Special guest at camp teaches us about the fur trade in the 1790’s- 1840’s.

Los Pueblos Summer Camp

Focusing on Guatemalan and Latino history & culture, this camp is for low-income families whose primary language is Spanish. The camp has a Spanish/English speaking instructor.  Kids enjoy games, crafts, cooking, songs, stories and outdoor exploration time, within the theme of history and traditions of Latin America, including Guatemala and Mexico. Special guests share their expertise in areas of cooking and fiber arts such as weaving, basket making, and more!

This camp is free to qualifying families, and signups are by emailing our director.  Our instructor, Janet Hernandez, will be helping with registration and translation for parents. Transportation from the Cottage Grove Library partking lot and snacks/lunches each day are provided.

We are taking a break from this camp this year, we will see you in 2024!

Opal’s World: Kinship with Nature

Learn about the famous pioneer girl, Opal Whiteley, as you explore nature! Opal was a nature lover who kept a childhood diary relating her adventures in the woods around Cottage Grove, including her “explores” with her animal friends. We will make fairy houses, create a journal and write and sketch in nature, explore around the park and the river, and discover pioneer life.

Enjoy visits from special guests who teach us about eco-friendly living, how to take care of the Earth and reduce our waste. Opal would appreciate our lessons on how to be kind to all beings and the Earth.

We’ll have lots of fun as we learn to appreciate Opal’s youthful relationship to the natural world.

You can wear your own dress up clothes or borrow some of ours.

Learn More About Opal Whiteley here: http://www.opalonline.org/

Opal’s childhood nature diary, The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow, is our namesake. Our Executive Director, Karen Rainsong, shares an ancestor with Opal. So it’s near to our hearts!

This summer camp was made possible by a grant from the Lane County Historical Society. 

Special Needs?

We are happy to work with children with special needs and work with you to provide the most inclusive and appropriate experience for your child. Please let us know in advance if your child has special needs so we can discuss this and how we can adapt our space and curriculum. We are committed to anti-discrimination and equity in our organization and programs.

Non-binary or gender neutral kids are welcome at our camp! We model and teach respect for each other including all the ways we are different.

Junior Camp Helpers

We welcome kids ages 13 and up as helpers to the camps. You must have experience helping with younger kids (such as at our camps or another camp.) Junior helpers are expected to come 15 minutes early and stay 15 minutes late to help with set up and clean up. They assist with crafts, games and activities and are often able to do the activities themselves. This is a really fun way to enjoy the camp but also gain work experience and be part of a team. There is no fee for their participation, as they are doing work trade. We can provide a letter of recommendation if requested. Join us and have fun!

Watch videos from past summer camps on our YouTube channel.

Registration Details for Camps:

A $30 deposit is required to hold your space when you register. This deposit is subtracted from your final payment for the camp. Please make checks payable to Singing Creek Educational Center. When you register with our form online you will be taken to Paypal to complete your payment. If you prefer to mail a check just cancel out of paypal and we will still get your form submission. Then email us that you are sending a check instead.

More questions? Check out our FAQ’s page.

The remainder of your camp fees are due two weeks before camp starts. We will send out reminders to parents which will include schedule for the week, camp regulations, and checklist. Remember our mailing address is different than our site address!

Please consider adding yourself to the waiting list if a camp is full. Sometimes last minute cancellations happen and we may have a space open. Contact us for more information about waiting lists.

Mailing Address: Singing Creek Ed Center, PO Box 1012 Cottage Grove, OR 97424

Physical Address of Camp: For Los Pueblos Camps: Prospector’s Park on South River Rd. in Cottage Grove. For Homesteading camps: Dorena Grange: 34360 Row River Rd, Cottage Grove.

Late Pick-up Policy: We understand that sometimes there are unforeseen circumstances which could cause you to be late. We allow 15 minutes after the end of the camp for you to pick up your child without penalty. From 16-25 minutes late, we charge a flat fee of $5.00. For every additional minute after this, we charge $1 per minute. We do this in order to make every effort to support and compensate our instructors for the time they invest. We need our team leaders to be able to go home and be with their own families, rest and return to care for children the next day.

Cancellation policy: In case of severe weather such as wildfire smoke that is hazardous to breathe or increased risk of pandemic diseases we may cancel summer camp. If we need to cancel the camp you will receive a refund minus the $30 deposit, which can remain as a credit on your account for a future summer camp or homeschool class (or you can choose to donate that to us.)

Refund Policy:

• Up to 14 days before the first day of the program you may cancel your child’s enrollment and receive a refund.
• Cancellations made less than 14 days before the first day of the program will not be refunded.
• Registrations and fees are non-transferable.

Questions? See our FAQ’s page.