KODA Camp Midwest FAQs

Camp registration for 2023 opens September 26, 2022. To reserve a spot, parents pay a $200 non refundable deposit per child per session. The $200 nonrefundable deposit counts towards the total camp fee.

Early bird special between now and March 1st, 2023 is $1,000 per child, and $900 per sibling. Starting March 2nd, the camp registration cost is $1,200 per camper and $1,000 per sibling. One week's kids session cost is $500. Late fee of $10 per day will be added starting June 1st until paid in full. (Early bird pricing must be paid in full by March 1st). 

Any cancellations after May 31st are not refundable except in situations such as medical or bereavement with appropriate documentation. In cases of medical or bereavement, the parent will have the option to either receive a full refund or defer payment to the next camp year. Cancellation for any other reason, will result in the loss of funds. In the case of emergency situations such as natural disasters and/or camp cancellation, the family will receive a refund (minus the non-refundable registration fee) or defer for next year.

KODA Camp Midwest understand that sending your child to camp is an investment and can be a financial burden. To overcome financial hardships, KODA Camp Midwest provides scholarships to assist in the cost of attending camp. 

Please visit our financial assistance page to find out more!

Please send your package to the Mackenzie Center Lodge & Dorms

Address your package with:

Camper name

MACKENZIE CENTER Lodge & Dorms

W7303 County CS-Q

POYNETTE WI 53955

• Emphasize the numbers of campers attending the camp and they go back every year. Show them the pictures in the archives. 

• Listen to their reason for not wanting to go. It could be their fear of sleeping outdoor (not true), making no friends (not true), or being mocked at (not true). If you need another camper to talk to your child, let the director know. The campers will be happy to share!

• "Two weeks is too long to be away from my friends!!" Tell them yes and the days will fly by so fast and before you know it, it is time to go home.

• Be exciting about sending your kid to the camp! Your positive attitude will make your kid think that it is okay to leave you alone at home. Share your camp stories if you have any.

• Some kids will refuse to go, you as a parent will know what is best for your child to experience the wonderful and enriching time. There were some kids regretted their decisions not to go at all. Just try it for this one time is a good way to let the kid know that they will go regardless. Also, let your child know about going to the camp in advance, about one month or more.

KODA Camp Midwest announces dates for the following summer in September or October of that year so you have plenty of time to plan! Follow our Facebook and Instagram page to keep up to date on all the latest announcements! 

$40-$50 is a great estimate of how much your child should bring to camp. 

The camp is establish cashless environment. Each child should have a card (up to you which card to use, credit or debit for them to use. Each card should have their name written on it. The youths' and kids' cards will be kept in a safe place. Teens are responsible for their own cards.

It is up to individual families to decide how much money their child would need during their camp session. On registration day, each camper’s money will be collected by the office manager for safekeeping. Each day the kids can withdraw spending money. If you prefer cash then the cash in increments of 10’s, 5’s, and 1’s. 

On days that we have outings, such as Mount Olympus or Noah’s Ark, the kids will spend their money on food, drinks, souvenirs, and more.

At KODA Camp, we celebrate everyone’s unique perspective and identity. We fully support and embrace campers who are trans, nonbinary, or otherwise gender-diverse. Out of dignity and love for all campers, we will refer to campers with their chosen name and pronouns and respect them as their true gender. Though most campers feel safe and loved by other campers in the KODA Camp community, staff are trained to recognize and intervene in any case of bullying, harassment, or hate speech that may occur so that everyone can continue to be authentically themselves in a safe environment. 

Our camp activities are not separated by gender so campers will not feel pressured to align with one binary gender during activities. However, due to the circumstances of KODA Camp’s sleeping arrangements and regulations out of our control, we are unfortunately required to place campers by their gender assigned at birth into either a boys’ dorm or a girls’ dorm. Therefore, we ask that on camper registration, campers are registered under their gender assigned at birth and have their trans/nonbinary/gender-diverse identity and pronouns specified in the open text box provided on the registration form. We understand and regret that this may cause frustration and feelings of dysphoria or invalidation for the campers. We will treat any and all campers who are put in this situation with respect and care to their true gender and strive to help everyone feel validated despite the unideal sleeping arrangement. We hope to see trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse campers continue to attend KODA Camp and enjoy all it has to offer!

Hot! – The weather here can fluctuate between 60-90 degrees!

Be sure to pack long pants, long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, as well as shorts, short sleeved t-shirts, tank tops, etc. Make sure to bring a swimsuit or two. There are TONS of mosquitoes and sun, so bring a can of bug spray and sun block!

NO CELL PHONES ARE USED AT CAMP

If your child needs to contact you in case of an emergency, or you need to contact them, the children can ask for a phone call or you can contact Karen and a phone call can be arranged. This policy was revisited recently and it is still banned. However, do bring the cellphone and it will be held until last day of the camp.

The kids LOVE getting mail from home and this tradition will be continued.

For the most part, your child will be too busy to make or receive phone calls.  It create unfair environment for all children.

Karen, the director,  will send emails to parents  with updates as much as she can.

Each day the kids will have some downtime to write letters home. Be sure to write at least one letter to your child during camp! Your child LOVES receiving mail, and packages while they’re at camp.

