Overnight Camp: Girls 8-15 years / Boys 10-15 years

Campers will be split into cabin groups by age and gender. Their morning activity groups, however, will be a mix of ages (and genders, if attending a Co-Ed camp) 

Lil' Buckaroos Day Camp: 5-7 years / Cowpokes Day Camp: 8-10 years

Campers will be grouped together by age throughout the entire day, participating in the same groupd activities all week long.

Teen Discipleship: Females Only 13-18 years

All Discipleship members will live in the same quarters (Modular Home). During the day, the teens will be split up into different areas of ministry, and brought back together throughout the day for barn care, camp activities and bible studies

Overnight Camp & Teen Discipleship: 

All camps are 1 week long. Campers arrive on Sunday evening for check-in from 6:00-6:45 p.m. and stay through Friday at 3:45 OR 4:45 pm

Lil' Buckaroos & Cowpokes Day Camp: 

Each Day Camp Session is 1 week Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You may sign your child up for one week, multiple weeks, or daily sessions (which can be spread throughout the summer). However, we do advocate for your child to attend an entire week at a time to ensure they get to experience all areas of camp!

Yes, we do!

However, tours are NOT offered in the off season (August-May).

When camp is in session we would be happy to show you around.

Tours are offered Monday-Friday during Camp (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, PLEASE!)

Please call the camp office to schedule your tour and get directions to the camp office.

724. 483. 4343

OVERNIGHT

Check-In:

SUNDAY 6:00-6:45 p.m. 

• Campers will receive an email 1 WEEK prior to their camp start date with their designated check-in and check-out times .
• Check-in/out will be conducted in front of the day camp tent (large white tent in middle of campground as you drive through). After campers have been checked-in and cabin assignment has been given, the camper and guardians will proceed into the campground to the camper's designated cabin to unload.
•  ALL campers must eat dinner prior to check-in.
• PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL MEDICATIONS YOUR CHILD WILL NEED ARE LABELED IN A SEPERATE ZIPLOC BAG. MEDICAL RECORDS SHOULD ALREADY BE SIGNED-OFF BY THE LICENSED MEDICAL PRESCRIBER AND TURNED INTO SHEKINAH RANCH AT CHECK-IN, IF CHILD IS BRINGING ANY MEDICATION (OTC OR PRESCRIPTION)

Check-Out:

FRIDAY 3:45 OR 4:45 p.m.

• Check-out will occur in front of the cabins. Parents will drive-through, check-out their child with leadership staff and then proceed to the cabins to pick-up child and their belongings

LIL' BUCKAROOS & COWPOKES DAY CAMP

Check-In:

8-8:30 a.m. @ Day Camp Tent Entry

Check-Out:

4:30 - 5:00 p.m. @ Day Camp Entry

** Please note: There will be a late fee of $1 per minute after 5 p.m. charged.

TEEN DISCIPLESHIP 

Check-In:

SUNDAY 4:00 p.m.

• Teens will receive an email 1 WEEK prior to their camp start date with their designated check-in and check-out times .
• Check-in/out will be conducted in front of the day camp tent (large white tent in middle of campground as you drive through). After campers have been checked-in, the camper and guardians will proceed into the campground to the white discipleship trailer, located in the middle of the campground directly next to cabins
•  ALL campers must eat dinner prior to check-in.

Check-Out:

FRIDAY @ 3:45 OR 4:45 p.m.

• Check-out will occur in front of the white trailer. Parents will drive-through, check-out their child with leadership staff and then proceed to the Discipleship Trailer to pick-up child and their belongings.

Overnight Camp:

Cabin Leaders provide supervised fun and activities for all campers. Parents can be assured of the care and attention their children will receive while they are at camp. Maximum Cabin Leader to Camper Ratio is (1:8). Additionally campers will be interacting with supporting staff members such as the Camp Director, Program Directors, Barn Manager and Discipleship members.

Lil' Buckaroos & Cowpokes Day Camp:

The Lil Buckaroos (ages 5-7) Day Camp and The Cowpokes (ages 8-10) will each have their own Day Camp Director and Day Camp Assistant to provide supervised fun and activities for all campers. Parents can be assured of the care and attention their children will receive while they are at camp. Additionally campers will be interacting with supporting staff members such as the Camp Director, Barn Manager and Discipleship members.

Teen Discipleship:

The Discipleship Director will not only provide supervision of the Teen Discipleship members, but their entire program as well. This includes scheduling their daily areas of ministry, horse training time, and spirutual growth/ bible studies each week. Parents can be assured of the care and attention their children will receive while they are at camp. Additionally, Discipleship members will actively interact with supporting staff members such as the Camp Director, Barn Manager and Program Directors.

