Hey AV Family!



We are excited to be gearing up for another wonderful summer here at AV! We are always trying to make AV a safer and better place and improve our program. We spent a lot of time looking through surveys and looking back at the summer (thank you for all your feedback!), and we are implementing some of that feedback this summer. In an effort to be as transparent as possible and allow families to prepare as best as possible, we want to send out some helpful updates and changes for Summer Camp 2026.

Official Summer Registration Date

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Wednesday, January 21 at 8pm EST

·       Summer Camp registration

·       Arch Week

·       CIT applications

·       Volunteer applications

All 2026 Summer Camp Updates

New Database System

We are transitioning to a new system called “UltraCamp” (ultracamp.com). This system will add many benefits for all of our camping programs and we hope will be a more user-friendly platform for everyone. More details will be sent out in early January with login guidelines so all families have a chance to update their accounts prior to summer camp registration opening.

 

Outstanding Balances

If you still have an outstanding balance from a previous event from past years, (not including upcoming 2026 events such as Winter Family Camp or WAMP), you must pay off your balance before registering for a new session this summer. Please login to your account at https://events.circuitree.com/av/ to pay these balances.

 

Camp Tuition

Summer Camp tuition for 2026 is $1,250 for our 2-week sessions. Please know that we try to keep the cost of camp as reasonable as possible, and we are thankful that we are in the bottom 25% of what summer camp programs charge nationally per week. Our goal is always to offer the best program and professionally trained staff as possible. As you know, costs of food, utilities, and materials continue to rise each year and we appreciate your understanding.

 

Financial Assistance

We will never turn away a child because of money, though we do ask families in need to reach out to local parishes, family, and friends to help cover the cost of camp. Every year we get more requests than we have funds available, and while we do our best to raise scholarship funds, which is why the dozens of parishes who help their parishioners attend camp are very much appreciated! When registration opens, our Financial Assistance form will open on our website as well.

 

Vandalism Fee

We do our best to renovate, maintain, and improve our beautiful facilities here at AV Camp. We will be continuing to implement our vandalism fee for campers who willfully deface and/or destroy AV property.

 

The Hike

Our famous "Hike Program" for our oldest campers will only be for 17 year-old campers, whether or not they are rising seniors. For the past 2 summers we have had rising seniors hike who are 16, however after much discussion of what is best for the program and knowing 16 y/o's are able to return as campers when they are 17, we have made the decision that only cabins with 17 year-old campers will go on the hike this summer.

 

Roommate & Cabin Assignment Requests

As a reminder, we are unable to accept any roommate or cabin assignment requests. We are blessed with over 1,100 campers per summer, and to entertain any requests is too cumbersome a task – especially on arrival day of a session. We assign campers to cabins based on their age. This means that some years your child(ren) will be with the same campers, and other years they may not. We find that campers make new friends when they are put with a new group. If you have any specific concerns about your child’s stay at camp, please feel free to contact Fr. Chris Shadid prior to May 31 by emailing frchris@avcamp.org or calling 724-238-9565 (ext. 503). We appreciate your understanding.

 

No more 1-week option

Due to the demand for our 2-week program, and in order to limit homesickness of those staying 2 weeks, all 4 of our sessions will be 2-weeks (12 days). (No more 1-week option during Session 1)

 

Only 1 session per camper

Our new system will limit campers to registering for 1 session per camper per summer in order to ensure as many campers get to experience camp as possible. As we get closer to the summer, if spots open up and there is no waiting list, we will consider allowing campers to attend a second session of camp.

 

Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are very popular among our campers and staff and a fun snack for when we are hanging out. Despite our best efforts to ask that they be consumed outside, unfortunately they have ended up clogging our dishwasher, they have ended up in furniture, and lots of other places around camp. Starting in 2026, sunflower seeds will NOT be permitted at camp.

 

Volunteers

All volunteers at Summer Camp must be at least 19 years old. Preference will be given to those who are able to stay the majority of the session and dependent upon availability in our volunteer cabins.

 

Camper Parent Handbook

Please consult our camper parent handbook for lots of other helpful information. We update this every year, and offer it as a tool to inform families of our policies. It will be posted soon to our Parents Page of our website.

 

Thank you all for your understanding and support of this ministry. We are looking forward to another wonderful summer of camp here at AV. Thank you and God bless!

 

In Christ,

Fr. Chris Shadid and the AV Team

Questions?

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email office@avcamp.org or call us at 724-238-9565.