)
Check-in is between 3–4:30p.m. Please, no arrivals before 3:00 p.m.—the camp gates will remain closed until this time. If you arrive early, do NOT park on the main road in front of camp. This is a safety hazard!

• Sign your camper in with their counselors at the cabin where they will receive their health screening.
• Your camper’s trunk/luggage will be delivered to the cabin by camp staff. This can take up to an hour after you arrive. We suggest that you pack a separate linen/bedding bag and carry with you to the cabin for check in. This is a good time to help your camper get settled while making up their bed together.
• When your child is settled, try to avoid long goodbyes. Encourage your camper to get involved immediately and make new friends.

Unexpected delays?
Please notify the Summer Staff Office immediately at 828-692-9137. A telephone call will be made to any camper who has not arrived or telephoned by 4:30 p.m.

All fees paid will be forfeited if camper does not check in on the opening day of his/her camp session or chooses to leave early. No refunds will be made for any reason after the start of the camp session.

We invite you to participate in a celebration on Closing Day. Enjoy refreshments as you meet our staff and pre-register for next year. This is a wonderful opportunity to share in your camper’s experience, see a slide show of the session, and hear firsthand some of their life changing stories.

• 12:00 p.m. – Gates open.
• 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. – Meet our director and staff. Learn more about camp, pre-register, and see what is to come for next year!
• 1:00 p.m. – Campers enter the Paved Rec. and the Closing Celebration Ceremony begins.
• 1:45 p.m. – Campers check-out at their cabins with their counselors. *Please double-check to make sure everything has made it to your car. We are happy to ship any personal items left behind, at your expense, IF you have reached out to our coordinator within 7 days. Items not claimed will be donated to a worthy charity.

NO EARLY DEPARTURES on Closing Day. Leaving early affects the entire cabin and support staff.

If you need to come the day before, or if there is an emergency, please contact the camp coordinator. We will work out a time that least affects the cabin.

If you do not wish to attend Celebration, campers will need to be signed-out AT THE CABIN at 2:30 p.m. on Closing Day. Requests for late departures are STRONGLY discouraged; our staff will need some well-deserved rest between sessions.
Campers still on property after 3:30 will become Stayovers, and your card on file will be charged $200 whether they stay or not.

Please feel free to walk the grounds with your camper after sign-out.

Kanuga can provide transportation to and from Asheville Regional and Greenville/Spartanburg.

When travel plans are firm, please:

• Complete the Transportation Form on your Campbrain registration account
• If travel plans change or are confirmed less than two weeks before camp begins, please contact our coordinator.

Fees for airport transportation are $75 one-way and $150 round-trip per camper.

Please book flights according to camp schedule. Campers cannot arrive on property before 3:00pm on opening day.

Bullying is the antithesis of what the Camp Kanuga community seeks to be. Please speak to your children about being a source of love and kindness within the camp community before they arrive. Encourage your camper to communicate any negative behaviors to their counselors. If someone’s behavior brings harm to the community, it may result in dismissal from camp. Campers excused from camp for behavioral reasons are not eligible for a refund and may not be eligible to attend in future years.

Leadership Academy participants will be in camp cabin bunks, sometimes as a group and other times assigned in-cabin as a CIT. There will also be occasional camp out opportunities. In all circumstances, there will be at least two camp counselors present.

At Kanuga, campers enjoy the outdoors and develop a greater appreciation for the environment. They also experience the companionship of other children as they acquire skills that improve self-confidence, increase self-reliance, and enhance the ability to cooperate with others.

Being away from your child can be hard, and they are sure to miss you. However, visiting can cause many disruptions in their acclimation into the camp environment.

• Camp Kanuga does not allow campers to receive calls or make calls to anyone off property.
• We do not allow any outside visitors to visit campers during the camp session.
• Campers may not come and go throughout the session. If a camper must leave camp for any reason, they are not able to check back into camp.

Corresponding with Your Camper
Mail is very important to your camper.

