Most parents have important questions that go beyond the scope of Program, Philosophy and Facilities, after all, your son’s health and welfare are a priority. These are a few of the commonly asked parent questions.
With 90 years of experience, we can confidently say that we are among the best summer camps anywhere. Why? Personal Attention and Program. Our program has stood the test of time and has evolved in response to the changing needs of today’s youth and we are proud of the standard of personal attention we apply to each boy. Specifically, each boy has a unique activity schedule based on his age and specific preferences rather than remaining with one cabin group all day. We stress individual accomplishment over team competition. We remain “all boys”, avoiding the social pressures of coed programming. Our fees remain all-inclusive and among the most affordable in the nation! We are unique in that all facets of the La Junta Experience strive to improve your son’s independence, self-image and self-confidence.
Camp La Junta is licensed and inspected annually by the Texas Department of Health to ensure a safe standard of supervision, food service, physical plant and counselor quality.
Camp La Junta is also ACA Accredited. The American Camp Association collaborates with experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth-serving agencies to ensure that current practices at camp reflect the most up-to-date, research-based standards in camp operation. To earn accreditation, Camp La Junta completed a thorough review of our overall operation including over 300 quality standards defined by the ACA. These standards include child development, aquatics, risk management, health care professionals, staff qualifications and training, emergency management and program implementation to name a few.
In addition, we take pride in working to assure that our own personal standards of excellence for staffing, safety, activities, facilities and food service are comparable to those of additional national accreditation programs.
The health and safety of our La Junta campers has always been our highest priority, and we can confidently say we endeavor to improve every summer. We receive annual inspections as a part of our State Licensing and are proud of our history of exemplary scores.
Today, we work very hard to ensure the safety of our campers and staff. We work with outside consultants and risk management experts to assure that our policies, procedures, safety and supervision guidelines meet our industry’s highest standards. For several summers, we have gone beyond the scope of our normal state health department inspections, up to and including contracting with independent, on-site inspectors to ensure that we are consistently and successfully implementing those important policies and procedures. Learn more
Each camper at La Junta is allowed to select his ten preferred activities based on his age and experience level. A unique activity schedule is created for each boy based on these preferences. Boys do not stay with their cabin group throughout the day. As an enrolled camper you will be able to select your activity preferences through and electronic form within your CampInTouch account.
Although too much competition can be an obstacle to a boy’s confidence, we realize that it exists in many facets of your son’s life. While our emphasis is on independence, we enjoy a “ranch” competition system as a way for each boy to feel involved with a team. Each boy is a member of one of La Junta’s two traditional “ranches” or teams. Occasional head to head events occur between the Maltese Cross Ranch and the Running W Ranch, but the bulk of all competition is the result of individual contribution throughout each session. Thus, every boy’s contribution is equally valued and realistically important.
La Junta campers are grouped in four age divisions: the Wranglers (first, second and third graders), the Cowboys (fourth and fifth graders), the Tophands (sixth and seventh graders) and the Advanced Campers (eighth graders). All camp activities are organized by division. Boys are placed in cabins with other boys of the same school grade, however parents may request alternate placement. Each camper is allowed one mutual cabin mate request. Each boy is given his own unique activity schedule based on his particular skill level and personal preferences. No two cabin mates have the same activity schedule, even though they may select the same ten activities.
Our program is structured so that each Senior Counselor makes quite sure that specific needs are met for each of the boys in his cabin. The nurses, as well, keep thorough records to assure that all medication is distributed on time and EVERY time. Campers are served meals in cabin groups, and counselors are able to make certain that special diets are observed.