Catamount Institute works to fulfill our mission of connecting kids to the outdoors, by providing outstanding outdoor adventure and scholastic standards-based experiences for students. We provide placed-based and outdoor education for children with a variety of enrichment activities that keep kids active, in touch with their natural surroundings, and healthy both physically and mentally.

Catamount Institute’s office hours will be 8am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. See camp details for camp hours and lengths. Camp hours vary by camp

Please subscribe to our newsletter to be updated as soon as our camp registration opens! Our registration forms include a comprehensive information packet to be filled out by a legal parent or guardian of the participant including contact info as well as a detailed medical history. This information is housed in a secure digital format. Hard copies are also carried by our staff in case of an emergency. Procedures for non-admission (example, camp registration is full or closed) will be based on a case by case basis and done in accordance with all anti-discrimination laws and American with Disabilities Act guidelines to ensure impartiality.

Our goal is for your student to have an outstanding learning adventure. We ask that our youngest camper have attended kindergarten before attending camp with us. Each camp is designed to meet the emotional and developmental needs of students in specific age groups. Please remember that when you make a special request for a younger or older student to be moved into a different age group, you are asking us to put them into a camp with children that may be four years their junior or senior. There is a huge difference in maturity, for example, between an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old. This is why they are in different camp age groups.

Camp fees are based on several factors: Number of participants, staff pay, guest speaker fees, cost of transportation, and cost of materials per participant. Rates vary per age group and camp. 

Any additional fees will be found during the camp registration process.

Whenever participants are traveling over land or foot they will travel with staff and volunteers in the front and back of the group. Camp staff will perform random as well as routine head counts every time the group changes the scene or area they are in.

When traveling in vehicles, students will be assigned to specific staff and vehicles so that everyone is accounted for again with regular checks before departure and at stops en route. All participants must wear their seat belts at all times, whether the vehicle is in motion or not. All vehicles will be equipped with a driver and front passenger who are camp staff or volunteers. Only staff on our insurance policy and who have gone through van training will drive. Staff or volunteers not driving the vehicle will be responsible for the supervision of the participants.

Participants will be assigned a van to travel in for the week and they will only ride in that specific van for the entirety of the week. Each van will have no more than two Catamount Institute staff members and 10 participants.  

We ask that you do not arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled drop-off, as we will be busy getting everything ready for a great day. A staff member will meet your camper at your vehicle, grab any needed documents from you, and tell you any new information regarding camp. You will proceed with caution through the drive-thru lane to exit the parking lot. 

Participants must be picked up by a legal parent/guardian or other authorized people on their registration form with presentation of ID. Participants will only be released to authorized and confirmed persons who have been pre-approved to pick up and a camp staff member can view their ID. In emergency situations, students may be released to an adult not listed as an approved sign-out on the registration form, at staff discrimination, if and only if a listed parent or guardian can be contacted at a listed number to give a verbal confirmation to at least two camp staff.

Pick up will also be done via a drive-thru lane. A staff member will come to your car to check your ID through the car window and once the ID is confirmed, a staff member will bring your camper to your vehicle. We will only release your camper to those designated on your registration form as parents/guardians and emergency contacts with proof of ID. If you need to change who is picking up your child, please bring us a written note or call us beforehand.

A parent has until 30 minutes after the listed conclusion time for the program to pick up their child. Staff will attempt to contact all approved adults on the registration form OK’d for student sign out and emergency contacts. If the parent or designated ride cannot be contacted or arranged within 30 minutes, local law enforcement and/or child protective services may be contacted and the child will be remanded to said agency(s). Two late pick-ups will be tolerated with warnings issued. A third late pick-up may result in student removal from camp.

There is a 10 minute grace period for late arrivals of participants in the morning. If Catamount Institute has no knowledge of impending tardiness, or no notice of any extenuating circumstances, the camp will carry on with its posted schedule. Any participant who arrives late and the camp has continued on its posted schedule, the parent has two options: 1) take the participant home for the day, 2) Attempt to contact camp counselors and drive the participant to the camp’s current location. Catamount will not return to the pick-up site or attempt in any way to get the late arriving participant nor will the participant be allowed to stay at the pick-up site for any duration of time.

 Camp is non-refundable for any days missed.

All participants will be responsible for their personal belongings and any money that they choose to bring. Please note that it may only be in limited circumstances where a participant may need money. Catamount Institute will not be held responsible or liable for any lost, stolen, or damaged property owned by participants. Items left at camp will be kept in the lost and found for the duration of camp. Catamount Institute has the right to dispose of any belongings left after camp.

Participants must provide their own food and snacks, unless otherwise specified for their specific program. At no other time will Catamount Institute provide food, unless the participant’s meal lacks the 1/3 daily nutritional value. It will be at that time when Catamount Institute will supplement food for the participant in need. Parents or guardians will be contacted if staff needs to supplement a participant’s lunch.

Please provide all food allergy information for campers in the camp registration.

Catamount Institute cannot provide water bottles to participants so please send at least one reusable water with your participant to camp each day. These bottles can be refilled at our contact-free filling station.