• Write soon, often, and cheerfully.
• Do not write anything that may cause them to worry or stress such as, “I am so sad you are gone” or “I just miss you so much and worry about you.”
• Take a moment to teach your child how to address an envelope or post card properly.
• Post cards work best as envelopes have a tendency to seal due to the moisture in our mountain air.
• Mail received on the last day of the session will not be delivered to your camper – however, you may pick it up at check-out along with any medications.

Care Packages AND Mail
Families may send one package per session. WE NO LONGER ALLOW ANY OUTSIDE FOOD OR CANDY SENT TO CAMPERS. This includes home baked goods as well as store bought items. Some of our campers have severe and life-threatening allergies to many different food items. We will hold all food items (including candy) until the end of the session. They will be available on Closing Day to enjoy on the way home. Also, please do not send water guns, fireworks or slime.

The camp staff opens and inspects all packages before they are given to campers.

Bring mail and packages on Opening Day of camp

Camper mail first arrives through the Kanuga Conferences central mail distribution center. Due to this system, letters and packages may take 3 extra days to be delivered. This especially affects Starter Campers when mail delivery is only on Day 2 and Day 3.

The easiest way to ensure your camper receives their mail is to pre-write your letters or pre-pack packages and bring them with you on Opening Day. We will have mailboxes available for you to drop off letters/packages during check-in.  Each day of the session will have its own mailbox.

If you do decide to use the Post Office or other mail carriers please use the following address.

For letters and parcel delivery by Fed-Ex or UPS:
Camper First and Last Name
Camp Kanuga
130 Kanuga Chapel Drive
Hendersonville, NC 28739

Technology Policy

Camp Kanuga is an “unplugged” environment. Please help us to create an environment where new friendships can blossom, and each camper has a unique and special outdoor experience. Do not bring portable music players, video games, computers, iPads, tablets, and electronics to camp.

CITs may have access to their cell phones at various times throughout their session. With access to a cell phone, one is at risk of missing out on the Camp experience. CIT cell phones will be collected at the beginning of the session and returned on the last day of session. CITs are functioning as volunteers with similar responsibilities as staff for much of their time at camp, so to have a cell phone may be detrimental to their ability to serve campers and build community within camp.

With the prevalence of social media and the internet in our daily lives, Kanuga has identified some expectations for how staff and campers conduct themselves on the internet when any reference to Camp Kanuga is being made (mentioning CK, wearing CK merchandise, engaging with other CK people etc).

If a camper chooses to identify themselves as a camper at Kanuga on the internet, it is our hope that they be intentional about what it is they’re publishing or posting. Avoid posts that are:

• Pertaining to illegal and immoral acts as defined by the law and society
• About alcohol, drugs, and/or sexual behavior
• Anything that may put the safety of others at risk
• Anything that may be interpreted as belittling, bullying, aggression, or being violent towards any others
• Jokes, comments, or gestures of a sexist or sexualized nature
• Slurs, phrases, or expressions of attitudes that marginalize or perpetuate any stereotype
• Avoid posting anything that does not align with Camp Kanuga’s mission and values.

It is important to note that photographs are for personal memories; please do not post pictures on the internet of another camper without their permission. Kanuga may monitor the internet for information pertaining to its programs. If any material posted by a camper is found to be questionable, problematic, risking the safety and wellbeing of any CK constituent, specifically, as it relates to the use of the Camp Kanuga name, brand or logo, the camper’s family may be notified.

CK Outfitters, located in the camp office building, is where campers may purchase merchandise. Campers DO NOT need to bring cash but will have access to their camp store account.

Add additional funds to your camper’s account by signing into your CampBrain account and selecting the option to add funds to your campers’ Camp Store balance.

Camp store balances not spent will not be refunded at the end of the sessions and will be considered donations to future camper scholarships.

Campers will have the opportunity to visit the Camp Store 4-5 times a session (for the longer sessions) and 2-3 times for shorter sessions. Some examples of what we carry in the camp store:

• CK branded t-shirts, pajama pants, hoodies, caps, bandanas
• CK Nalgene water bottles
• CK Crazy Creek Chairs
• CK Stuffed animals, games
• CK posters, decals, magnets, playing cards
• CK wristbands, lanyards, carabineers,
• CK postcards, pens and pencils and much more…

The camp store will be open to families for purchase on Opening and Closing Day. You will not be able to use your camper’s store balance on Closing Day as those accounts will be closed-out for the session.