Our office staff is available 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. to answer any questions, assist with registration, set up phone appointments/camp tours, or to take messages.

Office: (724) 483 - 4343

Please keep in mind, if you call before 9 a.m. OR after 6 p.m. the Office Manager will NOT be physically in the office.

He/She will be on the camp ground and able to assist you with emergency situations/basic camp questions, but he/she will NOT have direct access to a computer, schedule book, camper files, medications, etc.

Our camp facilities consist of a Gift/Snack shop, fully stocked Fishing pond, 200 x 80ft Enclosed Riding Arena, Thirteen Stall Barn, Hiking trails, In-ground swimming pool, Mini golf course, Playground, Basketball/Volleyball courts, Kayaking, two Zip lines, Ropes Challenge Course, GaGa-Pit and more!

Overnight Camp:

All of our cabins have wood frame, modern construction and house up to 8 campers and 1 cabin leader in bunk beds. Each cabin is complete with a porch, bathroom (toilet, sink, washer & dryer), fan & A.C. unit, carbon monoxide and smoke detector, fire extinguisher, windows and screens, and a mini refrigerator. 

Teen Discipleship:

Girls practice communal living in our designated Diescipleship trailer, located behind the bathhouse and next to the Overnight Cabins. This trailer is equipped with three full-size bedrooms, a fully functioning kitchen and bathroom, washer & dryer and 6 total bunk beds plus two additional roll away mattresses.The Discipleship Director will live with the girls Sunday-Friday in their own private bedroom, right off the main living room.

Absolutely!

There is a section on each camper registration form to make cabin AND bunk requests. Please list out camper's first AND last name. We do our absolute best to accomodate these requests, but please understand it is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Providing camper's spending money for the Camp Snack/Gift Shop is optional.

If you chose to provide money for your child for the week, this must be paid BEFORE your child's arrival at camp. If funds were not added during registration, please call the camp office to add money to your child's store card, or for any other additional camp store purchases.

724-483-4343 

Shekinah Ranch Camp offers a Camp Store/ Snack shop where all Campers are permitted to shop each day for snacks and trinkets/horse riding gear. Snacks vary between .25 cents to $1.50 each, and gift shop/ horse gear items vary between .50 cents and $50.00.

Shekinah Ranch Camp is non-profit Child Care program that does NOT provide a Nurse or Physician on site, and therefore according to Pennsylvania Guidelines is not permitted to administer any medication to campers. In lieu of this, Shekinah Ranch is equipped with a trained Health Advisor who is only permitted to witness self-administration, by campers. 

**IMPORTANT**

In order for a camper to be permitted to take any medication (OTC or Prescription) while at Shekinah Ranch Camp, a Medical release form must be completed and signed by a licensed healthcare provider, the Guardian AND camper. (Please see our Medication Administration Policies & Authorization & Medication Administration Records)

Overnight & Teen Discipleship Camps:

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CAMPER EATS DINNER BEFORE THEIR ARRIVAL ON SUNDAY!

Campers  will enjoy three meals a day Monday-Thursday. Campers should eat dinner BEFORE their arrival on Sunday, and will be fed breakfast and lunch on Friday before pick-up.

Campers are also allotted time each day to visit the snack shop and use money put on their store cards to purchase snack items (between .25 cents to $1.50 each)

**Campers with Food Allergies/Special Diets:

If your child has ANY type of food allergy or special dietary restriction, please make sure you bring easy supplemental items for the week that your child is able to fix by him/herself. We offer access to a microwave and storage space in our staff refrigerator/freezer and on a food shelf in our camp storage room, for said items. Please make sure all items (dry and refrigerated) are properly labeled.

Day Camp:

Meals and snacks are NOT provided at Day Camp.

Please ensure your child packs a full lunch each day. We do have a refrigerator available for lunch boxes to be placed in, however, no microwavable meals will be permitted.

Additionally, please pack a mid-day snack for your camper OR provide them money to place on their Store Card, to be used at the Camp Gift/Snack Store.

Overnight Night Camp:

Overnight Campers they will be matched with a horse/ riding group  on Sunday night, according to their riding experience. All campers will be given the opportunity to ride Monday-Friday, but no camper will ever be forced. These campers will also experience interaction/care for the horses in the form of horse theory and barn care. 

Day Camp:

Day Campers will enjoy Pony Rides in our indoor arena 2 days per week (days will vary).

Teen Discipleship:

These ladies are in a league of their own, as they provide the backbone support behind the Barn. The teen Discipleship ladies will not only recieve their own private riding time and occasional lesson throughout each week, but they will also be heavily involved in assisting with the daily lessons of the overnight campers, maintenance of the barn and stalls and other various horsecare/barn care activities.

