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Parent FAQs

• Q. What is Omega Teen Camp all about? What makes Omega Teen Camp unique?

  A. Our entire summer camp program is geared exclusively toward teenagers ages 13-17 and includes more than 50 activities. While we offer many traditional programs like sports, arts, dance, music, and nature activities, we also offer sweat lodges, meditation, martial arts, and daily yoga classes. The strength of our summer camp program is its ability to create a safe, loving, nonjudgmental environment where teens can make deep connections with themselves and others. We try to honor each individual and create a space where teens can really thrive.

• Q. How many kids come to summer camp and how long do they stay? What is the average age of a camper?

  A. We average about 150 teenagers per session at our summer camp program and while most campers come for two weeks, about 25 percent stay for all four weeks. Our campers are an even mix of 13-17 year olds.

• Q. How many new campers are there each summer? Do they come with friends?

  A. About 70 percent of our campers will be coming to Omega's summer camp program for the first time. For many, this will be their first stay at an overnight camp. The majority of teenagers come alone. While they all worry and wonder whether they will make friends, they always do.

• Q. What kinds of kids come to summer camp?

  A. It is difficult to classify a typical Omega Teen camper. We think we are the perfect summer camp for any sensitive, creative thinking teenager who is looking to have a great time while exploring new things in a safe and loving community. Teens who might not think of themselves as "camp kids" often love our camp.
  Traditionally, girls make up 65 percent of the population at our summer camp program. We don't know exactly why that is, but it has been that way since we first started Omega Teen Camp in 2001, and somehow it works out just fine.

• Q. Where do most of the campers come from?

  A. About 80 percent of our campers come from the Northeast, and the other 20 percent fly in from around the country and around the world.

• Q. What is the summer camp facility like?

  A. Our camp is located on 450 beautiful country acres just 90 minutes north of New York City. The facility has cedar log cabins, an Olympic size pool, a lake for boating, a 50-foot climbing wall, high ropes course, and many other great features. There is an open house each May for anyone who wants to see the facility.
  While attending our summer camp program, all teens stay in cabins with four to eight other campers. There is always at least one adult counselor supervising the cabin at night.

• Q. What are the most popular activities at Omega Teen Camp?

  A. We love to dance at summer camp and hip hop, African, and belly dancing classes are always popular. We also love Thai massage, Ultimate Frisbee, pool parties, sweat lodges, spa day, photography, yoga, poetry writing, guitar lessons, henna tattooing, open mic, jewelry making, and art studio.

• Q. How about health care and medical facilities?

  A. We have a registered nurse on our summer camp premises 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we also have a fully equipped infirmary. Our physician's office is less than 10 minutes from camp and we are just a 15 minute drive from the hospital in Carmel, New York.

• Q. How does my teen get to and from Omega Teen Camp?

  A. Most of our campers live within driving distance and parents generally drive them to camp. Many other teens fly to our summer camp from around the country and we are happy to arrange airport and train transportation for a nominal fee.

• Q. What is the camp food like?

  A. Food at Omega's summer camp program is far from your usual summer camp fare. Our chefs come from Omega Institute and specialize in healthy vegetarian cuisine. Each meal includes many different choices and selections. There are always great vegetarian dishes, superb salads, and occasionally organic, free-range beef and chicken. All meals are made from scratch using as many organic and local ingredients as possible. Meals are served buffet style so campers can take as much as they want, as often as they want.

• Q. How do campers communicate with friends and family?

  A. At our summer camp program, cell phones are not permitted and we try to limit phone usage as much as possible. Instead, we encourage letter writing. Family and friends can send letters to:
  Omega Teen Camp
  115 Camp Road
  Holmes, NY 12531

• Q. How do I get my child to want to attend camp?

  A. You think the camp is a great fit for your teen, but they are reluctant to attend. This is a common scenario. The reality is that most teenagers coming to our summer camp program for the first time have plenty of trepidation and mixed emotions. It takes courage to leave home and go to a place where you don't know anyone. Yet once at camp, most teens think Omega Teen Camp is the greatest place they have ever been.
  The best suggestion we have for getting your teenager excited about summer camp is to have them view the Omega Teen Camp Video. They can also go to Facebook or MySpace and look up Omega Teen Camp under "groups." They will be able to read lots of comments and maybe even contact other teens who have been to camp to find out "what's it's really like."

• Q. Who does Omega Teen Camp not work well for?

  A. We are not a "special needs camp," so we are not a good camp for anyone who needs one-on-one supervision. That said, plenty of our campers are struggling with all sorts of challenges and most do great at our summer camp program. If you have any questions or concerns about how your teen will do at Omega Teen Camp, please call our director, Adam Simon at 877.944.2002, ext. 228.

• Q. How do you deal with homesickness? What if my teen doesn't like camp?

  A. Coming to summer camp for the first time is a big adjustment for many teenagers. At our summer camp program, we have a staff of trained counselors who are good at helping teens work through the transition. We encourage parents to allow teens to conquer feelings of homesickness on their own. Most teenagers can let go of wanting to go home and allow themselves to have a great time at camp.

Teenagers change their minds and their moods very often. Over the course of their time at our summer camp, practically every camper will have their ups and downs, but in the end, most teens feel that Omega Teen Camp was an incredible experience!