You are welcome to purchase items on Opening Day for your camper and simply drop them into the designated mail bins to be delivered to your camper on the day of your choice.

You will want to label EVERYTHING you send your camper to camp with. Not only does it make it easier to keep track of whose is whose, but it also significantly cuts down on our lost and found and items that otherwise would never make it home.

If your camper does leave anything at camp, we will mail it back to you and charge your card on file for the cost of shipping.

Camp Kanuga has an infirmary staffed with a registered nurse. Campers have access to healthcare staff twenty-four hours a day for basic medical treatments, evaluation, and medication distribution. We also have a physician on site twice a week and a partnership with Blue Ridge Health Services, to allow us to give your child the best care while under our supervision. Kanuga healthcare staff follow Standing Treatment Orders signed off by a local medical doctor. You complete the Kanuga acknowledgement of risk, release of liability waivers, permission-to-treat, and photo release signature when you register online. There may be more waivers to sign by a parent or guardian on Opening Day of camp – these are provided by your camper’s counselor at cabin check-in.

Camp Kanuga proudly meets ACA standards by having at least 80% of our staff certified in CPR and First Aid.

Updates or Changes to Health History

Our healthcare staff will review all information prior to your camper’s arrival. Please update and make changes to your camper’s health history at least 10 days before arrival. You can do this by logging into your online Kanuga Account from the Dates & Rates page of our website and navigating to the Camper Medical Form. If the form is locked, please email a camp coordinator requesting to edit your campers’ medical form.

Opening Day Health Screening
It is our desire for all campers to have the best experience possible. Please do not arrive at camp if your camper is sick or is showing signs of illness. It is better to delay your camper’s arrival a day or two to get completely healthy than to get the rest of the cabin sick.

Please inspect your camper for lice. Notify your cabin counselor if your child has been exposed within 10 days of your arrival to camp. We can help monitor your child and make sure they are cared for as well as protect other campers. Be prepared for your cabin counselor to inspect your camper’s hair during check-in.

You need to check in all prescription medications with the Kanuga Healthcare Staff.  They must be in the original packaging. Medicine will NOT be given to campers if they are not in its original packaging. When administering prescription medications, Kanuga’s healthcare staff will only follow the directions printed on the original prescription box or bottle.

Kanuga’s healthcare staff will dispense prescription medications when campers are located on the main campus. However, when campers are on campout or on an off-site trip, a trained staff member will administer medications according to directions described on original bottle or prescription.

It is not permitted for campers and staff to keep any medications in their cabins, including over-the-counter medications and vitamins. However, campers that bring inhalers or Epi-pens are required to have them on their person at all times. Camp Kanuga can provide campers a carrying case for the Epi-pens and inhalers by request. Please do not bring over-the-counter (OTC) medications (aspirin, Tylenol, first-aid supplies) unless prescribed by a licensed medical provider.

Camp Kanuga’s maintenance and summer staff spend a lot of time and resources to make sure campers are not exposed to environmental dangers, such as bees, poison ivy/oak and other pests and animals. Because we are a nut-free camp, we no longer allow any food sent to camp.  No outside food allowed. The kitchen and healthcare staff communicate with each other before your camper’s arrival regarding food allergies and dietary needs.

We have no problem accommodating all dietary needs. Please make us aware of any needs by making a note in the health form, and/or send an email to campkanuga@kanuga.org

Each CIT will need to bring their own washable laundry bag. CITs will have a chance to wash their clothes during session break and mid-session. Each CIT will need to bring a clearly labeled laundry bag with his or her name on the bag.

Please clearly label all items of clothing, including the laundry bag, with a permanent marker.

The Kanuga Conference center has a beautiful inn, cottages, and guest houses, available by reservation, for you to take advantage of if you would like to stay nearby before, during, or after your camper’s session.