Apachi Irving Park

Friendship requests

Campers can submit friendship requests in the spring, and we will do our best to accommodate mutual requests as long as campers are entering the same grade. All groups will be all-gender.

Goldfish Swim School Program

Campers, 3 years – 3rd grade, will swim at Goldfish Swim School in Lincoln Park (a short drive from Apachi Irving Park) three times a week. Goldfish Swim School’s philosophy is rooted in The Science of SwimPlay® which helps kids develop life skills in and out of the water using their one-of-a-kind, play-based learning in a fun and safe environment. Campers build confidence in the pool as they build skills one step at a time. Goldfish Swim School ensures each child receives the proper attention and individualized support they need. They always keep their classes small and ensure a max student-to-teacher ratio of 4:1.

Testing, Placement and Progress Reports

Campers are tested at the beginning of summer and placed in an appropriate swim level based on their skills. Parents will be given a Goldfish Swim School account to access updates of their child’s swim progress throughout the summer.

Car Drop Off and Pick Up

Our convenient carpool line helps your camper get to their group easily and speed you on your way. A staff member will come to your car rain or shine to help your child out of their seat. You’ll get to see your camper with a smiling counselor by their side and you never even have to get out of your car. At pick up time, just use the carpool line again. We will bring your child to you, buckle them in, and you will be on your way.

Optional One-Way or Round Trip Bus

For an additional fee, families can select to have their children take the bus to and from camp. Buses are driven by licensed, professional drivers and supervised by Apachi staff. Campers are required to wear seatbelts at all times. We have bus routes from several neighborhoods on the city’s north side and downtown. Our bus stops are “cluster stops” for groups of campers, not individual stops. We try to make the cluster stops convenient for families as well as safe and efficient.

View our proposed bus stop map

Food

We provide pizza lunch on Wednesdays and a hotdog cookout on Fridays. Gluten free and/or dairy free pizza and vegetarian hot dogs are available upon request. For all other days, please send your camper with a small, sack lunch that we will refrigerate. A morning snack and afternoon frozen treat are also provided by camp daily.

Food allergies

Safety and inclusion are top priorities at Apachi Day Camps. Our camps are committed to being allergy-safe. While our camps are not allergen-free, we strive to make our camp environments as safe as possible for children with food allergies using a customized approach and working closely with each family to develop an action plan for the child. More information can be found here.

Immunizations & Health Forms

To participate in camp, campers must have a completed health form signed by a physician on file. We also require documentation of immunizations.

Camper Care

Our Community Care team, made up of mental health professionals and special education teachers, ensure the ever-evolving social emotional needs of our campers are met so they can be successful at camp.

For campers needing extra support, there are several support options available to ensure a successful summer. You can choose from support through JCC Chicago or your child’s paraprofessional depending on which option works best for your camper and family. For more information, please connect with your Apachi Day Camp Director.