FAQs.

Below, you will find some of the answers to our most commonly asked questions. Remember, we are also more than happy to answer your questions via e-mail at info@campkupugani.com or by calling us toll-free at 1-866-471-4616.

Q: How do I register my child for Camp Kupugani?

Our registration process is simple and fast. You can apply by doing one of the following:

  • Click here to go to our online application.
  • E-mail us at info@campkupugani.com for an application; download it, fill it out and mail it into our office with your deposit information.
  • E-mail us at info@campkupugani.com for an application; download it, fill it out and fax it with your deposit information to 1-815-738-2764.
  • Call our office toll free at 1-866-471-4616 and we'll take care of your enrollment over the phone. Telephone enrollment requires a credit card to secure the space.

Q: When should I enroll my daughter?

Enrollment is ongoing. Because space is limited, it is best to enroll as early as you can to ensure a space for your daughter.

Q: Why should I send my child to camp?

If you are an intentional parent, you already realize the importance of having your children in environments where they can maximize their development and be their best selves. At camp, we help people make real connections, engage in human-powered activities, and teach awareness of the environment. James C. Stone, Ph. D. Ed., in a renowned 1986 study on the effects of camp on school-age children, found that campers made significant increases in personal accountability, decision-making, social skills, and appreciation of natural surroundings. This 20-year study was far-reaching and has been frequently repeated, reinforcing the results. In recent studies, the overwhelming majority of campers says that camp helped them make new friends, helped them get to know other campers who were different from them, helped them feel good about themselves, and allowed them to do things they were at first afraid to do. The substantial majority of camper parents says that their child gained self-confidence at camp, continues to participate in activities learned at camp, and remains in contact with friends made at camp. Of course, camp directors and staff have long personally seen the benefits of camp as we have watched former campers grow into mature, well-rounded, fun adults!

Q: Why Camp Kupugani?

Camp Kupugani focuses on the individual needs of each and every child. Our goal is to provide the safest, most rewarding, fun, and memorable summer experience possible. We offer a wide array of activities, top-notch staff members, and the most caring, nurturing environment you can imagine. We strive to have fun, empower our campers, facilitate communication, and enjoy nature, so if that's what you want, please join us! Our intentional, socially progressive program is based on a 3-year skills-development curriculum focusing on girls empowerment, diversity, and strengthening and appreciating individual identity while appreciating that of others. Campers returning each year learn a variety of skill sets including: appreciation of diversity, communication skills, leadership, positive self-image, body image, economic literacy, healthy relationship building, self-expression, social awareness, and environmental awareness. The learning happens almost without knowing it; from our girls' viewpoint, they just have a great time making fantastic new friends while reconnecting with old ones. They enjoy activities like rock climbing, canoeing, playing under waterfalls, and night hikes under the stars, plus carefully designed group activities and games so that fun and personal growth coincide.

Our parent surveys reinforce that we're doing our task well. From our 2009 parent survey, 100% of respondents were satisfied with their daughter's Camp Kupugani experience, and would recommend our camp to friends. Overwhelming majorities of our parents noted their girl's improvement in: Acknowledgment & Appreciation of Diversity, Conflict Resolution Skills, Personal Growth / Self Confidence, Positive Self Image, Quality of Relationships with Others, Body Image and Health, and Social Awareness.

Our camp provides social opportunities that can't be experienced in other venues, like schools. Social life at school is not likely to provide wholesome, guided and nurtured opportunities to make sincere friends and to respect others. At camp, we're able to emphasize caring, respectful, guided socialization. There's an immeasurable difference in atmosphere between a school cafeteria and our dining hall.

School teachers provide valuable learning tools inside the classroom. We often employ teachers as counselors, and recognize the important character traits they want to instill in students. At camp, camp professionals are employed to facilitate children's interpersonal dealings. In schools, teachers' interpersonal dealings don't necessarily have the kind of consistency we work with here at camp. Here, our camp professionals are able to practice daily that consistency, are specifically trained around social issues, and have both the time and relaxed atmosphere to do it well.

At camp, we redefine the word "supportive" and give children new perspectives on what daily life and an empowering community can be like for them. We believe that children deserve the chance to see that there is something different from the pressures that surround the school environment...all of life is not relentless competition, and there can be multiple forms of achievement and popularity among peers. At Camp Kupugani, they can have fun changing their world.

Q: Where is Camp Kupugani and Camp White Eagle?

Less than a two-hour drive from Chicago, Illinois, and nestled within 120 acres of lush forests, Camp White Eagle is in Leaf River, Illinois, alongside the Leaf River in the northwestern part of the state near Wisconsin and Iowa. The Leaf River is a tributary of the Rock River; via the Rock, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed. Click here for a map!

Q: What is the weather like in northwest Illinois in the summer?

