FAQ

We recommend that campers dress in comfortable clothing that takes into account the high temperatures of summer in the Pomona area.

For Horse Camp, please insure that your camper arrives with the following: wearing jeans and boots with a small heel (NOT tennis shoes), helmet (provided for those who do not have one), refillable water bottle, and sun screen. For Science/Computer/Robotics/Entrepreneurship/Imagination/Fashion Tech Camps, please insure your camper brings the following: tennis shoes for light walking or outdoor activities and refillable water bottle. For Fashion Tech camp, no long-hanging scarves, shirts, or dresses for safety reasons.

Campers may not bring soda, candy, personal sports equipment, animals, personal electronics (video games, tablets), alcohol, drugs, weapons, other valuables and/or illicit items to camp. New and expensive items do not belong at camp. Campers may not bring peanut-based products into the camp. In the event a child arrives at camp possessing any of these items, they will be collected and remain in administrative control for the duration of the session (week).

For Horse Camp, the entire amount is due at the time of registration. For Science, Computer, Robotics, Entrepreneurship, Imagination, and Fashion Tech Camps, the balance is due before the start of your camp week. Our camps are tuition-for-service programs based on confirmation enrollments and secured deposits. A non-refundable/non-transferable $100 deposit, per session per child, is required at the time of registration to hold your child's place in our program. The Arabian Horse Center does not allow deposits, so Horse Camp must be fully paid at the time of registration.

• We will have hand sanitizer distributed generously around the camp area
• Camp counselors are required to wear a face mask for the entirety of camp day.
• The same seating chart will be used for the entire week in order to reduce the number of close contact interactions, yet still get the camp and friendship-building experience.
• Increased cleaning protocols. 

Each of the first 4 weeks of Science Camp is different and your child will rarely see the same activity in two distinct weeks, unless the activity produces a different outcome each time. Science Camp weeks 5-8 repeat weeks 1-4. The Horse camp holds the same curriculum each week that it is offered, but horse riding experiences may vary. The Computer, Robotics, Entrepreneurship, Imagination, and Fashion Tech camps revisit the same tools and/or activities each week, but the projects, products and challenges will vary from week to week.

We have a large collection of science activities in our “vault.” The camp counselors choose each week what the campers will do. So, no two weeks will be the same. Examples of things they may do include building different kinds of rockets, making small hovercrafts, testing home utensils for microbes, making catapults, making slime (everyone's favorite), candy chromatography, magnetic putty, solar system models, making biogas from fruit, constructing volcanoes, making lightning with steel wool and rubber balloons, building small robots, and a lot more activities. Each activity also has a learning lesson (we ARE a University!). Campers may also do general arts & crafts.

The Group Challenges may include building towers with different construction materials, designing crash cars that can protect a family of eggs, designing a labyrinth that nano bug robots can navigate, designing a marble run (ramps, drops, turns, loops and straightaways that a marble must travel through), etc. We’ve done many of these exercises before with all sorts of age groups. The sophistication changes with age, but the problem solving and fun works at all levels.

The BioTrek indoor rainforest has two Spectacled Caimans (Caiman crocodilus), which are similar to an alligator. While the children can see them through the glass, they cannot make contact with it. The caiman handler is always present when campers are around and he loves to tell stories!

Yes. The Discovery Camps will send each registrant (parent/guardian/etc) a confirmation via e-mail. The letter will contain the camp (Science, Horse, Computer, Robotics, Imagination, Entrepreneurship, Fashion Tech) and sessions (weeks), that your camper is enrolled in once your child’s application and payment have been received.

No. To best experience the activities that the camps provide, campers are not allowed to use personal electronic devices. Personal electronic devices not allowed at camp include, but not limited to: video games, music players, and tablets.

Campers are placed randomly into groups to facilitate the making of new friends. Families may request the grouping of children together. To do so, families may request the Monday morning of camps for the camp counselors to arrange groupings or pairings. However, families should understand that Discovery Camps not only teach children about the world around them, but they also teach social skills that may best be served by allowing campers to meet and interact with new friends. Due to the logistics of organizing camps, requests for grouping are not guaranteed.

