EcoApachi

3rd – 7th grade

EcoApachi In Action

beth millerBeth Miller

Director, Apachi Northside

Beth Miller has been Apachi Northside’s Director for the past 11 years and has been with Apachi Day Camp for over 30 years. Nothing makes her happier than to see campers and staff return to their summer home year after year. The Apachi Day Camp spirit is just part of Beth and she loves the community built at Apachi Northside. Her favorite thing about summer is engaging with her campers every day and being a part of funny “kid moments.”

Beth holds an Undergraduate degree in Communications and History from the University of Kansas, a Master’s degree in Education from National Louis University, and was a former teacher. Beth is a mother of three boys, all who spent many summers at Apachi Day Camp, and she loves playing board games…mahjongg, rummikub, you name it!

 

jacob rosenstein

Jacob Rosenstein

Site Director, Apachi at Bernard Horwich JCC
Oversees specialty programming for 3rd-7th graders and Week 8 Apachi programming

Growing up, summer camp always held a special place in Jacob’s life. He loved the endless opportunities available to try new activities and develop new skills, and camp gave him the confidence to know he could do anything he set his mind to. Inspired by the transformative impact his counselors had on him, Jacob knew, since he was ten years old, that he wanted to be a camp director so he could pay his special camp experiences forward. He previously worked as a counselor, Unit Head and Assistant Director at the overnight camp in Wisconsin he attended as a kid and prior to joining Apachi Day Camp, served as a Unit Head and Director’s Apprentice at a Jewish overnight camp in Pennsylvania. Jacob’s favorite part about summer is seeing campers escape the pressures of school, step outside their comfort zones and develop new skills in a supportive environment. Camp is truly a place of immense growth for campers and staff alike. Whether it’s dynamic problem solving, working as a team, or taking advantage of all the leadership opportunities camp provides, Jacob believes every member of our community can leave with something they’ll keep forever.

Jacob holds a B.Ed. in Elementary Education with a focus on social psychology and human development from Boston University, and he’s excited to bring his expertise and years of camping experience to Apachi Evanston. When not at camp, you’ll find Jacob rock climbing, jamming out to live music and cheering on his favorite Chicago sports teams.

 

natalie griffithNatalie Griffith

Manager of Operations, Apachi City Camps

Summer is such a special time for Natalie. What she loves most about camp is seeing campers gain confidence in the skills they learn during the summer. Through watching campers participate in the summer’s best activities including art, sports, swimming, sports and performing arts, she sees campers’ confidence grow as they step outside their comfort zones and become more comfortable with their groups, counselors, and instructors.

Natalie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago, and one of her favorite hobbies is golf. She grew up playing the sport, and she’s always so excited to get back on the course once the Midwest winters are done!

Sample 50/50 block

Overnight Camp

Try Chi

Try Chi is our 4-day, 3-night overnight camp experience for 2nd-6th graders at Camp Chi in Lake Delton, WI. Campers meet new friends and live in cabins with experienced, caring counselors who help them feel comfortable right away. They’ll feel the spirit of camp with cookouts, campfires, sing-alongs and great evening programs.

Learn More

Apachi Combos

Apachi + Camp Chi

Twice the fun! Combine Apachi Day Camp with Camp Chi Overnight Camp for one incredible summer experience and save 20% on the cost of Camp Chi.
Pricing & Registration

Early Childhood

When you combine Apachi Day Camp with full-day, year-round Early Childhood for your child turning either 3 or 4 in the Fall following camp, you save 100% on the cost of camp! Half-day students turning 3 or 4 in the Fall following camp will receive a 20% discount of the camp fee on their final payment.
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EcoApachi Details

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 the same gender and entering the same grade.

EcoApachi combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math with the fun and adventure of day camp. We believe that kids learn best by doing and being actively engaged in exploring new things.

Topics

  • Ecosystems
  • Biomes
  • Biodiversity
  • Water Cycles
  • Conservation

Activities & Experiments

  • Sample Collection
  • Nature Exploration
  • Planting Trees
  • Water Lab
  • Building Bird Houses
  • Hydroponics

Each day is a mix of hands-on learning and camp fun, including swimming in our indoor pool. We will incorporate art, technology gateways and campus lab tours into the schedule.

 

Heath Davis, Lead Instructor

When he is not at Apachi Northside, Heath is a Chicago Public School teacher. Through his classroom, he provides a wide range of “green” instruction with the hope that students make future lifestyle choices that are beneficial to the environment. Heath is known for engaging kids through creative hands-on activities, inquiry based exploration and cooperative learning projects that use technology to encourage communication.

Heath designed the EcoApachi curriculum specifically for our site. He is excited to spend another summer at Apachi Northside, and can’t wait to take science into the pool.

American Red Cross Swim Program

Campers are taught to swim at Apachi Northside using the American Red Cross’ Learn-to-Swim program, which focuses on building skills one step at a time. By giving campers the opportunity to master one element before moving on to the next, it makes it easy to build confidence in the water. Safety is our priority and all members of our Aquatics staff are American Red Cross certified lifeguards with CPR training for the professional rescuer.

Testing, Placement, Progress Reports

Campers are tested at the beginning of summer and placed in an appropriate swim level based on their skills. They pass through levels based on both formal and informal testing. Progress reports are sent home during the summer with a summary of skills your child is working on and those already mastered.

Drop-Off

Our convenient carpool line helps your camper get to their group easily and speed you on your way. Just enter the lot towards the south end of the building and follow the path around to the drop off areas in front of the building. 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 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. 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.

For campers registered prior to April 15, you will select your bus stop from a list. Campers who register after April 15, will be assigned to a stop close to their home.

Food

We provide pizza lunch on Wednesdays and a hotdog cookout on Fridays as well as a daily snack. For the remainder of the week, please send along a sack lunch that we’ll refrigerate.

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.

 

EcoApachi | Grades 3-7

Budding biologists, engineers, environmentalists and artists explore living things and our world throughout hands-on activities and experiments. Campers will explore life science by collecting samples, learning about habitats, planting trees, constructing bird houses and recording findings in a technology gateway. Plus, there’s time each day for swimming.

This program is no longer being offered for Summer 2024.

Add-Ons

This program is no longer being offered for Summer 2024.

Contact Us

For more information or to request a tour, contact us at 847.763.3504 or email apachinorthside@jccchicago.org.

Looking for a different Apachi Day Camp?

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