Throughout the summer, northwest Illinois enjoys moderate temperatures with average highs ranging from the mid-70s to the low 80s. Occasional rain showers ensure lush green forests and fields while the regular warm sun-filled skies provide the perfect setting for playing in the waterfall or dipping in the pool. There are plenty of bright sunny days for activities of all sorts to take place around camp.

Q: Who owns your camp? Is your camp affiliated with any organization?

The Gordon family, who, after years in the camp industry, bought Camp White Eagle from the Devore family, owns Camp Kupugani and Camp White Eagle. The Devores had operated Camp White Eagle since 1991. For the prior 40 years, it was operated by the 4H organization. Camp White Eagle and Camp Kupugani are privately owned, independent camps, accredited by the American Camp Association.

Q: What is the best age to come to camp?

The best age for a child to begin camping is when the child is "ready." Some are ready at age 7, while others are ready a little later in childhood. Camp Kupugani's program is tailored towards girls from ages seven to fifteen, and we have new campers within all of those ranges, eager to have a great camp experience.

Q: Why is Camp Kupugani for girls-only? (For boys, please click to go to our boys-only camp page.)

Having a girls-only program allows us to address issues specific to girls and women. Girls can interact with women in positions of authority, and have more opportunities to "be themselves" without having to impress campers of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, in coed settings, girls (and women) tend to act differently when boys are around--reducing the girls' skill-building opportunities and sometimes causing girls to conform to sometimes-negative social norms.

Without distractions, our girls can be more comfortable, focused, and establish more meaningful relationships. They feel supported and safe, without experiencing the pressure and competition that might exist in a coed camp. Our girls are willing to try new things like dam jumping and rock climbing, develop positive relationships with other girls in their cabin groups and teams, and overall just have a space where "girls can be girls." Free of any self-consciousness that might happen say at school, other social settings, or at a coed camp, our girls get to concentrate on skill-building, personal growth, and having fun changing their world!

Combining structured programing and purposeful free time in a supportive community, we intentionally provide young women with a place to question cultural standards and increase opportunities for them to gain leadership skills.

Do all all-girls camps offer these benefits? In a word, "no." The key is "intentionality." We intentionally create an environment that focuses on girls' strengths. We include intentional relationship-building activities, teach communication and conflict resolution skills, and provide strong adult leadership from counselors selected from hundreds of applicants. Our talented counselor-facilitators are always attuned to the ever-evolving dynamics of our campers. In our all-girls camp, we're able to challenge the girls both physically and emotionally, yet enhance their safety within an intentionally supportive and comfortable camp community. If you are an intentional parent, you will appreciate that we continue the socially progressive lessons you seek outside of the summer.

Q: Where do Camp Kupugani girls come from?

Our campers come from all over the country and the world! Girls have come from as far as Japan and Spain, with others joining them from California, New Mexico, Texas, Georgia and Kansas, in addition to girls from right here in Illinois. Our campers' ethnic backgrounds are a nice mix too--including Caucasian, African-American, Bi-racial, Hispanic/Latina, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Native American; our young ladies embrace identities from everywhere! And there's a nice range of economic diversity too...at Camp Kupugani our girls have it all!

Q: With so many activities available, how do campers choose what to experience?

Our daily schedule combines scheduled group activities and choice periods. Campers choose at least two individual activities daily, and we re-evaluate our group schedules continually to ensure that all of our campers are focusing on the activities they enjoy most. The camp as a community does an evening activity together.

Q: Does the camp have any religious affiliation?

In keeping with our multicultural focus and respect for each individual's belief system, we have campers of many different faiths and beliefs.

Q: What kind of housing does the camp have?

Campers live in wood-framed cabins within the woods of Camp White Eagle. Each cabin has been recently renovated, with insulation, interior wood siding, and solid, built-in wood bunks and drawers. Up to ten campers live in a cabin with two to three staff members who provide the care and attention for each cabin group. Campers wash up in nearby washhouses.

Q: How is the food at camp?

Meals at camp not only taste great, but are nutritious too! From local farms, we obtain cage-free, hormone-free eggs (Phil's Eggs) and meat (Sumner View Angus Farm) that are free of artificial hormones, and stock high fructose corn syrup-free sodas (Hansen's) in our camp store. All meals are served family-style in the dining hall where campers sit with their table group, enabling them to meet other members of the camp community by mixing it up with girls who are different from those in their cabin and team groups. Along with lots of food variety, we offer salad for lunch and dinner, and a limited vegetarian option if requested.

Q: Do you allow cell phones or Ipods?

