Outdoor School at Camp Hancock

Hancock is nestled in a charming little canyon that is in a cellular dead-zone. WiFi is available to adults and OMSI staff. It’s limited in bandwidth, however most are able to access email, messaging apps, and the occasional Zoom call.

They may *think* they cannot survive without, however, they should not have their phones at outdoor school. While accommodations and exceptions are welcome, an important part of the outdoor school experience is for students to gain confidence and independence, connect with their peers, and enjoy the unique opportunities we offer without technological distractions. Digital and film cameras are encouraged, and we urge families to not send anything they cannot replace.

The maximum capacity at HFS is around 100 people.  Depending on the size of your group, there may be another group scheduled at the same time.  The groups will largely operate independently, while only sharing restrooms, meal-time facilities, and the occasional evening program.

Days are packed full, from Field Study after breakfast to an Evening Program and Campfire after dinner. Students get hands-on experience with the science concepts of your choice, as well as the memories of exploring with their peers and their parents in the outdoors. Field Study lessons explore broad topics and Interest Group activities are shorter and designed to focus on a single topic. Peppered throughout the day, there is time for rest and relaxation in cabins, and free-play recreation time. Students will also get a chance to help out before and after meals with Kitchen Party (setting up and cleaning up meals) and Scrub Club (a quick tidy of the restrooms).

We have three types of cabins, all A-Frame. The largest cabins sleep up to 12, the medium-sized cabins sleep up to 8, and the smaller ones sleep up to 4. They have twin mattresses, heat, electricity, and screened windows and/or doors. There’s at least one outlet in each cabin. The restrooms are a short walk from the cabin areas.

At least one adult or high school counselor/leader needs to stay in the cabin overnight with students.  More than one person supervising the cabin is welcome, and generally a 1:7 ratio will be successful. There should always be supervision in the cabins when the students are in them. If you have at least one adult per cabin that is not a teacher, you may opt for a private teacher cabin (depending on availability). 

Absolutely! We strive to make sure there is a healthy and delicious option for everyone. We are able to provide for a number of dietary restrictions, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free. We will accommodate mild to severe nut, egg, soy, wheat, and other food allergies. We can’t guarantee that trace allergens are not present, and do our best to avoid cross-contamination. Parents can also send foods to supplement if they would like. We have a refrigerator for food storage (to keep it out of the cabins), and all participants have access to their food.

Everyone will receive a free OMSI t-shirt on the final evening of their program. The camp store is available only to family camps and rental groups, so students don’t need to bring any money.

OMSI staff will go over emergency procedures with the groups on arrival day. Since the students are the responsibility of the school, one designated adult (usually the group leader) will need to be the person in charge of medications and all healthcare/emergency decisions. OMSI staff are trained in first aid and CPR, and are available to help in an advisory capacity. Groups should bring at least one vehicle with them for the duration of the program, and a land line is available in case of emergency.