Welcome
We are so excited your son/daughter is considering joining us for spring break at Young Life's camp Southwind! Here you will find the link to register and further information on camp. This is a Middle School trip from March 14-19 open to 7th and 8th grade students. Upper school students may join us on this trip in a service capacity.
The link to register will open October 1
The cost for camp is $1,200 (If you are on the Work Crew or serving as a high school WyldLife leader, your cost will vary. See registration link.) The costs include transportation, lodging, meals while at camp, a trip to the beach, and a day at Universal's Island of Adventures. The only costs not incorporated will be travel meals as well as dinner at Universal.
If you or your child are looking to raise money for camp, we offer a Wreath Sale Fundraiser. For more information and details, scroll to the bottom of this page.
We know that you may have many questions regarding this trip so we will do our best to answer those on this page. Please read this page thoroughly so that we can provide the absolute best experience for your child during their time at camp.
Although this is a Young Life trip, several faculty and staff from our schools will be joining us. If you have further questions, please feel free to call our office phone at (423) 634-7188 or email admin@YLchatt.org.
TRAVEL
We will be traveling by coach bus to Young Life's Southwind which is located at:
18115 SE 95th Street Rd, Ocklawaha, FL 32179
Departure
- 8:00 AM - McCallie Middle School (please arrive at 7:30 AM to register)
- 7:00 AM - Work Crew Departure (arrive at 6:30AM)
Return
- ~8:00 PM - McCallie Middle School
Travel Needs
We understand that some of you may have unique travel needs such as a late arrival, early departure, or need to be picked up at camp.
For those traveling to the 30A area we will be making a stop near the FL/GA border around 12:000PM where parents can pick up their child. We will stop at the following address:
2964 Co Rd 136, White Springs, FL
Please let us know ASAP if you have special travel needs. Please note that we will do our best to accommodate these needs but may not be able to.
Health & Safety Guidelines
We care about your student's health and safety and it is Young Life's desire to provide an environment where adolescents can participate at camp in a healthy way. We will have a nurse with us the entire time that will assist in any medical needs.
Every student and adult attending Young Life camp must fill out our Health & Consent Form.
We are accustomed to preparing food for many different types of medically necessary food allergies and intolerances and understand the importance of guarding against things like cross contamination and hidden ingredients that could cause a medical incident.
We have developed substitutions and solutions for almost every Special Dietary Need and keep a well stocked pantry for these occasions. Please fill out the form below to note any dietary restrictions your child may have.
Packing List
Please review all items on the packing list to ensure that your child has the best experience possible during their time at Southwind. Your child will need some spending money for three meals (We recommend sending them with $50-100)
Necessary Items
- Sleeping Bag
- Pillow
- Toiletries
- Beach & Bath Towel
- Clothes for warm days and cool nights
- Bathing Suit (Southwind has a lake and two pools. We will also go to the beach one day)
- Tennis Shoes
- Money for fast food travel meals en route to and from camp
- Money for dinner at Universal Studios
Optional Items
- Money for camp store and snack shop
- Snacks to eat while we are at camp
- Camera
Miscellaneous Information
- Young Life has a no electronics policy while at camp to help kids fully experience the week without distractions. We will instruct your child to let you know when they are close to arriving at Southwind then will take up their electronics and store them until we leave.
- In case of emergency, please contact Southwind at (352) 288-2500. If it is after hours, please text/call Jason Cha (Young Life Area Director) at (423) 504-7552.
- Please let us know if your child needs help taking medications and we will be sure to make note of it with our camp nurses.
- For any non-emergent communications during and leading up to camp, please refer to the following contacts:
- Jason Cha (McCallie) at Jason@YLchatt.org
- Avery Campbell (GPS) at Avery@YLchatt.org
- Elisabeth Hale (Baylor) at Ehale@baylorschool.org
Once again, thank you for entrusting us with your children and their safety. It is our hope that they would not only have an incredible experience but that they would forge relationships that will last a lifetime.
Want to raise money for camp? Many students have fully funded their camp experiences through our Wreath Sale Fundraiser. Our fresh Fraser Fir wreaths and White Pine garland, sourced from North Carolina, are perfect to sell door-to-door, to family and friends, or even local businesses or churches!
For every item sold, each student earns $10. Buyers can make their purchase or a donation using the link below, which will also provide more details about the products and ordering process. All wreath orders are due no later than Nov. 15th.
Please reach out if you have any further questions about this fundraiser.