Accreditations
  MAXIMUM TEEN TRAVEL CAMP is accredited by the
AMERICAN CAMPING ASSOCIATION,
licensed by the
NASSAU COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH and
a member of the NEW YORK STATE CAMP DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
Staff
All staff are over 21, under 35 and certified in CPR and First Aid. They meet MAXIMUM TEEN TRAVEL CAMP'S strict requirements for working with your children and receive an intensive training program prior to the opening of camp.
Our counselors do not drive buses. They attend to your children.
Buses are driven by professional drivers supplied by the bus companies.
Each counselor carries a cellular phone. Staff are in constant touch with the camp office and with each other.
Because a concerned, caring and loving staff is critical to the safety and success of any camp program, we are dedicated to selecting and training the finest people to take care of and share with your children. We take the responsibility of your child very seriously and spend months of planning and refining the program of training our counselors. Dozens of hours of workshops and meetings precede the opening day of camp. Staff, old and new, share together the camp training manual, camper's paperwork, roll play and lots of laughs. The excitement builds as we get closer to the big day.
All staff are required to become certified in first aid and CPR which gives them additional time to work together.
There is a workshop in the use of cell phones as well. All of this helps build a solid front line team. Our camp nurse, an RN and EMT, goes over camper's medicals with the staff and red flags any concerns. Nassau County Board of Health guidelines for handling emergencies, dispensing of medications, the Daily Medical Log, etc., are also addressed. `Day Pages' are discussed. These pages describe the destination of the day and their first aid facilities, the location of the nearest hospital, directions, phone numbers, etc...
A medical bag is carried on each bus, replete with supplies and each camper's application, medical and emergency release form.
The camp's Water Safety Instructor and Grade III Ocean Guard define waterfront responsibilities.
Security
On overnight trips we always hire a private security guard to be in the hall where our campers are lodged. This enables our staff can get a good night's sleep while a professional oversees our security.
Groups
Camper/Counselor ratio is between 1:6 and 1:10, based on the destination. Campers are ALWAYS in a group with a counselor. However, they choose the group they want to be in each day. This gives campers wonderful flexibility.
Uniforms
MAXIMUM is a uniformed camp. Our tee shirts are 'cool' and must be worn every day. Three shirts are issued each camper (additional tees can be purchased). Packing lists are sent home the week before each overnight trip.
Meals
Meals are provided on all overnights and many day trips. On other days campers usually 'brown bag' lunch. Your weekly newsletter will advise which trips have food included, when you should bring it and when it is available for purchase.
Activities
Many activities are rain or shine events. However, when necessary, we have a pocketful of wonderful indoor destinations waiting in the wings.
Transportation
MAXIMUM TEEN TRAVEL CAMP provides door-to-door pick-ups in air conditioned buses for our campers, including late night drop offs. All buses are driven by professional drivers and are supervised by our staff. Our staff are equipped with cell phones so we are in constant communication with them. Small groups on buses creates a family-type atmosphere where campers and staff make friendships very, very quickly! Traveling is fun and allows the campers to experience things they may never have experienced before. On day trips we use yellow school buses, on overnights we use motorcoaches. Coaches are VCR & lav equipped with reclining seats and stereos as well as air conditioned. Our drivers are an important part of our camp and they become part of the family. They enjoy kids and recognize the importance of safety. They have as much fun on our trips as we do.
MAXIMUM is a member of the ABA (American Bus Association). This gives us the tools and knowledge needed to guarantee that our campers are enjoying the best and safest equipment. As a travel camp, our requirements of a bus company far surpass others in the industry. All buses must meet NYDOT and USDOT standards. Our drivers must be 19-A certified. This certification tells us that our drivers are in good health and that they meet the strict requirements. The driver's abstract is his safety record and must meet certain criteria in order for us to qualify him as one of our drivers.
Overnights
Our overnight trips are anticipated by campers and staff alike. New destinations away from home offer vistas of lifetime experiences. Hotels on overnight trips are carefully selected for their staff, services, amenities and professionalism in working with student groups. Large, well-appointed rooms with inside halls are a must. Meals are healthy and varied to satisfy any special dietary needs and planned to please the palates of our campers (chicken and burgers beat pheasant under glass every time). If the itinerary permits time in the hotel, a pool with lifeguard (including private splash party) and gameroom are a necessity. Drink, food and ice machines have to be near our rooms. We choose the same hotels you would choose for a family vacation.
All rooms are reserved in a block off the first floor. Campers are 3 or 4 per room with staff rooms at either end and in the middle of the room block.
On arrival at the hotel each night, campers are taken by staff to make calls home, to get ice and junk food and settle down before curfew and bedcheck. Security guards are hired from midnight to 6:00am to patrol our halls. They are given a room list and alert the directors if there are any camper needs.
On check-out from a hotel, campers remain in their rooms until a staff member checks the room with them for items left behind.
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