For the sake of our busy camp schedule and the well-being of surrounding campers, we ask that camper-to-parent communication be emergency-only-communication. Our phone and e-mail lines are always open to speak to camp leadership staff, however, we believe there is something sacred about allowing campers the opportunity to actively engage during their time at camp, without being distracted by technology or homesickness. We also ask that parents do not send mail to camp as the campers are only with us for a short period of time, and therefore, it is difficult to get this delivered in a timely manner. 

• While at camp, minor first-aid based injuries are quite common. All of our staff are fully trained and First-Aid/CPR certified for said injuries and needs. When these injuries occur, an incident report is completed by the staff member(s) who were present/witnessed when and how the injury occured. For said injuries, guardians are not contacted.
• When a camper makes a routine visit to our camp office manager about a pain or ailment, a guardian will be contacted and asked to assist in assesing the situation and what they would like the next step to be. Should a camper be taken to the local Mon Valley hospital or Urgent Care for an emergency, a phone call to a child’s family is made immediately.
• In the event a child becomes sick, a camp counselor will escort the child to our camp office where basic illnesses that arise (stomach ache, dehydration, headache, etc.) can be easily managed. When an illness or injury exists that is best cared for by a physician, the guardian/parent will be contacted to pick the child up from camp. Any parent can let us know what communications they would like to have with us regarding their child’s medical care.

Believe it or not, very few children at camp get truly homesick. Certainly, there are times when campers have moments of homesickness. Most often, episodes of homesickness occur during the quiet times of the typical camp day.

Where homesickness does exist, we deal with the problem on an individual basis because one child’s needs may not be quite the same as another child’s. Although there is no perfect answer, we do have some tried and true remedies that may include more active involvement with activities, an attempt to create better quality connections with other campers, the possibility of switching groups, the possibility of switching staff members within groups, or amending a child’s schedule to give them a change in their program. Regardless of the particular need, we are going to do everything that we can to see that every child has the best possible opportunity to succeed at camp.

We are glad you asked!

Here are our Top 10 Reasons Why Summer Camp is Great for Youth:

At Camp, Youth...

10. Spend their day being Physically Active –

As children spend so much time these days inside and mostly sitting down, camp provides a wonderful opportunity to move. Running, swimming, jumping, hiking and climbing! Camp is action!

9. Experience Success and become More Confident –

Camp helps children build self-confidence and self-esteem by removing the kind of academic, athletic and social competition that shapes their lives at school. With its non-competitive activities and diverse opportunities to succeed, camp life is a real boost for young people. There’s accomplishment every day. Camp teaches kids that they can.

8. Gain Resiliency –

The kind of encouragement and nurture kids receive at camp makes it a great environment to endure setbacks, try new (and thereby maybe a little frightening) things, and see that improvement comes when you give something another try. Camp helps conquer fears.

7. Unplug from Technology –

When kids take a break from TV, cell phones, and the Internet, they rediscover their creative powers and engage the real world— real people, real activities, and real emotions. They realize, there’s always plenty to do. Camp is real!

6. Develop Life-long Skills –

Camps provide the right instruction, equipment and facilities for kids to enhance their sports abilities, their artistic talents, and their adventure skills. The sheer variety of activities offered at camp makes it easy for kids to discover and develop what they like to do. Camp expands every child’s abilities.

5. Grow more Independent –

Camp is the perfect place for kids to practice making decisions for themselves without parents and teachers guiding every move. Managing their daily choices in the safe, caring environment of camp, children welcome this as a freedom to blossom in new directions. Camp helps kids develop who they are.

4. Make True Friends –

Camp is the place where kids make their very best friends. Free from the social expectations pressuring them at school, camp encourages kids to relax and make friends easily. All the fun at camp draws everyone together— singing, laughing, talking, playing, doing almost everything together. Everyday, camp creates friendships.

3. Learn Social Skills –

Coming to camp means joining a close-knit community where everyone must agree to cooperate and respect each other. When they live in a cabin with others, kids share chores, resolve disagreements, and see firsthand the importance of sincere communication. Camp builds teamwork.

2. Reconnect with Nature –

Camp is a wonderful antidote to “nature deficit disorder,” to the narrow experience of modern indoor life. Outdoor experience enriches kid’s perception of the world and supports healthy child development. Camp gets kids back outside.

1. Learn about the Love of Jesus in a New & Natural Setting –

Many of our campers are accustomed to attending  and hearing about the Word of God in church services, youth groups and sunday school classes. There is something that happens, however, when the SAME message and love of Jesus Christ is shared right in the middle of His creation! We have watched countless young men and women come to know their Savior in a whole new way and relationships, through camp. We've also been blessed to be a part of youth coming to know and be saved by Jesus for the very first time, and even some who have chosen to be baptized at camp! It's a miraculous place where God's glory dwells!