OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY
Safety is the cornerstone of what we do at Incomparable Camp Ozark. Our safety standards are designed to meet or exceed the requirements of the American Camp Association.
CAMP OZARK
ACA Accreditation
Met or exceeded all 290+ ACA requirements since 2001
The American Camp Association is the only nationwide accrediting organization for camps of all types. Accreditation demonstrates accountability, credibility, and commitment to the health and safety of campers and staff, and to the risk management practices that reach beyond the regulations of most states.
- Only 20-25% of camps are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA)
- The ACA accreditation process evaluates operational areas such as Administration, Human Resources, Facilities, Health and Wellness, Staff Training, Program Design, Safety, and Emergency Management
- ACA accreditation verifies that a camp has complied with approximately 290 standards for health, safety, and program quality
- Accreditation provides parents with evidence of a camp’s commitment to the health and safety of campers and staff
- Camp Ozark is proud to receive the highest recognition from the ACA
CAMP OZARK
Campus Overview
Over 40 years of thoughtful planning focused on providing an incomparable camp environment and experience
The Camp Ozark facility and operations infrastructure have been developed over the last 40 years with a methodical focus on camper safety and experience.
- Situated in the Ouachita Mountains on high ground bisected by a spring fed lake
- Full-time and Top Staff with multiple communication devices housed in immediate proximity to camper cabin areas
- Multi-purpose shelters in cabin and program areas
- Two on-campus Health Centers staffed 24/7
- Backup power systems and redundant communications infrastructure
- Internal road infrastructure with vehicle access to all cabin and program areas
- Ongoing facility inspection, maintenance, and improvement
- Compliance with state, federal, and American Camp Association operating policies and standards
CAMP OZARK
Health & Wellness
Treating your child like one of our own
Camp Ozark’s health and wellness program is managed year-round by a team of highly experienced medical professionals. This team includes one of the owners, a Registered Nurse with a Master’s Degree in Community Health who has practiced camp nursing for over 40 years; the Medical Director, a board-certified pediatrician with over 25 years of experience as a practicing pediatrician; and the Health Center Coordinator, a Nurse Practitioner who holds a Master of Science in Nursing and has over 20 years of emergency room nursing experience. The Camp Ozark health and wellness program includes:
- Two thoroughly equipped Health Centers on site
- 1-2 licensed physicians on site and on call each session
- Up to 12 registered nurses on site and on call each session
- Access to a network of specialty physicians for advanced care, including emergency medicine, radiology, orthopedics, and more
- A strong emphasis on the “Big Five” – hand washing, hydration, nutrition, rest, and sun protection
- Staff trained in American Red Cross CPR and First Aid
- Advanced emergency resources on property
- A written medical emergency plan including emergency and medical evacuation procedures
CAMP OZARK
Leadership Staff
Over 300 combined years of professional camp experience
Camper safety begins with the Incomparable Camp Ozark leadership team. Working year-round, this team sets the standard for excellence in camp operations as they oversee program planning, staff selection and training, and strategic facilities development.
- Direct involvement in supervision of all major programming and areas of camp
- Year-round, full-time commitment to operational excellence
- Annual participation in leadership and professional trainings and certifications
- Oversight of 70+ year-round employees
- Highly qualified professionals educated at Rice, UVA, Harvard, Duke, Texas A&M, Texas, and more
- Graduate degrees in medicine, law, business, theology, education, community health, and more
- Experienced parents with a combined total of 37 children
CAMP OZARK
Summer Staff
Who we hire matters
The Camp Ozark summer staff undergo a meticulous screening, selection, and training process. Each year, expertly trained recruiters conduct over 2,800 personal interviews as they seek to hire only the best. Camp Ozark also partners with several third-party experts, such as Praesidium, the nation’s leader in child protection, in order to implement an industry-leading staff screening, selection, and oversight process that includes:
- Commitment to robust staffing
- Industry-leading screening and selection procedures
- Extensive application, interview, and redundant review process
- Comprehensive training program for all staff members
- Multi-layered camper and cabin supervision
- Direct supervision in activity areas by trained staff
- Innovative Camp Mom & Dad program as an additional layer of quality control, camper care, and oversight
CAMP OZARK
Camper Protection
Multi-layered screening, training, and accountability
Through Camp Ozark’s extensive expertise and professional partnerships, it has endeavored to become the national leader among camps in developing, training on, and implementing child protection policies. Key components of the camp’s approach to Camper Protection include:
- Nationally-leading screening process imbedded in our interviews, applications, references, and recruiting procedures
- Professional screening and selection training led by Praesidium, the nation’s leader in child protection
- Background checks and voluntary disclosure statements are required for all summer staff
- Expert training for our summer staff in the areas of child protection, supervision, monitoring behavior, and camper care
- Industry-leading staff-to-camper ratios
- Robust camper monitoring, supervision, and reporting systems
- A layered supervision system for all cabins that includes counselors, Top Staff, and Permanent Staff, all who share monitoring and supervision responsibilities
CAMP OZARK
Emergency Preparedness
Your camper’s safety is our top priority
Camp Ozark prioritizes campers’ safety through the use of multiple strategies, including, but not limited to, extensive training, strategic partnerships and emergency readiness, advanced emergency monitoring systems, and the use of advanced communication and technology platforms. Specifics include:
- Comprehensive emergency procedures, including evacuation plans, accessible to all staff
- Extensive staff emergency preparedness training
- Operational drills and procedural practice in multiple emergency scenarios
- Multi-use shelters strategically located throughout camper cabin and program areas
- Redundant emergency communication capabilities
- Redundant commercial-grade generators that provide backup power for critical facilities and infrastructure
- A medical team that maintains BLS (Basic Life Support), ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support), and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certifications with training in emergency care for both pediatric and adult populations
- On-site mass transportation capabilities, including a fleet of school buses, high-capacity shuttles and passenger vans, and UTVs
