Oncology Camp

Our Oncology Camp welcomes patients or survivors of childhood cancer who are ages 7-17, potty-trained, and have permission from their doctor to attend school or camp.

Many of our campers have food aversions, g-tubes, special medical needs, or disabilities. This is very common at Camp Casco! We work with parents prior to the camp session to make sure we understand each child’s unique situation and how we can best support them at camp. We will prepare you to support your specific campers during our onsite training day.

Camp Casco provides breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for campers and volunteers throughout the week.

Meals are served every day in the Dining Hall. Food is served buffet-style, making it easy to adapt to different dietary needs. Specific dietary preferences (like vegetarian, vegan, or kosher diets) and food allergies can also be accommodated. Please be sure to note any dietary preferences and food allergies on your staff application so that we may notify the camp kitchen promptly.

We follow the guidance of the CDC, our local Boards of Health, and of course, our medical experts, when making decisions about health and safety. Please visit our COVID-19 page for the most up-to-date guidance on our policies and procedures.

Grotonwood is a camp and conference center located in the beautiful countryside town of Groton, MA. Nestled in 247 acres of private woodland, camp is a treasure trove of outdoor fun and recreation. They have been welcoming youth and adults with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities for over sixty years!

Throughout our camp session, we’ll make use of the Dining Center, indoor arts and crafts space, spacious gymnasium, grassy areas, scenic waterfront, and comfortable lodges. A “Med Shed” room, equipped with medical supplies and staffed with medical professionals around the clock, ensures that children can receive excellent care anytime, day or night.

This beautiful campsite is modernized, well-maintained, equipped with indoor bathrooms and electricity, and ensures the comfort and safety of all participants throughout the week.

During inclement weather, such as very warm or rainy days, we’ll move inside. On warmer days, we may provide cooling items such as a personal fan, and increase the number of water activities, to help keep kids comfortable. Be aware that in the case of lightning, swimming and boating will not permitted until deemed safe by our lifeguards.

Every camper and volunteer stays in either an updated cabin or a room in Grotonwood’s beautiful lodge.

All participants are assigned to sleeping quarters in small groups by gender preference. Whenever possible, there will be at least one other volunteer in your room. We use a Truddy System to ensure no volunteer is ever left alone with a camper, unless medically necessary.

Our cabins feature electricity, indoor wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, hot water, and single or bunk beds. You may bring bedding from home or use a sleeping bag on your bed - whichever you prefer. If you require special accommodations overnight, please contact us to discuss.

Volunteers ages 18 and 19 are considered Counselors-In-Training. Counselors-In-Training will never be left alone in charge of campers, without the direct supervision of a full counselor, and will not be placed in charge of campers over age 15. Full counselors are ages 20+. All counselors, regardless of age, will complete pre-camp and onsite training to prepare before camper arrival. No counselor, regardless of age, will ever be left alone with a camper.

We are looking for volunteers who are responsible and dependable, work well as a team, and communicate effectively.

Our ideal counselor is highly motivated to help us create the best week ever, and willing to get silly, participate fully, and actively connect with each camper.

You do not need to be a specific age, or specific personality type, to be a great camp counselor. We find that different kids connect with a variety of personality types, and we strive to create a diverse volunteer team to support our diverse group of campers.

During the online volunteer interview, you will meet with a few members of our camp leadership team. We will ask questions to get to know you better, and assess your experience and readiness for the camp setting. We may ask questions like:

• Tell us about a time you had to quickly come up with a back-up plan.

• Have you ever had a conflict with a co-worker or teammate? How did you work through it?

• What would you do if you had a camper who was withdrawn or isolated from the group?

Types of camp counselors:

• Cabin counselor

  • Assigned to a specific cabin (or group) that they will be with for the duration of the week. They will supervise their campers, and make sure they get to all of the scheduled activities on time. The Cabin Counselors report directly to the Head Counselor(s).

• Activities counselor

  • In charge of running all Camp Casco activities throughout the week. While not assigned to a specific cabin, Activities Counselors will interact with campers through different activities and will fill in for cabin counselors when needed. Activities Counselors report directly to the Activities Manager.

• Counselor-In-Training

  • May share responsibilities as either a cabin or activities counselor, but will not be left alone in charge of a group of campers.

Medical volunteers:

• Volunteers who are medical professionals may volunteer for our Med Shed. These volunteers are responsible for providing medical care for campers throughout the week under the supervision of the Medical Director.

• Med Shed volunteers should be doctors, nurses, physicians assistants, paramedics or EMTs who are currently licensed in Massachusetts. Medical volunteers can choose to volunteer for a single day or multiple days during the camp session— you do not have to commit to the full session.

Leadership team:

Each camp is organized and run by a team of volunteers who work throughout the year to make each camp our best week ever. Our leadership team is selected and supported by our staff Program Director, Krystin “Lo” Whitacre.

At Overnight Camp, our leadership team is made up of:

• Camp Director:

  • Responsible for the internal aspects of Camp Casco, focusing on the needs and well-being of campers, volunteers, and medical personnel.

• Head Counselor(s):

  • Responsible for cabin counselors, ensuring they have everything necessary to provide their campers with the best week possible. Any issues with campers or fellow counselors will be first brought to the attention of the Head Counselor.

• Activities Manager:

  • Responsible for the planning and execution of all Camp Casco activities and is directly responsible for the Activities Counselors.

• CIT Coordinator:

  • Responsible for Counselors-In-Training, providing guidance and support throughout the week.

• Medical Director:

  • Responsible for the administrative aspects of the Med Shed and oversees the medical volunteers.