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Frequently Asked Questions about
Wellspring New York

We know that you have many questions about what to expect at Wellspring New York. Some of the questions we’re asked most frequently are answered below. For more general questions regarding Wellspring Camps, please click here.

What if my daughter gets homesick?
Is my daughter allowed to bring her cell phone, laptop, ipod, etc.?
How much weight will she lose? Do you guarantee results?
When and how often will they be calling home?
Will they have access to computers?
How do you decide room-mates? What happens if they don’t like their roommate?
What happens if they get sick? What medical facilities are there available?
How do you screen and select your staff?
What are your accommodations like?
We live far away, what if we can’t make the Family Workshop?
How do you do your meals? What if my daughter is hungry or won’t eat what is available?
How do you do laundry?

What if my daughter gets homesick?

Homesickness is inevitable at some point at camp and may last 5 minutes or 5 days. It affects old and young alike. We find that keeping the campers happy and busy is the best cure for homesickness and we also ask that parents maintain an upbeat and positive attitude when talking with their children. While no doubt you are missing them greatly, focusing on the positive aspects of them being at camp – making friends, having fun, becoming more healthy – helps greatly in enabling your child to readjust to camp life. The ironic thing is that campers are always “campsick” when they return home! We also have many counselors who have been campers themselves in years past and can really help your campers through difficult times because they have been there. Each camper also has an individual behavioral coach that she can talk to who will help her through any struggles.

Is my daughter allowed to bring her cell phone, laptop, ipod, etc.?

Campers are not allowed to bring cell phones, computers, or any device to camp with which they can access the internet. We do allow ipods and other mp3 players as we know many young people enjoy listening to music as they workout and we highly encourage enjoyable workouts! Cell phones and other internet devices provide too much distraction for your camper and we really want her to be able to focus on herself and getting healthy while with us this summer. You can help by talking to your daughter before she leaves for camp and telling her that there is always someone at camp to reach out to, whether it is her counselor, activity instructor, director, nurse, or any camp staff member. We are all here to help. Your trust will evoke her trust.

How much weight will she lose? Do you guarantee results?

Average weight loss is 4 pounds/week. Please know that this is an average and is variable based on each individual camper. There are many biological and behavioral factors that affect the amount of and speed with which an individual camper will lose weight. We do not guarantee results, but we have never had a camper come to camp and not lose weight. Most importantly, we focus on skills and lifestyle change so that weight loss does not end when they leave our campus, this is for life!

When and how often will campers be calling home?

Each camper will have 1 phone call home each week. These calls happen on Sundays and we send out emails to all families letting you know when to expect a call from your daughter. Campers also have the opportunity to earn longer Sunday calls and an additional weekly call by participating in our reward system called the Summit System. If you ever need to schedule a specific time please just let us know and we will ensure that she calls home when you are available. Also, if you miss her call, we will let her continue to try until she reaches you!

Campers also have email time each week and are encouraged to send letters and postcards home.

Will campers have access to computers?

Campers will have access to their personal email accounts at our computer labs and libraries on campus. Campers who are over the age of 18, can access these computers whenever they have a break in their schedule. Campers under 18 will have 3 scheduled internet times/week. Email is a great way to stay in touch so make sure that your daughter has her own account before she leaves for camp and that she knows your address as well.

How do you decide roommates? What happens if they don’t like their roommate?

Campers typically room with one other camper who is of similar age and similar length of stay. We carefully read the information you provide and the answers your child gives to the camper questionnaire in the enrollment packet and match up campers of similar interests and background.

Campers spend very little time in their rooms and very rarely do we have conflicts with roommates and those are always resolved immediately. More often camp roommates form a close friendship that last long after camp has finished.

What happens if a camper gets sick? What medical facilities are there available?

We have three full-time nurses who live with us all summer; two RNs and one Family Nurse Practitioner. The clinic is located in our dorm with convenient daily hours and 24 hour emergency care. We also have a relationship with a local doctor for any treatment beyond what our nurses provide on campus. You will always be notified if your child becomes sick or injured at camp. Also, all of our camp counselors are certified in CPR for the Professional Rescuer and all Adventure Staff have Wilderness First Aid experience and certifications.

How do you screen and select your staff?

We take a great deal of care when selecting and interviewing our camp staff. All our staff are over 21 years of age or have been campers themselves in the past. The majority have expertise in nutrition, fitness and health. We always take extensive references from former employers and every staff member goes through a criminal background screening and drug use screening. We also require our staff to have clean driving records and further test them ourselves. All staff complete our mandatory staff training and we do not hesitate to dismiss a member of staff who does not meet our high standards. Our staff are role models to the campers and many return year after year for one of the most rewarding jobs in the world.

What are your accommodations like?

We make Union College near Albany, NY home for the summer. All of our campers and staff stay in College Park Hall which is a beautifully renovated dorm. College Park Hall was once a hotel so each room as its own bathroom and it is fully air conditioned. We also have a private work out area and our own dining facility. The grounds are beautiful, with state of the art facilities and playing fields and miles of walking paths and gardens to enjoy.

We live far away, what if we can’t make the Family Workshop?

We encourage every family to attend a Family Workshop as it is a really great way to learn how to support your daughter once she comes home. We have many camps across the country and in Canada and the UK. If another location is closer to your home, please feel free to attend that Family Workshop. It will definitely be worth it!

How do you do your meals? What if my daughter is hungry or won’t eat what is available?

We offer three meals a day plus two snacks to ensure that our campers are not hungry. Each meal consists of a healthy entree as well as all you can eat salad, soup and fruit bar. There are so many options to choose from, it’s a great time to try new things and also enjoy those foods you thought you wouldn’t be able to anymore, only we make them in a healthy way. Try baked chicken fingers with back sweet potato fries – sound good?

How do you do laundry?

Laundry facilities are located on every other floor of our dorm. The machines are free of charge and Wellspring will provide detergent. We do suggest for allergies or sensitive skin that camper’s bring their own detergent to keep in their rooms for laundry day. Campers are responsible for their own laundry, and our counselors are always willing to give lessons!