No. Because many of our activities include projects or curriculum that take the entire 5-day camp, allowing campers to participate in fewer days would disrupt activities, undermine student teams and detract from camp goals.

Our Science, Computer, Robotics, Entrepreneurship, Imagination, and Fashion Tech camps cannot take children earlier than 7:30 am and our Horse Camp cannot take children earlier than 8:45am.

Parking is included in the camp prices. Each parent/guardian will be provided a parking pass for campus. However, the parking passes are only valid during drop-off and pick-up hours (7:30-9AM and 3:30-6PM) and for designated lots. Parents/guardians parking on campus outside of these time slots will be ticketed by campus police if a full-day parking permit is not purchase from parking services.

No. In order for our camps to foster independence, teamwork, creativity and social development, we do our best to reduce distractions in the environment. Therefore, campers cannot have guests in camp.

Yes, children with mental disabilities are allowed to be accompanied by a parent or personal care attendant (PCA). Our camp office would need to be provided proof of disability condition before a parent/PCA is allowed camp attendance. Camp prices do not cover food for parents/PCAs.

In case of emergency, you may contact the SEES Program (organizer of the Science, Computer, Robotics, and Imagination camps) at (909) 869-3676 or the Arabian Horse Center at (909) 869-2684 or the Entrepreneurship Camp at (909) 869-3741 or Fashion Tech Camp at (909) 869-3377. Our staff will then contact the camp Director and your child’s camp counselor in order to communicate information or retrieve your camper.

All camp counselors are required to attend three days of camp training on camp operation and counselor roles, become CPR certified, become pediatric & adult first aid certified, go through bloodborne pathogen training and submit to a background check. Background checks are done through the University Police Department, which utilizes Live Scan to identify misdemeanors, felonies, predatory behavior, FBI records reference and Department of Justice records reference.

Center Pointe Dining Services offers lactose-intolerant, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Registration forms allow families to specify any dietary needs so that we can accommodate every camper.

No. Many families prefer that pictures of their children not be distributed online. Because we cannot insure that group photos contain children from consenting families only, photos are not posted. We do use a few selected photos to promote the camps on the camp website only.

Every one of our camps is a day camp, i.e. no overnight stays

Cancellations made 30 days before start date of your session will be refunded in full. Cancellations made less than 30 days will be refunded only if your space is filled by a wait-listed camper, otherwise no refund on the tuition price can be given.

Refunds are not available for vacations, special events, illnesses of three or fewer days, or other personal commitments that prevent attendance. A refund may be available for extended illness of four or more consecutive program days. A doctor’s note and written note from the parent or guardian explaining the situation must be received within seven days from the first day of absence.

Session changes can be made 30 days before start date of your session. Session changes requested less than 30 days will be honored only if your space is filled by a wait-listed camper, otherwise no session change can be made.

The camp staffs are comprised of University faculty and staff and college students majoring in the specialty of the camp. All counselors are subjected to meticulous training on camp operation and counselor roles, and are also highly instructed on adult and pediatric first aid, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Camp counselors are carefully selected based on their personal skills, spirited demeanors and knowledge of their camp topics and/or education so that they can serve as positive role models for our campers. 

Families are required to specify on camp registration forms if campers will be bringing medication to camp, or have special medical needs. On the first day of each session (week), the camp directors will collect from parents/guardians all required medications for campers. Only medication required by a physician and in its original container will be accepted. Instructions must be provided with the medication. All medications are to be turned over to the camp director. The camp directors will be responsible for the dispensing medication as required. Your camper's counselor is responsible for keeping track of when your camper is due his/her medication and for bringing him/her to the camp office at the appointed time.

In the case of an emergency while camp is in session, you will be contacted immediately. In the event we cannot get a hold of you, we will call the next emergency contact listed on your application. In the case of a medical emergency, our camp director will assess the situation, administer treatment if necessary/possible, notify the University Safety Office and, if necessary, have emergency services transport the child to an advanced medical facility for treatment.