Before and after each meal at Catamount Institute, all camp participants will be required to wash their hands thoroughly with soap for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer. This is to prevent the spread of any germs or bacteria. 

We ask that participants not bring or use cell phones or other personal electronics to our programs. If brought, participants must keep devices within their backpacks, unless directed otherwise, as to not be a distraction to other participants and interrupt their camp experience. If brought, we highly recommend putting the device in a safe, water-tight location (i.e. zip lock) as some of our camp activities involve water, dirt, and running around in the outdoors. During overnights, service and access to electricity may be limited as many programs are located in backcountry or wilderness settings. Catamount Institute will not be held responsible or liable for any lost, stolen, or damaged property owned by participants.

The emergency contact(s) provided during participant registration should be a reliable source for contacting in an emergency situation and be fully capable of picking the participant up if needed within no more than two hours of being called by Catamount Institute staff. If none of the provided emergency contacts can be reached or are incapable of picking up the participant, the participant may be required to sit out of camp activities in isolation until pick up at the end of the camp day or in an extreme situation, local law enforcement contacted.

If there is an emergency at home, and parents/guardians need to contact one of our program participants during a program session, they may call Catamount Institute Directors at 719.471.0910 who will pass along messages to Catamount Institute staff.

Please note that many of our programs are located in backcountry or wilderness settings, and contact may be limited. We will do our best to contact the staff by phone.

No visitors will be allowed and no person will be allowed to follow, observe for an extended period of time, or participate in any Catamount activity unless they have been authorized by Catamount Institute to be present during the program. The lead guide or volunteer will deal with unauthorized persons who attempt to follow, participate, observe or engage in any program session, and may contact the local authorities if appropriate.

Students who are not following directions or who are being distracting or aggressive towards others will be dealt with in the following manner:

The student will be warned that their behavior is inappropriate and give an explanation as to why. Their behavior will be redirected.

• • If the inappropriate behavior continues, the participant will be warned and redirected again and may be asked to sit out for a portion of the activity away from group. Students sitting out portions of activities will still be in sight of staff, in a safe place, and not sit out for more than 20 minutes.
  • A staff member will talk with the student to form a plan to prevent the inappropriate behavior in the future. The student will then be allowed to return to the group.

Students who continue to misbehave may be sat out up to three times before a parent/guardian/emergency contact is requested to pick up the participant immediately at the program location. Staff will not bring the participant to the parent(s)/guardian. If a pickup cannot be arranged, the parents/guardians may get their child at the end of the regular program. Whether or not a participant will be allowed to return for the duration of the program will be left up to the program leader and discussed with the guardian who picks the camper up. 

We have a zero-tolerance policy against gross physical and verbal abuse. Any participant that engages in aggressive physical contact or word use may be removed immediately from the group without other warnings or being sat out. They may also be removed from the remainder of the camp.

We have a zero-tolerance policy against any act that endangers the health of another camp participant, even if it is claimed to be meant as a joke. This includes endangering another participant through the threat of illness (i.e. coughing on another participant, not washing one’s hands when told to, lying about not feeling well, etc.). Any participant that engages in any action that could endanger the health of another participant will be removed from camp immediately.

Respecting nature, others, and oneself are the three most important expectations of each camper. Campers will have a great amount of freedom and opportunity to have fun and enjoy themselves. We trust that campers will be respectful to themselves, to other campers, and to the surrounding environment of camp. If there is a breach of trust in terms of these expectations, summer staff will follow Catamount Institute’s policy of discipline stated above.

There are absolutely no alcohol or drugs allowed during any of our camps. We have a zero tolerance policy. If a camper is found in possession of or using drugs and/or alcohol, they will be sent home immediately and removed from the remainder of camp. This includes tobacco products, vaporizers, e-cigarettes, and any similar smoking or vaping devices. Staff will not bring the participant to the parent(s)/guardian. It is important to understand that the possession or use of drugs and/or alcohol provides a great risk to Catamount Institute as a whole and the continued operations of our summer camps.

If your camper requires medicine administration for their health and safety, read the section below.

Catamount Institute will only directly administer medicine to a participant in emergency situations.  Please reference our medical letter of intent for further clarification and see the Emergency Situations section below.

Prescription and over-the-counter medication must be handed in to Catamount Institute staff accompanied with written parental permission and with written approval from a licensed person with prescriptive authority (a licensed doctor or pharmacist).  Prescription and over-the-counter medication with required documentation will be held onto by the Catamount Staff employee with the highest level of medical certification. As ordered by the State, no medication will be administered except in emergency situations unless you adhere to these strict guidelines. 