The address to send a letter, or a care package to your child is:

MacKenzie Center Lodge/KODA Camp

Camper name

W7303 County Highway CS

Poynette, Wisconsin  53955.

IMPORTANT: Do not forget to add your child(s) name on the envelope/package so we know who it belongs to! Parents are welcome to email Karen, the camp director,  at Karen@kodamidwest.org, or VP at 608-234-5049 to check on the well being of their children.

Madison is the closest, about 20 minutes away. Milwaukee is 1.5  hours away.  

It is ideal to have your kid to land in Milwaukee in the morning  on the first day (Sunday) of the camp.

On the last day (Friday), the time to fly out should be after 12 pm to give us time to bring the kids back to the airport.

An email will be sent to the parents confirming the pickup, and drop-off of their child.

There are 4 cabins; each cabin has 15 beds. There are 2 cabins set up for the boys, and the other 2 cabins are set up for the girls. Each cabin has the same layout, flipped. Every camper needs to bring their own pillow, sheets, and blanket or a sleeping bag.

Each cabin side holds 15 campers and 4-5 counselors. Includes 2 showers and 2 bathrooms. 

Due to the number of beds available at the MacKenzie Center, KODA Camp Midwest must limit the number of kids that can attend KODA Camp. Please see more information on cabin set up for cabin lay out. 

Yes! The law requires that a staff with CPR and First Aid Certification be on site 24/7.

VERY IMPORTANT: Be sure to list any medical conditions that the campers may have so that we can be prepared to help them at all times.

Yes! Mt. Olympus & Noah’s Ark is HUGE! HOWEVER...

We make sure that one counselor is responsible for 3-4 kids during the whole day so nobody wanders off by themselves. The counselors, and staffs do a headcount at certain times throughout the day to ensure that the campers are safe.

PLEASE pack enough clothes for 2 weeks.

If necessary, clothes can be washed halfway through camp. One mesh laundry bag is preferable for laundry days.

Each child should bring their own shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, body soap, shaving cream, brush, hairspray, personal items, a flashlight, and camera (either digital or disposable). Those items are a MUST! Some kind of pail to carry the items is helpful.

For a more detailed list of what to bring please see the Packing List.

All kinds!

We have a softball field, basketball hoop, a big field to play football on, and a volleyball court on site. We do team building activities, we do archery, we watch movies,  we play Kodaball, go on hikes, we do arts & crafts, and play indoor games. We have campfires (depending on the weather).

Every year, each camper will receive a T-shirt and a KODA book to keep as a souvenir from their time at camp. The T-shirts are based on that year's theme at camp. The KODA books are similar to yearbooks. Campers can sign them, leave written messages and exchange information so that campers can look back on the fun times they experienced at KODA Camp. 

Another tradition we have are the KODA Camp Flags. Each group will have the opportunity to create a flag based on their individual theme. It is a fun team-building activity and a great way for the campers to get to know the peers within their group.

KODA chants are another tradition we hold. The main one we chant here at camp is “KODA Love”.  Counselors will shout out “KODA” and campers will respond with “Love”. Throughout the duration of camp, counselors (and even campers) will create chants focusing on being a KODA.

The KODAthalon is another event that occurs on the last day of camp. The stations are based on activities that the campers have participated in for the duration of camp. Points are earned based on how well they do at an activity. The winners of the KODAthalon are announced at the KODIES.

The KODIES is an award ceremony held on the last night of camp. This event recognizes the campers who accomplished special achievements such as “Team Player” or “Early Riser”. Music videos created by counselors and campers are also premiered at the KODIES. Along with this fun-filled night, 16-year olds are celebrated as it is their last year as campers at KODA Camp.

The KODIES is an award ceremony held on the last night of camp. This event recognizes the campers who accomplished special achievements such as “Team Player” or “Early Riser”. Music videos created by counselors and campers are also premiered at the KODIES. Along with this fun-filled night, 16-year olds are celebrated as it is their last year as campers at KODA Camp.

The KODAthalon is another event that occurs on the last day of camp. The stations are based on activities that the campers have participated in for the duration of camp. Points are earned based on how well they do at an activity. The winners of the KODAthalon are announced at the KODIES.

The first day of camp is registration day beginning at 1pm. The campers will start with a team building activity that day. On specific days they will go to a theme/water park, a swimming pool or lake, & possibly do other outings. On other days the kids will do team KODA Studies, team building,  arts & crafts, and PE.  Each day there are one hour long activities: three in the morning and three in the afternoon.  On the last day of camp the campers should be completely off the campground by NOON. Be prepared for the kids to drag their feet on the last day of camp! It might take up to 2 hours to get your child completely packed and in the car!

Parent’s Show happens on the morning of the last day of camp!

All parents should try to come if possible. Plan to arrive around 8:30 am to catch up with your kids and enjoy. There will be refreshments.  The show will begin at 9 am, or latest at 9:30 am for about half hour.  Parents ARE NOT allowed to stay overnight at the cabins.

You can check out hotels in Deforest, Portage or Madison, WI,  it is approximately a 15 to 25 minute drive from the KODA camp depending on the traffic.