Because the whole point of our camp is to enjoy nature, facilitate communication, and empower children by developing those skills, we don't allow cell phones or Ipods, which diminish interpersonal interaction. A recent survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that children today are plugged into some kind of electronic medium almost eight hours a day--"more than many full-time jobs, and more time than they spend doing anything else besides sleeping." Recent research suggests that exposure to nature can improve all children's cognitive abilities and resistance to negative stresses and depression. Creativity is also stimulated by childhood experiences in nature.

Q: Okay, cell phones and Ipods are out, but what should I bring?

We have a full packing list in our welcome packet to use as a guideline. Camp is about fun, so leave those fancy clothes at home and come prepared to get a little messy. River walks, mud volleyball, and rock climbing can get clothes dirty!

Q: Is Camp White Eagle a "fancy" camp?

The whole point of our camp is to have fun while enjoying nature, facilitate communication, and empower children by developing those skills. Our facilities are very well maintained, and close to nature. Our program challenges and supports campers. Our counselors care for and respect campers. Our activities help campers excel and accomplish things they never thought they could. If you're looking for a camp that will help you be the best person you can be and have fun doing it, we look forward to seeing you next summer!

Q: How are counselors selected and what qualifications do they have?

Our staff members are carefully selected from hundreds of applicants from throughout the United States and all over the world. We are extremely intentional in our hiring process, offering positions to only those truly committed to being a teacher, counselor, mentor, protector and friend to our campers. Prospective staff members undergo a rigorous screening and interview process to make sure that we hire only the best, most qualified individuals to be a part of our camp family. Staff members are CPR and First Aid certified.

Q: What is the camper to staff ratio?

Supervision is one of our top priorities and we maintain a ratio of better than 4 to 1.

Q: What if my child is on medication or requires medical attention?

Camp Kupugani has a complete health center, with a nurse who handles the day-to-day services and needs. Our nurse keeps all medication and distributes it as prescribed by your doctor. You will be notified if your child has to stay overnight in the health center or needs any kind of medical attention beyond that provided by our nurse.

Q: What if my child gets homesick...should I be worried?

Missing home is normal. 95 percent of children who spend at least two weeks at overnight camp feel some degree of homesickness, which is typically mild. Nearly everyone misses something about home when they're away, be it their parents, home cooking, a sibling, or the family pet. Homesickness has a silver lining; if there's something that children miss about home, that means there's something about home that they love--and that's a wonderful thing. Whatever they miss, the vast majority of children has a great time at camp and is not bothered by mild homesickness. Overcoming a bout of homesickness and enjoying time away from home nurtures children's independence and prepares them for the future; the fact that second-year campers are usually less homesick than first-year campers evidences this powerful growth. Our caring staff members have been trained to help campers deal with homesickness should it arise.

Q: Can my child call home?

Campers are generally not allowed to call home. Our experience with calls home is that they diminish the camper's move towards self-sufficiency, and do not help if there are issues of homesickness. You are welcome to call us any time of day or night to check up on how your child is doing. We also post hundreds of pictures daily to a password-protected web site so you can see your camper's success for yourself!

Q: What can I do to minimize homesickness?

At Camp Kupugani, we create the most nurturing, comforting environment possible, and with all of our activities and program structure, no child stays homesick for long. To further minimize homesickness, before coming to camp, you should:

  • Make camp decisions together
  • Arrange lots of practice time away from home
  • Share your optimism, not your anxiety
  • NEVER EVER make a pick-up deal.

Q: We have family friends who may be interested in having their daughter come to Camp Kupugani with our child. Can you send them a packet?

A: Absolutely! Click here to send us an e-mail with your name, address, phone number and the names and ages of your children. We'll send out a packet, which includes all of our current information. If your friend enrolls their daughter in camp, you'll receive a 5% tuition credit (per enrolled camper).

Q: How do we get to camp?

Transportation to camp is easy and convenient. If you would like to drop your child off at camp, we can provide you with directions. We can also arrange for pick-ups at our local airports or bus station. When flying to camp, we suggest using the Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, which allows for the most flexibility of flight options.

Q: What does ACA-accreditation mean?

ACA Accreditation means that we submitted to a thorough (over 300 standards) review of our operations by the American Camp Association (ACA) -- from staff qualifications and training to emergency management. American Camp Association collaborates with experts from The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth service agencies to assure that current practices at the camp reflect the most up-to-date, research-based standards in camp operation. We and the ACA form a partnership that promotes summers of growth and fun in an environment committed to safety.

ACA helps all accredited camps provide:

  • Healthy, developmentally-appropriate activities and learning experiences
  • Discovery through experiential education
  • Caring, competent role models
  • Service to the community and the environment
  • Opportunities for leadership and personal growth

Q: Can we tour the camp?

A: Absolutely! During the summer, we are happy to offer camp tours to prospective camp families. It provides a perfect opportunity for you and your child to get a first hand look at the camp in operation. You can schedule a tour by contacting our office toll free at 1-866-471-4616.

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