Medication must be in the original bottle or container with the original label and include the following:

• Child’s first and last name
• Prescribing practitioner or Pharmacist name approving this medication, Pharmacy or Office, Telephone number
• Date authorized
• The expiration date of the medication
• Name of medication and dosage
• Time of day medication is to be given
• Route of medication (taken orally, eye drops, in-ears?)
• Length of time medication is to be given (3 days? As needed? Daily?)
• Reason for the medication (unless confidential)
• Side effects to be watched for
• Special instructions

An emergency situation is any serious, unexpected, or dangerous event requiring immediate action to preserve the participant’s safety. Staff will deal with emergencies by providing immediate attention at the level of care for which they are trained, deferring to the most highly qualified person available. Some of our programs take place in wilderness settings where communications are unavailable or limited. Each emergency situation is unique and we look to our most highly qualified staff to make the best possible decisions for the group at the time of the emergency event.

For medical emergencies this includes calling additional emergency medical services if necessary, filling out a Patient Assessment Form, and forming and implementing a treatment plan when appropriate.

For non-medical emergencies such as severe weather, fire, or floods, staff should create an action plan to move participants to a safe area as quickly and safely as possible.

For vehicular or driving emergencies, this includes stopping the vehicle and moving it to a safe nearby location if possible, treating any medical emergencies as outlined above, and setting out road cones or flares if available.

After the immediate emergency has been dealt with, staff will call & notify Catamount Institute leadership of the emergency including what happened, treatment, and action plans.

For major illness, accidents, and injuries, parents or guardians will be contacted as soon as possible. This should also include a description of the emergency, the manner in which it was treated, and the plan for further treatment if appropriate.  Note that a letter of intent by parent(s)/guardian for emergency and non-emergency care will already have been provided as a part of camper registration. All injuries, illnesses, and accidents will be cared for within our ability and training and pursuant to the parent(s)/guardian letter of intent for care as well as our letter of intent for care.

Parents and guardians will be notified of minor illnesses, accidents, or injuries such as paper cuts, bruises, bumps, and scrapes no later than the end of each camp session. They will also be permanently recorded by Catamount Institute summer staff.

All participants will be brought into an appropriate shelter, (i.e. building at Beidleman Environmental Center) if available. If participants are on a trail or in a wilderness setting and access to buildings or vehicles are not available or pose a safety concern, campers will be moved to the safest outdoor location available under direction and instruction of camp staff.  Alternative programming and sheltering will continue until the severe weather situation changes. Regularly scheduled programming will continue at that time.

If a participant is lost or their whereabouts are unknown, the program leader will be notified immediately of the event, as well as the last known location of the participant. Participants will be put in “lockdown” (defined as a controlled, safe environment where campers are not allowed to leave the sight and control of staff) with the supervision of one or more staff. Other available staff will begin an immediate search for the lost participant. Searching staff will split up and search determined areas for a maximum of one hour. After that time, if the participant is still missing, emergency personnel will be contacted and dispatched.

Campers are not to wander off or go on hikes in the woods alone. A buddy is to always accompany a camper during activities or endeavors. During any designated solo activities, campers will be in the eye-sight of a Catamount Institute staff member.

If any staff member suspects a participant of being the victim of neglect and/or child abuse, that staff member will immediately consult with the camp director and lead counselor, and report their findings and beliefs. It will then be left to the camp director to decide the veracity of the suspicions, what, if any follow-ups will be done with the participant and/or parent(s)/guardian, and whether or not to report any findings to the appropriate agency. Catamount Institute is a mandatory reporting agency. If a report if filed, all state guidelines and laws will be followed strictly and all involved parties will be notified.

Catamount Institute provides equal opportunity for all qualified participants and does not discriminate in providing services to any individual on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, veteran status, or any other protected status.

At Catamount Institute, we strive to create programs that are enjoyable for as many children as possible. The health and safety of campers are our top priorities in everything that we do. Due to this, there are some limitations of our program and its staff. We are not able to provide a one-on-one attendant to address a camper’s individual personal needs. We are also not able to accommodate some medical/health conditions that are beyond the scope of our staff’s medical training. Before enrolling a child with any special needs, please contact us to discuss potential accommodations. Our goal is to make camp an equal opportunity for all.

If Catamount Institute has to cancel a program or cannot serve a participant for any reason, Catamount Institute will provide advanced notification within 24 hours of the program to all teachers, parent(s)/guardians, and will do so verbally and in writing.

It is the responsibility of the parent(s)/guardian to notify Catamount Institute verbally 24 hours in advance of withdrawal from a Catamount Institute program. In accordance with our guidelines, any cancellation within fourteen (14) days of the start of the program will not be accorded any refund; in addition, any parent(s)/guardian who withdrawals a participant during the camps will also be accorded no refund. Before fourteen (14) days a full refund will be given less a $50 administrative fee.

All employed by Catamount Institute have passed background checks through the state of Colorado. They also go through the application, interview, and reference check process. All are trained in CPR and First Aid with some having higher certifications such as Wilderness First Responder. All summer employees go through extensive week-long training before campers arrive. Instructors have a very diverse professional background ranging from environmental education to outdoor recreation.

Anyone who wishes to file a complaint may contact Catamount Institute staff, including our Executive Director to inform us of their complaint or intent to file a complaint. We can be reached at 719-471-0910 during our business hours or at info@catamountinstitute.org. We welcome any and all feedback that you think is important or beneficial to our organization.