Woodland Cabins
via Camp-Joy.org
One of the first activities students get the opportunity to participate in once at Camp Joy is moving into one of the 12 woodland cabins. Six to eight students are typically assigned to a cabin, and usually get to pick one friend they would like to stay with. Staying in the cabins is often times one of the first experiences of staying on their own. The entire Joy experience, including the stay in the cabins, gives students a taste of thriving and making decisions for their well-being on their own. Each cabin is constantly monitored by one of the eight high school student chaperones that accompany students to camp joy.
Dining at Camp
Camp Joy is also well-known for their delicious food. Meals in the dining hall are served family style, where every student at the table gets to show off their excellent table manners and show how to properly pass the food around the table. Two students at each table serve as "hoppers", and are in charge of setting the table for the other 8 students at their table, delivering the food to the table during the meal, and cleaning up the table and surrounding area after the meal is over. All students rotate through the "hopper" job at least once during their camp experience, sometimes serving as "hopper" twice.
Camp Fire
On the first night of camp, after an exciting day of moving into the cabins and exploring the many acres of Camp Joy, students, teachers, and camp staff gather around a fire in the amphitheater to enjoy a fun time of singing and sharing skits and stories. Students are often times called upon to participate in a skit on stage, along with the high school student chaperones. To top it all off, what proper camp experience wouldn't be complete without roasting marshmallows over the fire and making s'mores.