At Alleghany, the health, safety, and wellness of our campers is our top focus. Not only do we hold ourselves to high safety standards, but we are committed to both the physical and mental health and wellness of our community.
American Camp Association
We take pride in our accreditation from the American Camp Association (ACA), which attests to our commitment to rigorous health, safety, and program quality standards. Going the extra mile beyond ACA requirements, we prioritize the safety of every aspect of our programs.
Staff Training & Certifications
Our Staff arrives weeks before campers to participate in a rigorous and intentional Staff Training program, which our directors have refined over the last century. Our counselors learn about child development, our safety procedures, communication with youth, intentional promotion of personal growth, and so much more! Our staff have the opportunity to get Lifeguard Certified if they are not already, and all of our staff undergo CPR and First Aid certifications. Our Rifle, Archery, Canoeing, Swimming, and Ropes & Bouldering counselors go through additional rigorous safety and skill training for their respective activities along with our standard Staff Training. In addition, our staff all undergo our hiring process which includes interviews, references, and background checks.
We are committed to hiring and training the best group of Camp Counselors each summer!
Mental Health Support
In an effort to provide the best care for our campers and ensure a positive and productive camp experience for all, we are happy to include a Licensed Professional Counselor as a part of our healthcare team as our Wellness Counselor. She meets with our counselors during Staff Training and spends some time with them covering self-care and camper care, with a special focus on mental health strategies. During Term Camp, she lives onsite for a portion of the time and is available to our staff via phone or Zoom for support when she is not in camp. She is available to help support both counselors and campers and works closely with the medical staff when needed.
Our Infirmary & Local Resources
At all times during our sessions, we have three dedicated healthcare providers on-site and available 24/7- a doctor and two registered nurses. Not only do they fix bumps and bruises, but they also administer daily and as-needed medications and diagnose/treat anything that may come up. If any medical occurrences need additional support we are located 15 minutes away from Greenbrier Valley Medical Center and we are even closer to an urgent care facility.
Food Saftey & Allergies
We make every effort to be as inclusive and accommodating to dietary restrictions and food allergies as possible. Our efforts include making sure that all dietary restrictions are strictly met to the best of our ability and doing our best to serve our special diets campers and counselors similar foods as the rest of the camp (for example, gluten-free pancakes on regular pancake days, or a veggie or soy-based burger on hamburger days).
Not only do we have a dedicated Special Diets Chef on site all summer, but we have an additional Support Staff Member, our Special Diets Coordinator, who ensures each child's dietary needs are met and all meals are being safely served to our campers and staff with Special Diets. It is important to us that all of our Campers and Counselors are full and happy during their time at Alleghany!
Health & Wellness First
Camp is intended to be fun and enjoyable, but none of that can happen if we aren’t healthy and safe first! We focus on these areas so that we can ensure the campers will have an enjoyable experience and know they are safe and taken care of. We take pride in the measures we take to ensure the campers feel good about their experience at Alleghany. As always, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!